The Indian division of LG Electronics is preparing to launch a new lineup of affordable Android smartphones later this year, the company’s Regional Managing Director Ki Wan Kim revealed in a Sunday statement provided to the Press Trust of India (PTI), as reported by The Economic Times. Kim revealed that the Seoul-based consumer electronics manufacturer will introduce the new smartphones around Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights that’s traditionally celebrated in fall and will be held in mid-October this year. LG’s executive described the upcoming smartphone lineup as “very Indian,” adding how the thereof will significantly differ from older devices, though it’s currently unclear whether Kim was only referring to LG-made smartphones or all Android handsets that have been launched in India so far.
The phone unit of the South Korean tech giant has been struggling in India in recent years and Kim acknowledged that fact, saying how that’s one of the main reasons why the company is now looking to offer something that’s different from the competition as it otherwise has little chance of catching up with the rest of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in country. The upcoming smartphone lineup won’t be available in all parts of India and will instead only be offered in certain parts of the South Asian country, LG’s official said, without naming any particular region. While the availability of the new devices will initially be limited, the company might expand it in the future provided that the first response from consumers is a positive one, Kim revealed.
The firm’s recent struggles in India led it to stop manufacturing smartphones in its Pune facility and all LG-branded devices that are currently being sold in the country are made in Greater Noida. However, LG’s Pune-based operations might be revived at a later date without a lot of effort, Kim revealed. However, it remains to be seen whether LG manages to achieve those ambitions and reinvigorate its Indian operations seeing how the company’s official said that even a 1,000-percent growth in the country would be “nothing,” implying that LG must strive for larger numbers. Apart from highly localized devices, LG is hoping that its performance in India will also be boosted by the LG G6 that officially launched in the country earlier today.