There is a new addition to the mobile handset market. Two companies from India are joining the big league to give out affordable phones in the country. Gujarat-based Orpat, the world’s largest clock manufacturing company and Xenitis, a computer and motorcycle manufacturer from Kolkatta are venturing into the mobile business promising low cost GSM handsets.
Orpat is introducing the NXP semiconductors based GSM handsets targeting the rural and semi-urban India as reported by Economic Times. The Orpat color phones feature FM, MP3 ring tones, multimedia and an extended battery life. The company hopes to sell about 2-million units by the end of 2008.
“Orpat has 80 exclusive showrooms and more than 50,000 retail outlets, which we will leverage for selling mobiles. The existing dealers will act as point of sales for handsets. They will also tap mobile chains to garner additional sales,” Orpat director Nevil Patel was quoted as saying in Economic Times.
Meanwhile Xenitis has extended itself into the mobile market as Xenitis Telecommunications where handsets costing a mere Rs. 499 will be supplied under the brand name. The company has invested Rs 250 crore for the project.
“We are looking at all possibilities – selling the mobile phone under our brand, acting as OEM for major mobile phone manufacturers, as well as supplying to telecom service providers for their bundled packages. The price range of our mobiles would be Rs 499-2, 000,” said Xenitis chairman Santanu Ghosh reported Times of India. “In the next two years, there will be 500 million new connections in the country. We want to have a good share of that,” he added. Ghosh also said that Xenitis Telecommunication had already received orders from telecom service providers and a few leading mobile phone manufacturers for 1.6 lakh mobile handsets.
Now this brings a fresh breath of air as with a new country entering the market, consumers will have some more options to choose from. Also with India being one of the developing countries, the development will help the country make its mark especially in the fast and ever growing mobile market.