Gionee aims 10% share in Indian handset market in 3 years

NEW DELHI: Chinese handset maker Gionee is targetting to achieve a market share of 10 per cent in three years in India on the back of good uptake for its smartphones.

"We are aiming 10 per cent market share in the Indian handset market in three years," Gionee Smartphones President Lu Weibing told PTI.

He said Gionee considers India the second priority market after China and plans to launch about 20 models every year, majority of which will be smartphones.

"After three years, 80 per cent of the total phones sold in India are likely to be smartphones and we plan to launch new models every year," Weibing said.

The company is also aiming for a turnover of USD 1 billion by 2016.

Gionee, which is among the top three players in China, decided to launch its own brand in India in Q1 of 2013. It used to be a original device manufacturer (ODM) for many Indian brands earlier.

"We had ODM business in India but now we have stopped that. We are no longer making phones for other players in India," he added.

The company has also launched its new flagship smartphone E7 in India, with a price tag of Rs 29,999 for 32 GB and Rs 26,999 for 16 GB model.

The company is also planning to launch the 4G version of the device in India soon.

"Since its launch in India, Gionee's E Life series has been extremely well received by consumers. The company has crafted its unique space in the Indian market in a very short time supported with unmatched quality, distribution and service," Gionee India Head Arvind R Vohra said.

The device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor featuring 2.2GHz quad Krait CPU, designed for 3D gaming, faster processing and a professional photo shooting experience.

It has a 5.5 inch screen, 16 megapixel rear camera and 8 megapixel front camera.