Sony Ericsson on January 31 announced its plans to manufacture mobile phones in India, through manufacturing agreements with Flextronics and Foxconn, the company's global outsourcing manufacturing partners. The announcement was made by Miles Flint, president of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, in the presence of Thiru Dayanidhi Maran, Honorable Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Government of India, at a press conference in Chennai.
Initially, the focus will be to manufacture basic color phones and mid-level music-enabled phones, for local distribution. In addition to competitive pricing, these phones will offer customized features for the Indian market, such as local content and customized keypads.
Since its establishment in India in 2002, Sony Ericsson has built a strong brand awareness and has significantly expanded its geographic presence with distribution partners. Today, Sony Ericsson is among the top three GSM handset players in the country.
As part of a strategic and longer-term growth plan, the company will increase its presence in important growth markets around the world, for greater manufacturing flexibility and competitiveness. The decision to manufacture in India is part of this strategic decision. With a GSM subscriber base of 105.4 million, India is one of the fastest-growing mobile markets in the world and forms a priority growth market for Sony Ericsson worldwide.
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