INDIA CALLING

What is your take on the current smartphone mar­ket in India?

The smartphone industry in India is growing at a steady pace, witnessing a growth of 17 per cent. India has emerged as one of the key markets for Gionee. So, we are planning to set up a manufacturing unit with an initial investment of Rs 500 crore in India with intent to build up a manufacturing ecosystem.

Kindly highlight your current retail distribution network? How you are planning to enhance the same?

Gionee India has under­taken a robust expansion to fortify its retail footprint. We have grown our distri­bution network by 30 per cent and have doubled the national distributors. Gionee India is witnessing a rapid expansion in the tier II and III markets in past couple of years. With around 42,000 stores in over 2200 cities and 600 exclusive service centers across the region, Gionee eyes to grow mani­folds in the coming years.

As the market amplifies, Gionee India envisions con­solidating its position in the offline segment and building associations with custom­ers across regions. We are bullish on strengthening our outreach to every customer after having secured a patron base of 1.25 crore in India.

How many categories are you retailing in? Any plans to increase the category range?

Gionee offers plethora of products and services through its retail network. We have established varied categories in the retail seg­ment to suit different sets of needs and requirements. From brand stores to exclu­sive service stations to pre­mium service center, Gionee forayed into the retail seg­ment with an aim to build associations with clients and potential clientele. The large assembly of products caters to varied segments of cus­tomers within a price range of Rs 8,000-25,000.

Are you scouting fran­chise model for further brand expansion?

Apart from exclusive brand stores, we have 40,000-plus partners enabling strong retail base across India. Gionee aspires to create strong partner associations in order to develop new sales channels. As a leading smartphone maker, Gionee has taken great strides to provide opportunities to its partners. To strengthen our association, we organize exclusive product train­ings programme to under­stand the technology. With partners spreading out in all regions of India, we are working towards driving growth, market share and profitability for the brand.

What are your growth plans?

Securing revenue worth Rs 9,500 crore over the years, we are expecting 2.5 times sales growth in 2017-18. Owning nearly 5 per cent share of the Indian smart­phone market, we are manu­facturing all devices for the Indian market. We now have 100 exclusive brand outlets, and eyeing to set up 250 outlets to further strengthen our retail base.

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