Karbonn, Lava, and Micromax were popular Indian smartphone brands before the emergence of Chinese players like Xiaomi. After a period of lull, these brands are gearing up to make a strong comeback in the domestic market with an exciting lineup of new devices. Karbonn and Micromax are expected to introduce budget-friendly smartphones priced below Rs 5,000, while Lava aims to capture the sub-Rs 10,000 segments with its new range of 5G smartphones.
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Karbonn, Lava, and Micromax are eyeing the entry-level price segment in response to a perceived lack of choices for customers in that range. A recent report by The Economic Times highlights that Chinese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), who currently dominate over 50% of the Indian smartphone market, have shifted their focus away from affordable devices to target higher-priced options. Consequently, there is a void in the sub-Rs 8,000 segments, which the Indian brands aim to fill with their renewed interest and upcoming offerings.
According to the report, Karbonn is planning to introduce a smartphone priced at Rs 4,999, while Micromax is expected to enter the market with a device priced at Rs 5,999. On the other hand, Lava has recently launched two 5G smartphones within the past three months. The Blaze 2 5G, priced at Rs 8,999, was released in April, followed by the Agni 2 5G, priced at Rs 21,999, in May.
Pradeep Jain, the managing director of Jaina Group, the parent company of Karbonn, expressed to ET that the present moment is an opportune time to focus on smartphone launches. Industry experts further shared their opinions, stating that 4G connectivity is expected to remain prevalent in the market for a minimum of three more years. This projection could potentially provide a boost to brands like Micromax and Karbonn, offering them a favourable environment for growth and success.
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In the past, Indian smartphone brands held a significant share, approximately half, of the rapidly growing and nascent smartphone market. However, the landscape shifted with the emergence of Xiaomi and other brands under the BBK Electronics conglomerate, such as OPPO, Vivo, OnePlus, Realme, and iQOO. These Chinese brands leveraged their global scale to offer devices at competitive prices, which proved challenging for Indian brands like Micromax, Karbonn, and Lava.
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