Handset maker eyes replacement market

Meridian Mobile, a UK-based $1.2 billion manufacturer of mobile phone handsets, is aiming to tap the handset replacement market in India.

Just 45 days in Indian market with its Fly-range of mid-range GSA phones, the company claims to have already grabbed at least 2-3 per cent of the market in this category.

Rajiv Khanna, CEO, India operations, Meridian Mobile said the firm aims to consolidate the handset replacement market before getting into entry-level products.

"Our priority is to cover at least 5,000 retail outlets and each and every shop having the 'Fly' range of phones will have in-shop brand promotion facility for which the shops will be given a special premium by the company," Khanna told reporters while launching some fly-range of handset models.

Khanna said the company will launch at least two new products every month and take the number of products to about 15 by the end of the year.

"Basically, since our target audience is mainly the youth, we plan to offer them more choices with smart and sleek phones which will be rich in features," he said.

For the present year, the company has targetted a turnover of about Rs 100 crore and has announced that it will spend about Rs 7 crore towards marketing and brand building, Khanna added.

The parent, Meridian Group, which is into FMCG distribution in Europe, markets about 2 million handsets a year. Meridian Mobile has about 150 employees worldwide.

While London is the regional headquarters for the market in Western Europe, Moscow is the headquarters for East Europe. The company has announced that New Delhi will be the headquarters for Asian market.