No scope for complacency, if we take a nap, we’ll die, says Samsung’s Koh

NEW DELHI: Korean giant Samsung has worked out fresh strategies to beat the steep competition from the Chinese brands in India, said DJ Koh, global president of $100-billion IT and mobile communications division of the company. While in China, the company has been relegated to fringes, in India, Samsung continues to be a behemoth, with revenue leadership in mobile devices, though it has lost the volume game to China’s Xiaomi.

Despite a renewed thrust with fresh products and new technologies, there is no scope for complacency, Koh said. “If we take a nap, we will die. I don’t want to die,” he said with a smile. Samsung on Wednesday launched the flagship S10 devices in India, days after they were unveiled in the US.

After dominating the Indian mobile market for long, Samsung has now been fighting a high-pitched battle with Chinese makers such as Xiaomi, OnePlus, who got aggressive and launched a flurry of devices with wafer-thin margins.

Koh said, keeping in mind the “young and millennial buyers” who want latest technology, Samsung decided to introduce all-new global devices in India, including M Series, that was rolled out only online. The company beefed up portfolio and upgraded line-up of volume-heavy A-series range of smartphones. According to Counterpoint, Samsung’s volume share in 2018 was flat at 24%, while Xiaomi moved up from 19% in 2017 to 28% last year. Koh said the renewed strategy will help the company claw back its share in sales. “I want to be number one in volumes too.”

Samsung is trying to control costs to be price-competitive. “We are trying to maximise standardisation, and use same components across some of our product line-ups.” Samsung will introduce its latest innovation Galaxy Fold in April. The foldable screen device is priced at around $2,000 globally.