Success in huge countries like China, India and the USA has a disproportionate effect on vendors’ performance because it does not just bring big-dollar contracts, but improved confidence throughout the ecosystem. That factor is even more critical during times of uncertainty and crisis, whether the suppliers are big or small. The negative side is seen in the horrified response to Nokia missing out on both the most recent massive network contracts in China (see previous item). But Nokia has done better in India, with a huge deal, reportedly worth about $1bn, with Bharti Airtel, the third in the country’s triumvirate of huge MNOs. Smaller suppliers are even more susceptible to the confidence boosts of success in a large market during…