Alcatel to invest $30 mn to relaunch smartphone business in India

French technology brand Alcatel has earmarked an initial investment of $30 million, about Rs 260 crore, as it gears up to re-enter India’s mobile phone market after seven years with plans to sell locally-made smartphones, a senior official of the company said.

Alcatel’s business is operated by Chinese firm TCL Communication under a trademark licence agreement from Nokia.

“As of now we are setting up the manufacturing plans, maintaining our supply chain etc. We have an initial investment plan of $30 million but rest of the plans will purely depend on the kind of responses we get, the kind of models that we decide to launch,” Alcatel’s Chief Business Officer Atul Vivek told PTI.

He said that the company has plans to invest in other consumer technology categories later and export from India as well, but everything will depend on the response from the market.

“We honestly believe that if you are able to crack India, which is one of the toughest consumer segments in the world, then there is no power in the world that can stop you. Also for Alcatel, India is the one where we are starting. We have global ambitions to make Alcatel one of the brand manufacturers in India for the world philosophy,” Vivek said.

He said that the company sees huge opportunity in above Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 price segment and will launch smartphones in this segment with stylus, which is only available in above Rs 80,000 price segment smartphones.

Alcatel has partnered with Flipkart to sell the smartphones online.

“We will sell our smartphones on both Flipkart’s main platform and its quick commerce arm FK Minutes as well. The company expects to launch its made-in-India smartphone by May end of early June.

“We have partnered with one of the biggest electronics manufacturing services company in India. They are a listed firm so the name cannot be disclosed at present. We have a very strong supply chain team and we are working hand in hand with them to get the new technology accessible and manufactured in India,” Alcatel Chief Operating Officer Ansh Rathi said.

Vivek said that Alcatel is fully committed and plans to go full throttle in the Indian market in terms of investment in manufacturing, in supply chain, in marketing and distribution channels as well as as a brand.

“We will appeal to the new young consumers of India and therefore our strategy will be digital first. We will employ very innovative consumer reach programmes, innovative marketing to reach our people and communicate our strength to the people. We are not here to play a very short inning. We are geared up in terms of our investments and infrastructure to play a very long innings and become a formidable player in the Indian market,” he said.