Byond Tech to manufacture mobile handsets in china

Pune-based chemicals and water treatment group Canpex group has entered into mobile handsets manufacturing to set up a new facility in Shenzhen in China. The company has launched seven dual-simcard handsets priced between Rs 2,500 and Rs 6,500 under the brand name Byond.

Canpex group, which has a tunover of approximately Rs 100 crore, has invested Rs 25 crore to set up its new company named Byond Tech Ltd. The company has entered into technical collboration with Taiwan-based Media Tek and US-based Qualcomm firms for the GSM and CDMA technologies respectively.

Speaking to Business Standard, Byond Tech CEO Prashant Bora said, "Entry level handset market is set to grow in India. We plan to tap this potential, which primarily comes from the rural market. We are offerring dual sim handsets, which are not readily available in Indian market and are priced competitively against other leading brands."

The company will design its products in Pune and manufacture handsets in China.

One of the handsets introduced by the company has a unique feature of operation one GSM simcard and the user gets the option to select the second service, either GSM or CDMA.

"Leading manufacturers like Apple and Nokia manufacture mobile phones in China. The perception of certain Chinese phones in India is bad. But our products are of excellent quality and come with a one year warranty like others," Bora added.

Byond Tech has spent Rs 5 crore to set up the manufacturing unit in Shenzhen. It plans to pour in Rs 25 crore more to its business over next three years.

Followed by Maharashtra, the company would launch its phones in Karanataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chandigarh, Gujarat and later in north India by July this year.