Skip to content
Site Tools
Increase font size Decrease font size Default font size default color blue color green color
Home Living in China Foreigners in China Foreigners in China Indian finds reliable suppliers in Shenzhen
Indian finds reliable suppliers in Shenzhen
Foreigners in China

It is not easy for a businessman to find a supplier who is as much customer-oriented as himself in a foreign country, but Subhash Agarwal of India has found reliable suppliers in Shenzhen.

After graduating from the MDS University in Rajasthan in northern India in 1999, Agarwal started Balaji Electrical Co. Ltd. in Rajasthan.

As he became increasingly keen on international trade, he found that businessmen all over the world were looking towards China to import goods. He then decided to come to Shenzhen in 2004, as he believed China was the best place to do business.

"Shenzhen has easy availability of components, while Hong Kong provides convenient and inexpensive export services so I can ask suppliers in Shenzhen to manufacture products for me and I can export them from Hong Kong," said Agarwal, 29, now owner of Subh Overseas (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd., which focuses on original equipment manufacturer (OEM) mobile phones services.

Agarwal then took every opportunity to practice his Chinese, because he considered good spoken Chinese was the best way to avoid misunderstandings when communicating with his clients.

Now he speaks fluent Chinese. "I would speak to managers of the mobile phone suppliers directly in Chinese in order to make everything clear," he said.

The manager with the Gaoke Group in Bao'an District, one of his most reliable suppliers since 2004, was surprised at his fluent Chinese when they first spoke to each other on the telephone.

After a few orders, they became friends. He has built up a long and good relationship with Gaoke now, and he considered himself lucky to have found a supplier who is as much customer-oriented as he is.

"Gaoke is always ready to satisfy my needs which is what I do for my clients. Once a customer placed an order to buy thousands of mobile phones capable of playing 3GP (multimedia format) audios, but this technology had been developed by Nokia and was used by very few companies," Agarwal said.

"Gaoke did not have such high-level and expensive motherboards. But to my great surprise, Gaoke changed the whole line of motherboards and software for me, which would be rare for other suppliers, and it did not impose a surcharge," he said.

Agarwal now exports many thousands of OEM mobile phones from Hong Kong to India, north and south America, the United Kingdom and African countries.

To Agarwal, every extra penny has its value, so he never asks his suppliers for lower prices. "If I kill them, they kill me more. This would only lead to low customer satisfaction," he said. Agarwal is launching his own brand "Twins" this year.

Despite the busy life, he likes hiking and relaxing on the beach with his Chinese friends and business partners.

Agarwal said he would like to live permanently in Shenzhen, "It is a great city with very friendly people and I can make a very good living here."

(by Jane Lai)

Source: Shenzhen Daily
 

China Yellow Pages