Tremendous response is encouraging S Mobility to set industry benchmarks

T. M. Ramakrishnan,
CEO – Devices, S Mobility

Spice Mobility is focussed on providing exquisitely designed products bundled with the best of features and technology. In order to dominate the key smartphone regions, Spice Mobility is investing into strengthening the product portfolio through R&D and innovative marketing strategies. The main focus will be on the top 40 cities which contribute around 75% of the smartphone sales across India. Spice Mobility is aiming at a 5.5-per cent market share of the smartphone segment.  The overall target of the company is to sell 10 million handsets in the current fiscal, including 8 million 2G handsets from domestic sales. The company sold over 100k units of smartphones across India. 70 per cent of the smartphone sales happened in the top 20 cities. In an exclusive interview with VARINDIA, T. M. Ramakrishnan, CEO – Devices, S Mobility, throws more light on the company’s presence in the Indian market, marketing strategies and future plans. Excerpts:

How are you focussed on penetrating into C-, D- and E-class cities with your brand? 

Our presence in the C-, D- and E-class cities has been strong. We have a robust distribution channel and a lot of local branding activities are done to further consolidate our position. However, as already explained, the main focus of the company is on the top 40 cities that will contribute around 75 per cent of our smartphone sales (3G) across the country. In the C-, D- and E-class cities, our focus will be on entry-level smartphones, i.e., 2G Android phones and we see great acceptance from the customers of these cities.

How many models do you have at present and what is your current market share in this segment?

We currently have 13 smartphone models placed in the market and are looking at adding a few more before Diwali. We are currently at nearly 2.5-per cent market share.

What kind of marketing and promotional tools do you have to position your brand in the market?

We have done a TVC campaign that is still running. Apart from this, we have had a complete 360-degree plan that has seen presence across print, radio, outdoors as well as digital media. To target the top 40 cities, a lot of BTL activities, too, have been initiated.

Do you have any pricing strategies for your handsets? What points do you keep in mind while pricing your products?

Taking into account the varied demographics and the socio-economic categories of the country, we are placing our products in all the price segments catering to the needs of the consumer. From Rs.900 to Rs.15,000, we have products at each price point within this price segment. The products range from basic feature phones to Touch phones to Smartphones. We are making giant strides in the smartphone category. The tremendous response we have received for our products has encouraged us to keep innovating and setting industry benchmarks.

What are your future plans for the Indian mobile device market?

We have a very potent product pipeline and will be aggressive on the marketing front as well. We are confident of gaining a considerable share of the devices market and are aiming at a 5.5-per cent market share of the smartphone segment. The overall target of the company is to sell 10 million handsets in the current fiscal, including 8 million 2G handsets from domestic sales. 

satinder@varindia.com