A global company like Samsung faces all kinds of problems across the globe, be them regional issues or logistical ones. The Galaxy Note 7 has been a problem pretty much all over the world for Samsung, and will continue to have an effect on the company for some time. In India, however, the firm appears to be doing well, considering that the Galaxy Note 7 had yet to launch in the country before it was discontinued, it could be said that this was one region that dodged a bullet. India has become a key market for Samsung over the past few years, as they struggle to break into China and Japan in any meaningful way. Samsung now manufactures their own devices in India, and they’re now investing even more money into the market, as well as adjusting their strategy across all of their devices.
According to Manu Sharma, Vice President of Samsung Electronics for India, “80 percent of the smartphone users [in India] have shifted to 4G-enabled handsets” and now that big players like Reliance Jio are offering 4G data at affordable prices to customers, this figure could become 100 percent sooner than many thought it would. For us in the West, the idea of a 4G smartphone seems as common as owning a phone in the first place, but as data prices and network tariffs remain high in India, there’s often little advantage to owning a 4G handset right now. Even so, Sharma says that Samsung will “launch all our future smartphones in this category across all segments”, confirming Samsung’s goal to only sell 4G smartphones in the near future. There are a number of reasons for this, and while it will gain them some more customers, it could also save them costs as they standardize around 4G chips and components, rather than relying on older stock that is steadily being phased out for newer hardware.
Speaking of costs, Sharma also said that Samsung would invest a massive RS 2,000 crore at their Noida plant to improve and expand their manufacturing efforts in India, as part of the famous “Make in India” scheme. This is further commitment to the Indian market, and while the South Korea giant is facing competition from the likes of Xiaomi and Micromax, it’s likely the firm will continue to be at the top for some time in India.