Adeel Tahir

Director of Sales at TECNO Mobile Pakistan

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Adeel Tahir is Director of Sales at TECNO Mobile Pakistan. He joined Tecno in 2018, and he says he has about 20 years of experience in the telecom industry. He completed his graduation in IT from NUST.

Early life and education

Tahir was born in 1981. His father was in the army, so the family travelled often. He completed his graduation in IT from NUST. [1]

Career

Tahir started his career in 2004. His first job was at Samsung, where he worked until 2008. He says Samsung was little known when he worked there, so the team pitched it door to door. He says his career has followed a pattern of starting with an early-stage company and developing it. [1]

Tahir also worked at Huawei. He was part of Huawei's device business, which began around 2010 to 2011. He then moved from Huawei to Haier, a local brand. At Haier he was part of the launch of its mobile phone division. He also worked at QMobile. [1]

TECNO Mobile Pakistan

Tahir says QMobile was going through a tough time at that point. A Chinese contact, previously at Huawei, approached him about Tecno. He took almost three months to decide to join Tecno. [1]

Tahir says Tecno set up a factory in Pakistan in 2019. He says Tecno set up its Pakistan factory through a joint venture company. He says the team convinced headquarters to build a Pakistan factory before approaching government. He says delegations from China came to negotiate and saw Pakistan's potential. He says Tecno took a risk on Pakistan, which paid off in hindsight. [1]

Tahir says the policy came after Tecno showed the government the investment. He says a system implemented because of the policy deactivates phones on which duty has not been paid. He says Tecno set up the first smartphone factory in Pakistan, in Karachi, and that Tecno runs the largest smartphone factory in Pakistan, in Karachi. [1]

Tahir says the factory employs more than 4,000 people, and that more than half of the 4,000 factory workers are women. He says the factory had more than 25 Chinese staff at that time. He says the Chinese staff trained all the local staff, and that only one Chinese staff member remains at the factory. [1]

Tahir says each production line has 40 to 50 people. He says a production line can now make 1,500 to 2,000 phones a day. He says two shifts of around 16 hours in total are common. He says workers were tested and then fully trained before they worked the line. [1]

Tahir says Tecno is one of the largest smartphone players in Pakistan. He says his company holds around 24 to 25 percent market share. He says Tecno operates in more than 70 countries and is the number one brand in Africa. He describes Tecno as a brand for the masses, with affordable smartphones and premium quality. He says his company followed a reverse philosophy, which proved well for it. [1]

Tahir says Tecno has some company-operated stores and a website for direct sales. He says more than 90 percent of sales still come through offline channels. He says his company has an extensive network of more than 400 dealers, and that Tecno has more than 2,000 shops across Pakistan. He says local distributors buy stock from the local factory and supply dealers nationwide. [1]

Tahir says the first Camon series sold best in Gujranwala, which surprised the company. He says letters of credit were not available for three months. He says parts are available because phones are built across Pakistan. He says his company's launches are on par with global launches. [1]

Tahir says the company would be launching the Phantom V series, which is the foldable category. He says the foldable hinge is aerospace grade. He says pre-orders for the new launch open on 27 October, with general availability on 3 November. [1]

Views

Tahir has wondered why no Pakistani company became a global brand. He says talent exists and depends on how people are trained and nurtured. He says Pakistan's factories are as good as anywhere in the world. He estimates about 40,000 jobs, direct and indirect, across the factories. [1]

Tahir says his company is going towards localization. He says localization could start with packaging, chargers and cables. He says localization and export are the next big thing for the industry. He says the export market could be about 12 billion dollars. [1]

Tahir describes himself as an optimist. He says what is needed is a stable environment, and that the potential is there. He says Chinese management wants to invest, but instability sometimes holds it back. [1]

Timeline

1981
Tahir is born.[1]
2004
Tahir starts his career at Samsung.[1]
2008
Tahir's work at Samsung runs until this year.[1]
2010
Huawei's device business begins around 2010 to 2011, and Tahir is part of it.[1]
2018
Tahir joins Tecno.[1]
2019
Tahir says Tecno sets up a factory in Pakistan.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2023-10-25 How Tecno built Pakistan's largest phone factory Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Adeel Tahir?

Adeel Tahir is Director of Sales at TECNO Mobile Pakistan. He joined Tecno in 2018. He says he has about 20 years of experience in the telecom industry.[1]

What does Adeel Tahir do?

Adeel Tahir is Director of Sales at TECNO Mobile Pakistan. Before Tecno he worked at Samsung, Huawei, Haier and QMobile.[1]

Where did Adeel Tahir study?

Adeel Tahir completed his graduation in IT from NUST.[1]

When was Adeel Tahir born?

Adeel Tahir was born in 1981. His father was in the army, so the family travelled often.[1]

When did Adeel Tahir start his career?

Adeel Tahir started his career in 2004. His first job was at Samsung, where he worked until 2008.[1]

When did Adeel Tahir join Tecno?

