Chinese mobile handset maker Lephone setting up plant in UP

Presently, the company manufactures the mobile devices at a 3rd party plant in Noida, which churns out 20,000 units a day

Chinese mobile phone company Lephone is looking at setting up a manufacturing plant at Noida in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

At present, the company is manufacturing the mobile devices at a third party plant in Noida, which churns out 20,000 units a day.

"We have decided to establish a hub in India and UP is one of the largest mobile phone markets in the country," Lephone Technology Vice-President Amit Saxena told Business Standard here.

The company has planned to invest Rs 80 crore and Rs 150 crore during FY17 and FY18.

The company is gauging the domestic market and response to its brand before taking the call on the actual investment, he said.

Saxena informed the company was focussing on the tier II and III cities in India and manufacture economically priced feature rich mobile phones for the masses.

The company is targetting to stand amongst the top five mobile handset brands in the country over the next three years.

Lephone is eyeing to have a national distribution footprint and ramp up its network to 300 distribution partners and 25,000 retail outlets, including 7,000 in UP, before the end of this calendar.

The company would expand its service centre network to 500 by year end, Saxena added.

Over the last 10 years, Lephone has sold nearly 50 million phones in 33 countries spanning South Asia, West Asia, South America and China.

In India, it had set up shop in February 2016 and starting manufacturing its mobile phone handsets in April.