New Delhi, May 4 (KNN) HMD Global, the company behind the iconic Nokia mobile phone brand as well as its newly launched line of smartphones under the HMD brand, has announced ambitious plans to transform India into a key export hub for its products.
In a recent interview with Business Standard, Ravi Kanwar, Vice President for India and APAC at HMD Global, stated, “Our aim is to have India as a manufacturing hub for exports. And we will also do smartphones once the products are launched across the world. Currently, we are exporting from India to the Middle East but the scope will only expand.”
This strategic move comes on the heels of HMD Global’s launch of its own branded smartphones in India, including the Pulse, Pulse Plus, and Pulse Pro models. The company has already begun exporting its Nokia 105 Classic feature phone from India to markets in the Middle East and Africa, shipping an impressive 6 million units to these regions over the past six months.
While HMD Global’s smartphones are currently sold in various markets such as Kenya, Australia, China, Europe, and the United States, India remains the largest market for its handsets. In 2023, the company captured nearly 15 per cent of the domestic feature phone market, although its share in the overall smartphone market in India stood at a modest 0.4 per cent.
With the introduction of its HMD brand smartphones, the company is poised to pursue a more significant market share in the competitive Indian smartphone landscape.
To support its manufacturing operations, HMD Global has formed partnerships with local players like Dixon Technologies and Lava, both beneficiaries of India’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile phones.
The development of HMD Global’s export plans aligns with India’s emergence as a global smartphone manufacturing hub. Prominent technology companies such as Apple, Samsung, Oppo, and Xiaomi have been expanding their manufacturing operations in the country.
Apple, in particular, has made significant strides, with one out of every seven iPhones now being produced in India, and iPhones accounting for 65 per cent of all mobile phone exports from India in the fiscal year ended March 2024.
In addition to HMD Global’s aspirations, industry giants like Alphabet’s Google have also announced plans to locally produce their flagship Pixel 8 smartphones in India, aiming to manufacture over 10 million units by the end of 2024. Meanwhile, Xiaomi supplier Dixon is reportedly planning to establish a new manufacturing plant near Delhi.
According to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, India currently produces 99 per cent of its total mobile phone demand domestically, underscoring the country’s growing importance as a global manufacturing hub for the technology sector.
(KNN Bureau)
