søndag 15. januar 2023

India targets China's dominance in mobile phones

Buying a new smartphone was a bit of a mission for Deepa Aswani, who works in marketing in Mumbai. "I am very particular about what phone I buy. I did not want to invest too much," she says. After two months of deliberation, she chose the OnePlus 10R, which in a sale cost her $400 (£329), a reasonable price for a smartphone, but still a significant sum in any country, and particularly in a developing one like India. "The idea was to buy a phone which did not make a hole in my pocket and had good features. I am happy with the phone I have purchased," she says.

Ms Aswani's new smartphone was made by a Chinese firm in India - a common arrangement these days. But as recently as 2014, the majority of phones sold in India would have been imported. That has all changed in recent years. In 2022 almost all phones sold in India were made there as well, according to the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).