Micromax, Flipkart to co-develop phones for sale on e-comm site
NEW DELHI: Micromax Informatics, seeking to regain its spot among India's top five smartphone sellers, has tied up with Flipkart to jointly develop devices in the Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 price band, which will be sold exclusively on the e-commerce site, the companies said on Monday.
The phones branded Evok are likely to hit the market next week. Micromax is targeting a price segment that accounts for about 50% of the market by volume and over 40% by value. The company lost its position among the top five to Chinese rivals and is banking on online and offline platforms for a comeback. Online contributes half of Micromax's sales in the Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 price band.
"It's a long-term agreement with Flipkart where we will be developing products jointly based on the insights and consumer understanding we get," said Shubhajit Sen, chief marketing officer at Micromax. "This is a way of design for India, which will take Micromax's online share up, while it will help Flipkart penetrate deeper into Tier II and Tier III markets, as both are targeting the value-conscious buyer."
Flipkart and Micromax will invest in the initiative, although they did not reveal the quantum or how much each of hem would put into the devices. While a couple of Evok devices will be launched on Flipkart starting this month, the country's largest online retailer already has exclusive rights o sell the premium Micromax Dual5 for Rs 24,999.
The phones branded Evok are likely to hit the market next week. Micromax is targeting a price segment that accounts for about 50% of the market by volume and over 40% by value. The company lost its position among the top five to Chinese rivals and is banking on online and offline platforms for a comeback. Online contributes half of Micromax's sales in the Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 price band.
"It's a long-term agreement with Flipkart where we will be developing products jointly based on the insights and consumer understanding we get," said Shubhajit Sen, chief marketing officer at Micromax. "This is a way of design for India, which will take Micromax's online share up, while it will help Flipkart penetrate deeper into Tier II and Tier III markets, as both are targeting the value-conscious buyer."
Flipkart and Micromax will invest in the initiative, although they did not reveal the quantum or how much each of hem would put into the devices. While a couple of Evok devices will be launched on Flipkart starting this month, the country's largest online retailer already has exclusive rights o sell the premium Micromax Dual5 for Rs 24,999.
