As the year 2016 wraps up with some notable contributions from smartphone makers to the Indian tech market, IBTimes India spoke to the CEO of Itel Mobile, which has been chosen as the 'Emerging Brand in the 'Mobile Phone Segment at the GLOBE Platinum Awards 2016 held in Hong Kong recently.
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Sudhir Kumar, the CEO of itel Mobile, opened up to discuss the company's achievements and plans for the year 2017. Kumar, who was named as an 'Emerging Leader' at the event in Hong Kong, spoke about the continuous growth and the efficacy of its unique business strategy that has made the company leave its impact on the smartphone industry of one of the largest economies of the world.
Below are the edited excerpts from our interview with Kumar:
IBTimes, India: What are your plans for 2017?
Sudhir Kumar: Having already established itel Mobile as a leading brand in the feature phone market thanks to the massive consumer adoption of our offerings, we will now look to consolidate our presence in the smartphone segment in 2017. The 11 smartphone models that we've launched in India so far bear testament to our commitment to deliver the best value to our customers . By offering high-quality, feature-driven devices at highly competitive prices, we are confident that we will become the preferred mobile brand for aspiring smartphone owners in the country. We are also aiming to have our first manufacturing plant in India operational by mid-next year in order to strengthen our supply chain and ensure that our products are tailored to meet the specific connectivity requirements of the country's consumers.
IBT: What was the biggest trend you witnessed in 2016 and what areas of technology do you plan to explore next year?
Kumar: IRIS scanner, without a doubt, was the biggest mobile phone trend in 2016. By enabling user identification through a special camera, the development has heralded an era of faster, more secure, and reliable biometric verification technology. We have already implemented the technology in our flagship smartphone, it1520, which has IRIS scanner coupled with great low light image capturing capabilities through a 13 Megapixel front and back Camera. We will be looking to roll out more feature-heavy smartphone models focusing on 4G technology and innovative features to help add to the Digital India initiatives.
IBT: What is the coolest piece of tech you bought in 2016?
Kumar: Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones.
IBT: Technology is no longer defined by smartphones, so where do you see your product line heading next?
Kumar: itel was established with a vision of empowering everyone – regardless of their social or financial status – with its feature-driven, value-plus mobility solutions and offering them the tools to claim their inherent 'Right to Progress'. Our product line comprises mobile devices at the moment, we further plans to add mobile accessories to our product basket in near future. We will be looking to expand our product catalogue by launching more products and make mobile ownership more accessible and 'within your means' for all consumers across the country.
IBT: What is your take on VR, AR, IoT (Smart Homes) and what will drive the innovation in 2017?
Kumar: Given the rapid pace at which digital technology is disrupting entire business functions, new-age technologies such as VR/AR and IoT will definitely continue to grow in relevance in 2017. While we will be eagerly tracking newer tech developments, our major focus will be on improving and augmenting our product portfolio to ensure that each and every person has access to the tools needed to be an active part of this march towards progress.
IBT: What are your targets in terms of sales and revenue for the upcoming year?
Kumar: Having already gained impressive market traction and sold more than 8 million devices in a span of 8 months , we aim to cross 15 million units by the end of this financial year, i.e., 31st March, 2017.
IBT: Where does India stand in terms of innovation by the end of 2016 against countries like China, U.S.?
Kumar: While India has made rapid strides in technological innovation and adoption, it still has much to do before it can stand shoulder to shoulder with more developed economies such as the US and China. A country's innovation quotient is always measured by its lowest common denominator, and India – with barely 30% population currently having access to technology – is still in the early phases of widespread digital adoption. This is the gap that we, at itel Mobile, are trying to plug through our diverse array of offerings. The rate at which the country is adopting digital technology, however, is extremely positive, and is indicative of its citizens' eagerness to utilise hi-tech devices in their day-to-day functioning and make India a tech-driven country.
IBT: What are your marketing strategies for 2017?
Kumar: Since we are focusing on the hitherto untapped rural and the semi-urban geographies as well as socio-economic classes C, D, and E, we will continue to leverage traditional marketing channels which have generated such impressive traction for us. We will be looking to implement more interactive and innovative offline marketing strategies to further raise our brand cognisance and drive product adoption.
IBT: Is wearable industry dead? What is your take on it?
Kumar: Any advancement in technology has never been in straight line. It took the Internet nearly 30 years to evolve from its first iteration as ARPANET in the 1960s into the phenomenon that forever changed the way the world functions, and its evolution is by no means complete. The same is the case with wearable tech. After going through a relatively obscure phase, the industry is now on the up, especially with all the excitement surrounding the Internet of Things. The increased interconnectivity definitely holds a lot of promise for players in the sector, who will be looking to capitalise on the diverse implementations of wearable technology to create disruption and achieve success.
IBT: What were your biggest achievements in 2016?
Kumar: 2016 has been a landmark year for itel mobile, for this year was when the brand was launched in India, at present one of the fastest growing mobile phone markets in the world. With exceptional camera phones under the Selfiepro series, long-lasting battery phones under the Powerpro series and multitasking phones under the Wish/Shine series, we have been able to excite the imagination of Indian consumers, who have embraced itel mobile with open arms. Itel mobile revolutionised the after-sales service proposition in Indian mobile industry by offering first of its kind 100 days replacement warranty.
Thanks to their faith in our products, we have been able to make significant inroads into the country's mobile phone industry. We have sold more than 8 million handsets since our grand India launch eight months ago, and have already secured 2% of the overall market share in the feature phone segment according to a recent report by CyberMedia Research (CMR). We are also ranked 6th in the feature phone category according to CMR, while have also been named leaders in major markets such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Jammu & Kashmir.
This traction has led to a quadruple quarter-on-quarter growth in our mobile shipment numbers, as highlighted in the Q3 2016 IDC Report. Recently itel Mobile, India has added another feather to its cap by been chosen as the 'Emerging Brand' (APAC) in mobile category at the prestigious GLOBE Platinum Awards 2016.We are committed to build on this strong performance, as we set about establishing itel Mobile as the preferred brand within the INR 700-7000 price range for aspiring mobile phone owners in India.
