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Analysts from Merrill Lynch had a visit to India and came back with some interesting observations about the local market. Focusing on the handset side of the industry, India is almost unique in that most handsets are sold by retailers which are not affiliated with the network operators. The network operator sells the GSM SIM card and connection, and then the customer purchases an unsubsidized handset from a 3rd party retailer.
Amazingly, Nokia has managed to corner a staggering 75-80% of the market thanks to an early decision to rapidly roll-out retail distribution deals as the networks themselves expanded their coverage.
Of the estimated 79,000 retail outlets in India selling mobile phones, Nokia has a presence in 72,000 of them.
Nokia also benefits from a perception of providing sturdy phones that have a good resale price on the second-hand market. As such, Nokia continues to see strong demand for its low-end candy bar phones, which are known for their quality and durability.
Source: cellular-news
What can I say? Way to go! Nokia, as well as all the other mobile phone manufacturers need to start educating the consumers about SIM cards, how they work, and what phones are available for purchase. I’ve seen far too many people switch from/to T-Mobile, Cingular, and the former AT&T just because that carrier offers a phone they like. India has it right!
Not to mention they like the old school candy bar Nokias. I still own one of those battle ready tanks. Ah memories of 1 week battery life time.
About The Author
Stefan Constantinescu
Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.
