Obi Mobiles forays into Middle East

NEW DELHI: Obi Mobiles, the brand backed by ex-Apple CEO John Sculley, Monday entered in to an exclusive supply and services agreement with IT/telecom retailer and distributor Jumbo Electronics to expand its footprint in the Middle-Eastern region.

As a value-added reseller to Obi Mobiles for the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq markets, Jumbo will manage the distribution of Obi devices to all key retailers and independent retailer channels in these countries.

The Obi smartphones for the Middle East and Africa region will be unveiled end of September in the UAE, followed by a phased roll-out across other markets in the region, the company said.

Obi Mobiles marked its global launch in India earlier this year, and is set to enter the Middle East and Africa markets in phase two of its global expansion plans.

Obi aims to be profitable at more aggressive price points than other multinational brands through youth-centric positioning and partner relationships, such as Jumbo, John Sculley, co-founder and managing partner at Inflexionpoint, said in the statement.

"The smartphone industry growth in emerging markets is soaring at +32 per cent CAGR in 2014. It is vital to have very disruptive price points for success in emerging markets," Sculley added.

Amit Rupchandani, managing director for the MENA region at Obi Mobiles, added that the company has earmarked substantial investments for expansion in the MENA markets, and was working to identify the right partners.