Chinese PC maker Lenovo is looking to get busy in the Indian smartphone marketplace, and has started by implementing a strategy that involves avoiding the pitfalls other international players in the market have faced.
The company, which introduced six of its phones to the Indian market last month, has quickly signed deals with three national distribution chains while forging a partnership with HCL Care for after-sales service.
Two of the confirmed national distribution chains are Redington India and Ingram Micro. In addition to this, it is also kicking off a multi-crore advertising and marketing campaign that will hopefully “convince the Indian customer that Lenovo is more than just a PC company.”
“We realise we are a very new brand in a market dominated by big brands. We’ve proven ourselves in China, and are ready to make a mark here,” said Sudhin Mathur, Director Smartphones, Lenovo India.
Mr. Mathur was here on Friday to cement a tie-up with mobile retailer UniverCell— a move aimed at capturing a foothold in the Southern market.
“Understanding the Indian market is important… to that extent we are ready to start offering EMI and buyback schemes. In fact, some of our retailers are starting to offer it for our flagship K900 phone,” he added. While the company is looking to sell nearly 1 million smartphones in India, it has also set a very ambitious target of achieving 5 per cent market share by the end of this year.