Adeel Tahir joined Tecno in 2018. He says he took almost three months to decide to join Tecno.[1]

Which companies has Adeel Tahir worked for?

Adeel Tahir worked at Samsung, Huawei, Haier and QMobile before joining Tecno. At Haier he was part of the launch of its mobile phone division.[1]

What does Adeel Tahir say about localization?

Adeel Tahir says his company is going towards localization. He says localization could start with packaging, chargers and cables. He says localization and export are the next big thing for the industry.[1]

References

  1. How Tecno built Pakistan's largest phone factory . Thought Behind Things , 2023-10-25.
Show the source passages (71 statements)
  1. He was born in 1981. I was born in 1981. I belong to a military background.
  2. His father was in the army, so the family travelled often. My father was in the army, so we always kept traveling around, haan ji.
  3. He completed his graduation in IT from NUST. maine apni graduation jo hai wo NUST se ki in IT
  4. He started his career in 2004. I started my career back in 2004.
  5. His first job was at Samsung, where he worked until 2008. I started my career from Samsung. Chaar se 2008 tak maine Samsung mein kaam kiya.
  6. He worked at Huawei. I, I, I worked with Huawei.
  7. He was part of Huawei's device business, which began around 2010 to 2011. device business unhone shuru kiya in 2010-11 toh I was a part of that journey.
  8. He then moved from Huawei to Haier, a local brand. Then from Huawei, I moved to a local, local brand Haier, jisko humne launch kiya in 2015.
  9. At Haier he was part of the launch of its mobile phone division. but usne apni ek mobile phone division launch ki thi toh I was, I was a part of it.
  10. He also worked at QMobile. I had the experience of working with the largest local brand QMobile as well.
  11. He says QMobile was going through a tough time at that point. So, QMobile was going through a tough time and, you know, there was a Chinese who was previously in Huawei
  12. A Chinese contact, previously at Huawei, approached him about Tecno. toh wo Tecno mein tha toh through some common connections, he got to me, said ke yaar this is a chance
  13. He took almost three months to decide to join Tecno. So, I took almost three months to take that decision.
  14. He joined Tecno in 2018. And then with QMobile and in 2018, I joined Tecno's journey.
  15. He says Samsung was little known when he worked there, so the team pitched it door to door. Samsung ko koi nahi jaanta tha toh, you know, we had to go to door-to-door aur jaake humne saara jo hai wo usko, usko pitch kiya.
  16. He says his career has followed a pattern of starting with an early-stage company and developing it. hamesha se mera somehow career path is tareeqe se raha hai ke to start with a company jo ke bilkul abhi in a starting phase aur phir usko lekar chalein aur develop karein.
  17. He has wondered why no Pakistani company became a global brand. main hamesha sochta hoon yaar koi Pakistani company global brand kyun nahi bani?
  18. He says Tecno started its journey in 2016. Aur we started our journey 2016 mein
  19. He says Tecno set up a factory in Pakistan in 2019. but in 2019, just before COVID, we put up a factory in Pakistan.
  20. He says Tecno set up its Pakistan factory through a joint venture company. once jab ek JV company ke through humne ek factory establish ki aur investment aayi
  21. He says the team convinced headquarters to build a Pakistan factory before approaching government. So, we convinced our headquarter ke yaar aap Pakistan mein factory lagayein and then we will go and talk to the government.
  22. He says delegations from China came to negotiate and saw Pakistan's potential. Humare China se delegations aaye, saari negotiations huin and they were able to see the potential in Pakistan.
  23. He says Tecno took a risk on Pakistan, which paid off in hindsight. humne ye ek risk liya jo ke Alhamdulillah, hindsight mein pay off hua.
  24. He says the policy came after Tecno showed the government the investment. jab humne government ko ye dikhaya toh uske baad wo policy mili.
  25. He says a system implemented because of the policy deactivates phones on which duty has not been paid. jo implement hua because of this policy, jismein agar aapka phone duty paid nahi hai toh wo active nahi hoga.
  26. He says 31 licensed factories operate in Pakistan, and about 94 percent of phones there are made locally. aaj Pakistan mein 31 factories hain jinke paas licenses hain, almost 94% of the phones in Pakistan are made in Pakistan.
  27. He says Tecno is one of the largest smartphone players in Pakistan. Tecno is one of the largest smartphone players in Pakistan.
  28. He says Tecno set up the first smartphone factory in Pakistan, in Karachi. first smartphone factory in Pakistan humne Karachi mein lagayi.
  29. He says Tecno runs the largest smartphone factory in Pakistan, in Karachi. And we are the largest smartphone factory in Pakistan in Karachi.
  30. He says his company holds around 24 to 25 percent market share. hum around 24-25% market share ko control karte hain.
  31. He says Tecno operates in more than 70 countries. hum 70 plus countries mein hain globally
  32. He says the group is among the top five international exporters or manufacturers in the world. this year our group is one of the top five international, international exporters or manufacturers in the world.
  33. He says Tecno is the number one brand in Africa. Tecno is the number one brand in Africa, we are present in South America
