MOTORSPORT and special interest programming distributor Duke has appointed a vice president of international sales in India.
The Isle of Man based family firm, which marks 30 years in the home entertainment business next year, has announced Ramya GN Reddy will head up Duke’s operations in the subcontinent, building on the company's extensive customer base.
Ramya has spent almost a decade working in marketing and customer relations.
She will be based in Bangalore, with much of her work focusing on major retailers, media houses and television companies in Mumbai and Delhi.
Duke has been building its profile in India since 2008 through leading magazines including Overdrive and Bike India.
The company now enjoys a significant customer base, with sales led through its website www.DukeVideo.com
In July the firm’s directors decided the time was right to expand operations in the country with a focus on building business-to-business trade contacts.
It is Ramya’s aim to have Duke DVDs and Blu-ray titles on sale in major department stores and featured prominently in the Indian media.
Duke was founded by Peter Duke, son of multiple motorcycle world champion Geoff Duke, in 1981.
It is the name behind major motorsport reviews on DVD and Blu-ray, including MotoGP, the World Rally Championship, the Superbike World Championship and the Isle of Man TT, as well as offering the world’s largest selection of classic motorsport programming.
Since expansion in 2007 it has increased its non-motorsport catalogue to include cricket, rugby, football, golf, vintage transport, action sports such as mountain biking and fitness and lifestyle DVDs.
Ramya will also take a lead in marketing the TV programmes Duke produces and distributes in partnership with Manx company Greenlight TV through the joint venture Motorsport Mundial.
Duke commercial director Jon Quayle said: "I am delighted to welcome Ramya to Duke and I’m very excited by the potential of the Indian market.
"Ramya has spent time in the Island meeting the team, getting to know our business and outlining the opportunities for our company in her home country.
"We are already market leader in our field in the UK, and in many territories across Europe, as well as having a strong market share in the USA, Australia, Japan and the Middle East.
"India is a natural market for us to look at next, as interest in motorsport, which remains at the core of our business, is growing quickly throughout the subcontinent.
"India is represented at the highest levels of racing, with teams and drivers in championships as prestigious as Formula One and the country is set to host its first Grand Prix next year.
“Direct sales to India through our website have shown there is a demand for our DVDs and Blu-ray discs. Although India is a very different economy and culture to ours English is the main language for 30 per cent of the population and the TV system used is the same as the UK and I believe that with a presence in the country speaking directly to retail trade contacts we can build on that customer base.
"Ramya will be helping us to build contacts with TV broadcasters in the country. The programmes produced and distributed by Motorsport Mundial already reach in excess of 500 million homes worldwide and with increased interest in India that number can only rise."
He added: "Our industry has seen some tough times in the past two years, and the market is changing swiftly. As an independent label we need to seek out new markets and invest to grow our international customer base.
"Duke is fortunate among the independent names in that most of our programming has international appeal and we are highly experienced in multi-channel marketing.
"I'm keen to work with other independent DVD firms whose offering complements ours, and if we can utilise our Indian expansion to help others enter new markets I would be delighted."
Ramya said: "I was first introduced to the world of Duke products around three years ago when a colleague from Aon who worked in the Isle of Man brought along a DVD about the Island.
"It was at the same time that I heard about the TT and have been hooked ever since.
"I am privileged to be the one responsible for introducing and marketing Duke’s products in the Indian subcontinent. To take onus for products that were created purely for the passion that the founder and his father had for motorsports is an honour.
"In India Duke’s products will reach motorsports enthusiasts for whom passion for the sport means the world."
She added: "The Indian economy is opening up quickly and the Indian youth are eager to explore various entertainment avenues.
"Socio-economic status, place of stay and education levels are limiting factors, but the passion today’s youth have for motorsport overcomes all of this.
"The extensive range of Duke products will not just whet the motorsport enthusiast's appetite, but will also act as a stimulus by exposing enthusiasts to the international motorsport industry."
