HTC plans to re-enter Indian market

Taiwan-based premium smartphone maker HTC plans to re-enter the Indian market in August by launching new products, according to a source.

The company closed all operations in the country after its South Asia head and in-charge of India business Faisal Siddiqui resigned last year.

“HTC is making a comeback to India after a gap of more than a year and is set to launch a new flagship series in next few days. It is set to offer many firsts in the smartphone industry with the new launch in line with its legacy of firsts,” a source privy to the development told PTI.

HTC U11 and its advanced version were the last smartphones that the Taiwanese firm launched in India in February 2018.

According to the source, HTC will sell smartphones in India through an international distribution network.

“Inone Technology is the brand licensee for HTC in India. It is headquartered in Shenzhen (China) with presence in India and many other countries and is known for its smartphone manufacturing and retail business. HTC will sell its new device in India through Inone,” the source said.

While HTC had been a pioneer of many technologies in the smartphone segment, it could not gain sufficient market share for its sustenance in India.

HTC had less than 1 per cent market share in overall smartphone segment and less than 2 per cent in premium smartphone segment in India in 2017, according to various estimates