Xbox 360 India debut in September

NEW DELHI: Microsoft Corp will start selling its popular Xbox 360 gaming console in India by the end of September, a company official said on Thursday.

Microsoft, which has made deep inroads into India's export oriented software services sector, hopes the ongoing economic boom that has boosted incomes and spurred spending will contribute to higher sales of the entertainment device.

"The Xbox 360 will be available from Sept. 23," Mohit Anand, Country Manager for Microsoft India's entertainment & devices division, told reporters.

The US software firm's product will hit the market before the Indian festival of lights, or Diwali, when many companies pay annual bonuses to workers. The festival is on Oct. 21 this year.

Traditionally, buying activity in Asia's fourth-largest economy peaks during the last three months of the calendar year due to a string of festivals including Christmas.

Anand declined to comment on sales numbers but said contribution from India was already factored into holiday season sales. Microsoft will offer the Xbox 360 console, its controller along with a game for 19,990 rupees ($430). In the United States, it sells the Xbox 360 and a controller at between $299 and $399, while a game costs another $50-60.