HTC plans to unveil smartphone for Indian market

NEW DELHI: Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC is preparing to launch a handset made for India in the third quarter of this fiscal, even as it considers manufacturing mobile phones in the country, underlining the importance of the high-growth market which is becoming a priority for global brands such as Xiaomi and Samsung.

“We have a third-quarter plan for our global launch in India to introduce a device which is especially designed for the Indian consumer,” Chia-Lin Chang, president of global sales and chief financial officer of HTC, told ET.

He added that India will be the test bed for the device that the company will later launch in other markets across the globe. HTC’s handset will be priced at Rs 15,000-20,000, a range that has been a growth segment for the company for the past one year, according to Chang.

The Indian market is extremely critical for HTC, he said, adding: “We were the first company to bring an Android smartphone to the country. The Indian market is something that teaches us about new trends, which is always helpful. If we are able to serve the Indian market well with the right strategy, we will be able to serve the global market well.”