Obi Mobiles has announced that it has partnered exclusively with Jumbo Electronics, a leading IT, telecom and consumer electronics retailer and distributor to sell its devices in the Middle East. Jumbo will manage the distribution of Obi devices to all key retailer and independent retailer channels in UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq as a part of its partnership.
The company announced its entry into India back in April and launched several smartphones, including its flagship Obi Octopus S520 smartphone in the country in the past few months. At that time the company had announced that it plans to expand to other countries Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latin America. Today it has announced that it would launch in the Middle East and Africa in phase two of its global expansion plans. Smartphones for the Middle East and Africa would be unveiled in UAE by the end of September. It would see phased roll-out across other markets in the region.
Commenting on the new partnership and the expansion, John Sculley, co-founder and managing partner at Inflexionpoint, said,
The smartphone industry growth in emerging markets is soaring at +32% CAGR in 2014. It is vital to have very disruptive price points for success in emerging markets. At Obi, we are brand builders and sales channel builders on a global scale. We can be profitable at more aggressive price points than other multinational brands as we use youth-centric positioning and excellent partner relationships, such as Jumbo, which will differentiate us from other global brands.
Amit Rupchandani, Managing Director for the MENA region at Obi Mobiles, said:
We have earmarked substantial investments for expansion in the MENA markets, and are working to identify the right partners who have the capabilities to carry forward our vision. Jumbo Electronics has been one of the strongest players in the region’s consumer electronics industry for several decades now, and has a proven track record of reaching a growing population of smartphone adopters.
Vishesh Bhatia, chief executive officer at Jumbo Electronics, said,
Jumbo is pleased to be chosen as the exclusive channel partner for Obi Mobiles. A great addition to our brand portfolio, Obi offers a refreshing new take on smartphone technology that will appeal to the large section of young smartphone users in the country. With the smartphone industry in the region rapidly maturing to a multi-brand structure, new devices are more easily seeing acceptance and curiosity among consumers.