NEW DELHI: With around 350 million mobile phone users in India yet to migrate from 2G to 4G network, Transsion India’s flagship brand itel is poised to dive into a vast pool of opportunities. CMR insights indicated that the brand is already a leader in the sub Rs 5-7k segment, when it comes to brand trust and satisfaction and now it wants to build on the same factors to reach deeper into the market with its products. 

Transsion India CEO Arijeet Talapatra told Indiantelevision.com, “Our overall handset sales went up by 53 per cent in 2020 because of our core focus on enabling the population residing in ‘Bharat.’ Our strategy will always remain the same and we understand what the population of these markets needs from a handset. We are looking forward to clock double-digit growth in 2021 and are well-positioned to achieve that.” 

Rightfully so, the brand is making great strides in connecting heartland India to mobile phone networks. Several media reports speculated that Reliance Jio is already in advanced-level talks with the brand to launch 4G smartphones in the Rs 3-4k category. 

Talapatra neither confirmed nor denied the rumours, though he mentioned that they look forward to partnering with telecom service providers to get the users moving from 2G to 4G networks. “It is our biggest focus area for the sub-5k segment in 2021,” he said. 

He added that the brand is preparing for a number of launches in the handset category and television categories along with beefing up its affordable smart gadget section, which includes products like speakers, earplugs, power banks, and fitness bands, with new offerings. 

Apart from that, itel is continuing to increase its retail presence despite the Covid2019 scare.  

“The category that we function in gets maximum sales from offline retail stores. Earlier, people staying in the tier-5 or tier-6 locales had to travel miles to reach the nearest mobile phone store. We have substantially changed that and are present across markets with our retail partnerships with showrooms and dealers. We are only in the process of increasing that presence across geographies. Be it the peripheral areas in the tier-1 markets or the remotest of areas in tier-6 and beyond,” Talapatra detailed. 

He assured that all retail stores have been equipped with all the necessary tools and arrangements to keep people safe; right from thermometers and sanitisers to face masks and social distancing measures. 

But that does not mean that they don’t have a digital sales presence. "As per industry estimates, around 43 per cent of overall smartphone sales happen via e-commerce platforms. Even itel witnesses good sales from digital channels. So, we are very strongly present on Amazon and Flipkart etc. We don’t have a d2c presence right now, but we are continuously working on strengthening our partnerships with other platforms,” said Talapatra.

To realise these expansion dreams, itel is spending modestly on its marketing activities and making its presence felt on all BTL and ATL channels, but television. 

“We are marking our presence on all possible marketing channels but are moving our focus greatly to digital platforms. This year, we are planning to increase our spends on digital and social channels for the reach they are capable of offering. Apart from that, radio, print, and wall paintings have been the staple of your marketing plans. We were present on television a few years ago, but right now we are evaluating its relevance for our marketing strategies and the kind of audience we want to reach,” he elaborated. 

Further, the brand is working with a number of regional influencers present across platforms to popularise its products with the youth. 

So are they also partnering with some of the modern-day content apps and offering them on a pre-installed basis on their phones?

Not yet, replied Talapatra. “Because of the pricing section that we are right now active in, we can offer very limited storage space on our phones. So, we are not pre-installing any app on our devices. Because the chances are high that a person will never uninstall them, even if they don’t require it. Secondly, we have a vast user base, right from youngsters to middle-age to old people. And each section prefers a different app mix. A youngster might be using Facebook and Instagram, for the other age group it might be a devotional app that they would like to have on their phones. We leave it completely to the user's choice."

However, they keep on running educational drives to teach people how they can make better use of their devices.

Talapatra is upbeat about the opportunities that the growing Indian market has on offer now and is excited to make the most out of it. He wrapped up sharing, “As we build on this momentum, in the year 2021, itel is sharply focusing on its marketing strategy on four key pillars – channel engagement by going deeper into the rural pockets, brand visibility at retail point of sales, strengthening local and cultural connect and digital outreach to tap young India.”