Despite India’s smartphone craze, there’s little doubt that market penetration levels remain woefully low. With a potential market size that could be larger than many other countries put together, it is easy to understand why everyone and especially the Chinese brands have been trying to make inroads here. In a country as unique and diverse as India, simply replicating a business model that has worked in China doesn’t quite work and so we’ve seen several brands have limited success using flash sales and the online sales model.
Recent IDC data suggests that Samsung retains a comfortable lead in the Indian smartphone landscape with the nearest competition, Xiaomi, enjoying let’s than half its share. An offline presence is clearly imperative in having a fair chance at grabbing a meaningful position in the smartphone landscape. Something which the brands recognize with an increasing propensity to cater to the offline market too. With that in mind, we’ve recently witnessed the launch of Centric. An all new brand launched by Priyanka Communications, Centric makes smartphones focused on striking a balance between style & smart performance.
Now, you might wonder what sets them apart from the myriad other smartphone brands? Well, CENTRiC is led by Priyanka Communications which was established close to two decades ago. With robust partnerships in place for distribution and an end to end supply chain, the company has become one of the strongest distribution networks in the country. At last count, Priyanka Communications enjoyed a distribution network ranging across 200 distributions, 20,000 retailers and a customer base of over 4 million. This distribution network takes the company into the rural hinterland and Tier 2 , Tier 3 markets where the untapped potential lies. Converting these customers to their cause through careful branding, good products and even better support is a sure shot way of gaining a strong foothold in the smartphone landscape.
CENTRiC Mobiles have rolled out 4 new smartphones that are aimed across price categories with the target demographic being the youth and first time smartphone buyers. Company wants to deliver such devices that propels youth to seek more in a technologically evolving environment. It focuses on the entire gamut of consumer needs which make the product complete, and enhances productivity and digital enablement rather than focusing on only one aspect. It has a high-resolution good camera, clear sound, sharp displays, faster processors, high memory, high storage, secured and faster biometrics and strong battery life. These smart features make CENTRiC a complete phone and dependable personal assistants that can be an owners’ pride.
Despite the highly competitive market, there’s still a lot of untapped potential in the Indian smartphone space. While the Chinese have been taking a lead so far, it is certainly possible for an Indian brand like CENTRiC to make use of existing, strong dealership partnerships and the benefits meted out for manufacturing in India to take the Chinese head on. Company aims to contribute its might in the Make in India campaign which makes a passionate case for a Digital and Mobile Governance and India as the epicenter of innovation.