Samsung Electronics is looking to release multiple entry and mid-range Galaxy J series smartphones in India, by September this year, according to sources quoted by Business Korea. The company is also slated to release multiple models in its Galaxy A and Galaxy E series handsets in the country, in what is being seen as an attempt to consolidate its position as one of the single largest smartphone vendor in the country. Samsung reportedly has 25% market share in India ahead of second-placed Micromax. The company already sells the Galaxy J1 smartphone in India for Rs. 6,399 ($103). The handset competes with products like the Lenovo A6000 Plus, Xiaomi Redmi 2 and Yu Yuphoria, all of which come with larger, sharper displays, faster processors, more memory and storage and most notably, LTE connectivity unlike the J1. Samsung is said to be prepping other models in the J-series like the Galaxy J2, J5 and J7, all of which will reportedly cost between $88 and $221, and will have LTE connectivity for a change, according to the report.
The Indian smartphone market is the third largest in the world after China and the US, but only 37 percent of the overall handset market is for smartphones. In Q1, 2015, smartphone sales have reportedly seen a 21 percent year-on-year growth in the country, and the market is estimated to account for 174 million smartphones in 2017, a year when the country is meant to edge past the US as the second largest smartphone market after China by volume. The high rate of growth has meant smartphone vendors from around the world are trying desperately to establish a presence in the country over the past couple of years. While all major global multinationals were already present in India for years, multiple Chinese companies have started setting up shop since last year, after the spectacular success of Xiaomi since stepping into the Indian market last year with the launch of its Redmi 1s and Mi 3 smartphones.
With the market still having significant upward potential, companies like Samsung, Sony, Foxconn and others have either already set up manufacturing facilities in the country, or are in the process of doing so, to better serve the needs of consumers in the region, and take advantage of generous tax exemptions being offered by the federal government. While Samsung is said to continue its market dominance in the foreseeable future, the battle to establish preeminence in the country continues unabated, with consumers being the biggest beneficiaries of the price-war that has already ensued in the market in recent times.