BackNokia eyes CDMA replacement market
Nokia eyes CDMA replacement market
Premium
Kolkata: Unable to provide low-priced CDMA handsets to operators, leading mobile phone manufacturer Nokia will instead focus on the replacement market.
D Shivakumar, vice-president & managing director (mobile phones) of Nokia India Private Limited, told reporters here that the CDMA industry was price-led. “Nokia will not be able to provide CDMA handsets priced around $20 each", he said.
Instead of supplying handsets to CDMA operators, the company would play in the replacement market. Presently, Nokia’a share in the replacement market is around 10%.
Asked to comment on Nokia’s plans for India, Shivakumar said that the company plans to launch 26 to 30 models every six months across various price points. He said that innovation was the key to meeting customer satisfaction.
Nokia, which started operations in India 12 years back, has the largest market share among GSM handset manufactuers who offer their products to Indian consumers.
Asked if the company would ramp up manufacturing capacity at its Chennai plant to meet the growing demand, Shivakumar said that this was a continuous process.
He said that the plant was manufacturing 60 million units from Chennai, out of which 75% was supplied to the domestic market.
Nokia India was also exporting handsets to 59 countries from the Chennai plant. The company had invested $160 million for the Chennai plant which employs 5000 people.
Asked if the battery related problem was over, he said that ‘thankfully it had been a thing of the past now’.
About Nokia India’s contribution to overall revenue of the Finnish giant, Shivakumar said that it was second to China.
Shivakumar said that the company would also expand the retail presence from the present level of 700 odd exclusive outlets spread across the country. The company does not have any plan to go public, he said.
“Our aim is to grow the market," Shivakumar said.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
