New Delhi, Jul 16 (IANS): Aiming to strengthen its product offering and build stronger connect with the Indian consumers, Chinese handset maker OPPO on Tuesday announced Sumit Walia as its Vice President, Product and Marketing.

Walia will focus on building and growing the brand in the highly-competitive mobile handset space in the country, the company said in a statement.

"At OPPO, we are committed to bringing meaningful innovation to the Indian consumers and Walia will be working alongside our local R&D centre in Hyderabad to introduce not only cutting-edge technology but also new experiences customized for Indian consumers," said Charles Wong, CEO, OPPO India and President, OPPO South Asia.

The handset maker last week announced it will establish a new research and development centre in China as it aims to boost its R&D capabilities.

The new facility, along with the company's existing R&D centres, aims to form a robust research engine that powers its innovation for the emerging era of intelligent connectivity.

The smartphone player will spend 10 billion Renminbi (around $1.46 billion) on R&D this year.