Micromax teams up with BSNL to launch JioPhone competitor

NEW DELHI: Micromax is getting ready to launch an entry-level 4G VoLTE feature phone, Bharat One, in the first week of October at about Rs 2,000, joining the race to get a share of the segment of basic phones created by the Reliance JioPhone.

The Gurugram-based handset maker is set to launch its 4G feature phone in an exclusive tieup with state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam ( BSNL) for attractive offers, including free voice, two people aware of the company’s plans told ET on the condition of anonymity.

The launch is timed to take advantage of the festive season demand, even as the company competes with large Chinese rivals that have taken the lion’s share in the smartphone segment.

The partnership could give competition to the Jio Phone, which runs on the Reliance Jio Infocomm network, and could in turn benefit BSNL, which has subscribers in the rural and remote areas of the country where feature phones are used more than smartphones.

“The idea is to have a device that can give competition to Reliance’s Jio Phone… there is a huge market of 500 million feature phone users who would want to have more than one option,” said a Micromax executive directly involved in the planning.

He said that Bharat One will offer a larger screen size, more battery life and a sharper phone camera than what feature phones currently offer.

India’s second-largest handset manufacturer till recently, Micromax has slumped to the fourth position in the overall rankings and dropped out of the list of top five smartphone makers.

The company is betting on a cheap feature phone that supports 4G and offers free calls over BSNL’s network to revive its fortunes in an intensely competitive market.