Now, Alibaba-backed Meizu looks to Make in India

NEW DELHI: Alibaba-backed Chinese handset maker Meizu Technology has formally entered into the India market with the launch of its flagship 4G smartphone, MX5, priced at Rs 19,999 to be available via ecommerce market place Snapdeal.

Having received an estimated $590 million funding from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd earlier this year for an unspecified minority stake, the company is taking strides in two of the world’s bitterly competitive markets – India and China.

A significant part of Alibaba's investment will help the handset maker to set up more service centers in India, Li Nan, vice president -marketing at Meizu Technology said.

The company will open more than 40 customer service centers across 20 cities in India. It plans to reach top 50 cities by the end of this financial year.
In addition, it will also start offering Delivery Repair Services, a doorstep servicing facility in India.

Like other Chinese players, the company is betting big on the online retail channel in India. Earlier this year, the company had soft launched two of its 4G smartphones in the country in partnership with Amazon.

Li however said that the handset maker will look at leveraging the offline retail channel to tap larger customer base.

With its high-end 4G smartphones, the company looking to take on its Chinese counterparts Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Huawei, along with India players like Micromax and Intex.