Huawei to refocus on India to boost global show

KOLKATA: Huawei Telecom is refocusing on India this year as it believes its international standing will improve with better positioning in this market. China’s largest and the world’s third-largest smartphone maker is targeting over 10% share in the Indian market by next year and is looking at leadership in online sales, which account for one-third of the market.

According to three people aware of the plans, Huawei will have a dual brand strategy. The Honor brand will be competing against Xiaomi, Samsung, Oppo and Motorola in the Rs 7,000-20,000 segment, both online and offline.

The Huawei brand will be launched in India around April and will sell only online in the ultra-premium segment, priced above Rs 35,000-40,000, competing against the flagship of Apple, Samsung and One-Plus. Honor smartphones will launch online, sell there for 15-30 days to build up the buzz and then eventually sell through brick-and-mortar stores at the same price, replicating the strategy that helped Xiaomi make rapid inroads in India.