  34. He describes Tecno as a brand for the masses, with affordable smartphones and premium quality. So, it is a brand for the masses, affordable smartphones in, with premium quality.
  35. He says his company followed a reverse philosophy, which proved well for it. Toh hum logon ne jo hai wo ek reverse philosophy ke through kiya, which proved well for, for, for our company.
  36. He says Tecno has some company-operated stores and a website for direct sales. Kuch humare apne direct company operated stores hain, humari website hai, you can buy from there.
  37. He says more than 90 percent of sales still come through offline channels. still more than 90% sales or 95% sales is through the offline channel abhi bhi.
  38. He says his company has an extensive network of more than 400 dealers. We have more than 400 dealer network extensive
  39. He says local distributors buy stock from the local factory and supply dealers nationwide. they buy the stock from the local factory aur woh phir pure Pakistan mein as per the distribution strategy humare dealers hain all across Pakistan.
  40. He says Tecno has more than 2,000 shops across Pakistan. we have more than 2000 shops across Pakistan.
  41. He says Tecno has dealers and a network of stores across Pakistan. So we have we have dealers there, we have certain network of stores all across Pakistan.
  42. He says the first Camon series sold best in Gujranwala, which surprised the company. cities like Faisalabad even jab hamara pehla Camon series aaya tha I think the best sales came from Gujranwala which was very very surprising.
  43. He says letters of credit were not available for three months. because LCs pehle nahi mil rahi thin teen mahine
  44. He says the factory employs more than 4,000 people. in our factory, 4,000 se zyada log hain jo job karte hain.
  45. He says it took a full year to recover. poora ek saal laga hai usse recover karne mein.
  46. He says the company is almost back to where it was before. we are almost back to where we were before.
  47. He says parts are available because phones are built across Pakistan. phone saare Pakistan mein ban rahe hain to complete parts availability is there.
  48. He says his company's launches are on par with global launches. No, we are on par with the global launches.
  49. He says the company would be launching the Phantom V series, which is the foldable category. we will be launching the Phantom V series, which is the foldable category.
  50. He says pre-orders for the new launch open on 27 October, with general availability on 3 November. 27th of October pre-order starts and 3rd November it's available for all.
  51. He says the foldable hinge is aerospace grade. Aerospace-grade hinge hai yeh
  52. He says he has about 20 years of experience in the telecom industry. mera 20 saal ka almost experience ho gaya hai in the telecom industry.
  53. He says the factory had more than 25 Chinese staff at that time. we had more than 25 Chinese at that time in our factory.
  54. He says the Chinese staff trained all the local staff. Unhone sub staff ko train kiya.
  55. He says only one Chinese staff member remains at the factory. Aaj hamare paas sirf ek Chinese hai apni factory mein
  56. He says more than half of the 4,000 factory workers are women. us 4000 mein more than 50% are female workers.
  57. He says each production line has 40 to 50 people. ek line pe generally 40 to 50 people hote hain
  58. He says a production line can now make 1,500 to 2,000 phones a day. aaj ki tareekh mein wohi line 1500 se 2000 phone ek din mein banane ki capability rakhti hai
  59. He says two shifts of around 16 hours in total are common. two shifts 16 hours toh commonly ho jati hai
  60. He says workers were tested and then fully trained before they worked the line. there is a complete training program jisme uske pehle usko test karna and then phir unko pura train karana
  61. He says talent exists and depends on how people are trained and nurtured. yaar talent exists. It's how you train and nurture them.
  62. He says Pakistan's factories are as good as anywhere in the world. Jo bhi Pakistan ki factories hain they are as good as anywhere in the world.
  63. He estimates about 40,000 jobs, direct and indirect, across the factories. aap 30 factoryon ko rakhen toh maybe 40,000 log hain jinko jobs mili directly aur phir indirectly.
  64. He says his company is going towards localization. We are going towards localization.
  65. He says localization could start with packaging, chargers and cables. We can start with just as a small thing as packaging, then aapke chargers, cables I can all already see cottage industry popping up.
  66. He says localization and export are the next big thing for the industry. Toh localization and export I think is the next big thing.
  67. He says the export market could be about 12 billion dollars. we are talking a a market size of export market of 12 billion dollars
  68. He describes himself as an optimist. I think ke I am an optimist.
  69. He says what is needed is a stable environment, and that the potential is there. humein sirf ek stable environment chahiye aur potential hai
  70. He says Chinese management wants to invest, but instability sometimes holds it back. woh aana chahte hain, they want to invest but phir kuch instability hoti hai.
  71. Adeel Tahir is Director of Sales at TECNO Mobile Pakistan. Adeel Tahir is the Director of Sales and Ali Raza is Head of Marketing at TECNO Mobile Pakistan.