Reliance Webstore to distribute Coolpad handsets

Reliance Webstore Limited, the wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications and the retail venture of Reliance ADA Group, has entered into handset distribution in addition to its current handset retailing business through Reliance World and Reliance Mobile stores.
Reliance World stores will act as distribution hubs, with each store registering its own channel partners and handset retailers and developing its own distribution network. The company has already signed up 1200 handset retailers and multi brand outlets (MBOs) in 100 towns.
The company has entered into an agreement with the Indian joint venture of Hong-Kong based China Wireless, Coolpad Communications. Reliance Webstore signed a strategic distribution agreement with Coolpad Communications gaining exclusive rights to market and distribute Coolpad’s dual mode smartphones in India.
Sarup Chowdhary, director and chief executive officer, Reliance Webstore Limited said in a company statement, “In addition to our exclusive distribution agreement with Coolpad Communications, we have also identified other new business opportunities to leverage this model for a larger participation in the Indian telecom retail sector.”
Coolpad also plans to establish a R&D unit in India. According to the official communiqué, Coolpad is planning to invest Rs 400 crore in India over the next three to four years. It will also establish a R&D unit in Shenzhen, China. The special R&D unit will work with Reliance Webstore teams across India to seek customer feedback and develop differentiated products for the Indian market. The Coolpad smartphones are expected to contribute over 30% of the overall handset sales at Reliance World and Reliance Mobile Stores, according to the statement.
Over the next three years, Reliance Webstore is looking at a distribution network of over 10,000 MBOs and retailers spread across 700 Indian towns.
The telecom retail business currently contributes over 50 per cent to Reliance Webstore’s annual revenues, claims the company.