Last year Micromax roped in Wolverine star Hugh Jackman to promote the Canvas Turbo,
and there was wide speculation about the company’s plans to expand to international markets.
And, it’s true after all. At CES 2014, Micromax co-founder Rahul Sharma revealed to
Times of India about the company’s global ambitions. The company will start selling its phones
and tablets in Russia starting January 24.
Micromax is one of the first Indian companies to make its presence felt at CES. The company
showcased its Canvas LapTab – a dual-booting Windows 8 and Android tablet – that will be available
from early February. The LapTab is the company’s first Windows device and it’s also Micromax’s
first deal with Intel, which is providing the Atom chipset within the laptop. This does show
the company has broken through a ceiling by striking deals with two major tech forces in making
the LapTab a reality.
That doesn’t change the fact that a wider international play could stretch the company thin. Talking
about the Russian market, Shubhodip Pal, Micromax’s chief marketing officer told Firstpost
last year, “As far as Russia is concerned, the market that is very similar to India. It has 143 million
people with 85 percent internet penetration. Also people change their handsets every 11 months
there. Mobile internet is also growing there in a big way, mobile internet consumption is growing
as well. We feel that if we crack Russia, the rest of the European market should not be a problem.”
In a previous report, we had heard about the company’s plans to target the European market too.
We won’t have to wait too long to see how the company performs in its first big foray. With a January
launch, the first numbers will start trickling in by the end of Q1 and beginning of Q2. And as we
have said before, Indian companies have to spruce up their act in quite a few areas, before they can
make a dent in the international market. That will really prove if Micromax can make good on its
international ambitions.
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