Here are some very obvious truths, clear to the Indians, which are gradually being recognised abroad too. A significant majority of low end Indian mobile users have made it clear they would prefer India made brands, simply because they provide better value for money and getting them repaired is easier as well. Currently, the lower end Indian mobile market is dominated by Nokia, and the other Indian mobile brands are gradually gaining market share.
The report from Emerging Markets Communications Strategies (EMCS) service of Strategy Analytics says that 63 per cent of respondents have said that they would prefer a phone made by an Indian manufacturer.
The Indian handset makers are creating and integrating all sorts of features which were previously unheard among the mobile users. Some work as fitness controller and others work as mosquito repellent (fake currency detector also) and users are perfectly fine with it. It’s just that there was a huge gap in what was being offered to the consumers which gave Indian manufacturers that much needed opportunity to get a foothold in the market.
The Indian brands are concentrating on the basics, such as more margin for the dealers than what the multinationals were offering, technology along with brand building. There were several other features which were ignored by bigger companies such as dual SIM and better battery life. The multinational brands are not expected to keep quiet, however. In the end, however, it is the price which attracts the people most. For example, QWERTY phones were not available in the market for less than Rs 10,000. Micromax provided it to Indians in less than Rs 5000.