Zen aims for increase in sales volume and market share

Sanjay Kalirona
CEO, Zen Mobile

The handset device market in India has witnessed exponential growth in the last few years and it has been majorly driven by budget smartphones or the mid- and entry-level phones. The growth has spread across all the tiers and is not just limited to the top tiers. This penetration has further led to the growth of mobile internet and fuelled the adoption of 4G network.  

“The smartphone industry in India has undergone a dramatic change where affordability factor has been one of the prime drivers. Currently, 60 per cent of the smartphone users prefer to buy smartphones under Rs.8,000/-, and the smartphone players are constantly competing over specifications, features and pricing. With the rising number of first-time smartphone users, the segment will continue to see growth, especially in the mid- and entry-level segment. The rising mobile-led internet penetration along with the 4G network deployment will further fuel this growth which is also contributing to an increased smartphone adoption in the tier-II and tier-III cities,” says Sanjay Kalirona, CEO, Zen Mobile. 

Feature Phones
Though the Indian market is rapidly adopting smart handsets, there is still a major chunk of the market that possesses feature phones. Affordability and multiple features to stay connected give the feature phone segment an edge to be competitive.   

“India is one of the largest mobile phone markets in the world with almost 60 per cent of the market currently captured by the feature phone segment. This figure clearly shows that the feature phone market has a strong presence in India, mainly in the tier-III cities and smaller towns. They are not only affordable but also offer multiple features that allow users to stay connected at all times. At Zen Mobile, we are constantly working towards offering the best and most innovative features at a competent price point across all the segments,” states Sanjay. 

“Currently, we offer more than 25 running models in the feature phone segment and have a strong presence across all the states in India. We are focussed on increasing our market share in the tier-II and tier-III markets and want to become a dominant player across all the handset categories,” he adds. 

4G

Presently, the Indian market is moving towards 4G devices after the introduction of VoLTE network. To boost this movement, Zen Mobiles offers devices that are affordable and at the same time feature-rich. The company has also tied up with Reliance JIO for bundled offers.  

“India is a mobile first economy and 4G devices are fuelling smartphone adoption in India. We, at Zen Mobile, are focussed on offering value-for-money devices that are feature-rich, affordable and support the 4G revolution in India. Recently, we launched Zeneration 4G VoLTE devices – Cinemax 4G, Cinemax Click, Admire Dragon and Admire Thrill ranging from Rs.4,000 to Rs.6,500/-.

Additionally, we have also introduced multilingual feature, high-quality cameras along with bundled services like JIO Happy New Year offer so that customers can enjoy unlimited calling and data. As an additional benefit to the customers, we are offering free protection kit and one-time screen replacement in case of any breakage during the first six months. We will continue to innovate and bring in such devices in the future also. In the next few months, we will be launching a good number of 4G devices at the entry and mid level that will offer a wide range under the Zeneration 4G portfolio,” says Sanjay.
Strategy

As an indigenous company, the Indian market is important for Zen Mobile and, to reach out to its customers, the company depends on its widespread channel partners.    

“Being a homegrown company, India is the most important market for us. We have a robust distribution and sales channel that we would like to leverage and reach out to a larger set of consumers. Currently, we have close-to 400 partners pan India and are planning to double this figure. In the retail segment, we currently are present at 20,000 retail stores and by the end of this calendar year we are targeting to reach out to more than 30,000 retailers. We are currently focussing on expanding our 4G device portfolio and establish a strong presence in the tier-II and tier-III markets across the country. Our aim is to increase overall sales volume and market share which is important for the sustainability of our business,” reveals Sanjay. 
Talking about the regional market, Zen has a good hold in West Bengal and Bihar, followed by UP and Rajasthan. The company is also performing well in other regions and are targeting for a bigger market share. 

“As of now, our top two states are West Bengal and Bihar, followed closely by Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. This shows that we have high demand in the rural market. However, going forward, we will be shifting focus towards other markets also. We did really well in Gujarat and Maharashtra last month and with our ever-increasing Zeneration 4G portfolio we’ll be very aggressively targeting a bigger market share in each and every market that we are currently present in,” adds Sanjay. 

Zen gives priority to its customers and serves them with the best possible services to satisfy its customers.  

“We follow a customer-first policy and are committed to deliver world-class service to our customers. We always take an extra step to delight customers with the best of offers, like six- month one-time screen replacement warranty on almost all our running models, 15 days service assurance scheme for our existing customer base and initiatives such as these build brand loyalty over a period of time. Currently, we have more than 870 Zen care service centres spread across the country and the number is ever increasing,” concludes Sanjay.