iVOOMi to launch first sub-brand Innelo in India

Mobile phone manufacturer iVOOMi, a brand of Hong Kong-based Suntex, is readying to launch its first sub-brand Innelo in India, for which it will invest $10 million (₹70 crore) in the first year.

iVOOMi, which intends to launch two new smartphones under the Innelo brand by November, also intends to set up an R&D base in the country.

“The $10-million investment will be only for marketing and branding. We are planning to set up a full-fledged R&D team in India, which will do the complete design — including structural and electronic designing on the board — in the next six months,” Ashwin Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer at iVOOMi India, told BusinessLine .

The company intends to price the handsets at between ₹7,000 and ₹13,000 and will look at hybrid model (both offline and online) of sales in India. Innelo, which is now present only in China as brand, will initially focus on the design of the handsets in India.

Focus on R&D

“We will set up a 250-seater R&D centre in Pune, while the manufacturing will be from Delhi. We are planning to build the R&D capabilities in India,” he said.

The first two products would be launched during this Diwali, and by next year Innelo intends to introduce a total of five products in the country.

Going forward, it intends to launch at least five products every year.

To begin with, the products would be 70 per cent localised; Innelo will look at further localisation going forward.

Innelo will focus on Tier-I and II cities, while investments for the new foray will be made by the parent.

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