Newsletter 
ASUS just held an event called ZenFestival in New Delhi on Thursday where the main goal was to bring more attention to its new devices, such as the ZenFone 2 Deluxe, ZenFone Selfie, ZenFone 2 Laser, and ZenFone Max, in Indian markets. ASUS also took advantage of the event and announced two brand new ZenPad Tablets, the ZenPad 7.0 and ZenPad 8.0, two entry-level slates with a lot of potential. But, that’s not the most important news; prior to the event, ASUS never invested that much into Indian markets and didn’t have that much of a presence in the country. Today, the recent event showcases how India has become much more important to smartphone manufacturers, as the country’s markets have grown exponentially at an unprecedented rate. This not only gives smartphone OEMs a reason to invest in the country, but also helps India’s own manufacturers more competition, which is always good for innovation.
Jonney Shih, ASUS Chairman, announced during the ZenFestival event conference, that Asus had shipped at least 1.5 million smartphones and tablets to India in just a year, since July 2014. Investing in India’s ever-growing market was an important move by ASUS, as it states that the company actually sees an increased profitability in the country’s near future. Globally, more manufacturers are everyday working to increase their presence in India, in which OEMs such as Xiaomi, Motorola, and Samsung have already made efforts to increase their market share; in fact, Samsung recently announced that it is dominating the market with a 40% share, up from 35% in January. On the other hand, ASUS currently accounts for a mere 2% share of the Indian smartphone market, but the company is aiming to increase that number to a sightly higher 5% and has high hopes for their future in India. “India offers a huge opportunity, smartphone penetration is just about 10%. We are focusing on getting the entire supply chain right here and not just assembly. Once the supply chain is there, manufacturing will become easier here”, Shih noted.
ASUS is also joining a recent initiative by the Indian government called “Make in India”, which means that the company could release a device completely manufactured in the country and designed exclusively for the needs of India’s population. India is the world’s third largest smartphone market, which explains why both startups and major companies are actively seeking to increase their sales in the region, as it would help them have a greater impact globally.