Alcatel is planning to restart mobile phone sales in India – or, more accurately perhaps, French technology brand Alcatel, operated independently by China-headquartered TCL Communications under a license from Nokia, is making a comeback in the Indian market.
The brand plans to bring a range of premium smartphones to India, beginning with a model that includes a stylus. It plans to target the mass market.
Importantly this launch seems to be designed to support the aims of the government’s Made in India policy. The smartphones will be made locally, though it’s not clear where the facilities will be sited. There are also plans to establish a pan-India service network to ensure after-sales support.
According to the Economic Times news service, Ansh Rathi, chief operating officer of Alcatel India, says: "By producing our devices within the country, we aim to enhance supply chain efficiency, ensure superior quality, and contribute to India's growing technology ecosystem.”
India is the world’s second largest smartphone market though not, apparently a fast-growing one. Nevertheless over 150 million shipments every year is a significant number, and one that has already attracted a number of Chinese smartphone brands. India is also receiving a more focused effort from Apple, not yet among the top players, which is now said to be aggressively expanding in India to enter the top five.
The Alcatel announcement follows Acer’s decision last year to sell smartphones through Indkal Technologies. Alcatel started selling mobile phones in India in late 1996, but due to ownership changes was not a part of the smartphone era. It was acquired by Nokia in 2016.
