India’s growing telecom operator Aircel and Canadian phone maker Research In Motion announced today the launch of BlackBerry services for the mobile phone carrier's users in the country. Aircel customers will benefit from a series of BlackBerry devices that the operator will make available for them, as well as from services designed both for enterprise and individual customers.

According to Aircel, mobile phone users who live in major cities in the country, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and the rest of Tamil Nadu state will have the opportunity to enjoy the new BlackBerry services on its airwaves. The carrier also noted that the services would become available through Redington’s retail distribution channel as well.

Mr.Gurdeep Singh, COO, Aircel, said, “We have gained significant momentum in expanding our operations in India and the launch of the BlackBerry solution is of strategic importance for Aircel’s growth. With the availability of a wide range of BlackBerry smartphones on our network, our customers can find the right model for their work and personal needs.” Ms. Frenny Bawa, vice president, RIM India, added, “We are pleased to partner with Aircel and extend the many personal and business benefits of the BlackBerry solution to their consumer and enterprise customers in India.”

A variety of BlackBerry handsets will also become available for Aircel's users, such as the BlackBerry Bold 9000, BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Curve 8310 and BlackBerry Pearl 8110. The phones will deliver access to email, text and picture messaging, social networking sites, and web browsing, along with a variety of other applications meant both for business and entertainment.

The BlackBerry Enterprise Server comes to Aircel corporate customers who chose to manage their own servers, the carrier says. It sports integration with IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise, as well as advanced security and IT policy controls. In addition, the BlackBerry Internet Service will come to smaller businesses and individuals, offering access to a number of up to 10 corporate and personal email accounts directly from their BlackBerry device.