Taipei, June 30 (CNA) InFocus, a mobile phone arm of Taiwan-based manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., has set a goal of ranking among the top five brands in India in three years, according to the Economic Times, an Indian daily newspaper.
The English-language daily said in a report posted on its website on Thursday that InFocus is planning to invest US$10 million in India and hopes to sell 6 million handsets in its first year on its way to becoming one of the top five brands there in three years.
Luo Zhongsheng, global CEO for Sharp and InFocus Mobile under the Hon Hai corporate umbrella, was cited by the Economic Times as saying that InFocus is working initially with a 4G Volte feature phone with a price tag of 3,000 Indian rupees (US$46.15).
The company has also set its sights on the 10,000 rupee segment as its next strategy to penetrate the Indian market, he said.
Before joining Hon Hai, Luo served as the CEO of China-based smartphone brand CoolPad's overseas business, and he is in charge of marketing mobile phones under the InFocus and Sharp brands.
In another report in the Hindu Business Line, Luo said InFocus is planning to launch eight smartphone models and as many feature phone models in India, the world's second largest mobile phone market.
Starting from the end of August, a new Hon Hai production site in Navi Mumbai will roll out InFocus models to cater to increasing demand in India, Luo said, according to the Hindu Business Line.
The report said Hon Hai, which assembles Apple Inc.'s iPhones in China, currently manufactures Xiaomi and Oppo mobiles -- both Chinese brands -- in India at its production lines in Chennai and Sri City.
According to the report, 60 percent of the 6 million cellphones to be sold in India will be feature phones.
"The India market is a very important market. It is important to everyone. Also, India is a large market," Luo was quoted as saying by the Hindu Business Line.
But after having trouble distributing its products, the company has decided to make some changes.
"We are now changing our strategy and hiring new channel partners, bringing in more products for the Indian market and will also look at offline retail along with just online," Luo was quoted as saying.
InFocus currently has a team of about 50 people in India, and is planning to boost the number to 200 by the end of this year, the report said.
