A recent report came about the Indian government’s potential ban on Chinese-made cellphones sold in the Indian smartphone market for less than Rs 12,000 (about $150 USD). However, there’s a suggestion that perhaps this is no longer the case. For those who missed it, the prior news mentioned government officials saying that the restriction on less expensive smartphones from China is intended to strengthen domestic firms’ positions in the Indian market. But it seems unlikely that this will be implemented. The administration currently has no immediate intentions for such a restriction, according to a report on CNBC TV18. The paper goes on to say that even if the government conceptualised such a ban, actually executing it is a quite different challenge. It won’t be simple, and according to an industry insider, three out of every ten smartphones sold in India are under Rs 12,000. Additionally, 78% of all cellphones sold in this price range are produced by Chinese companies. In essence, this indicates that these Chinese manufacturers dominate this market for mobile devices. However, only 20% of the Indian market is accounted for by US companies like Apple and South Korean electronics behemoth Samsung. As a result, a little bit more than 1% of all smartphones sold in India are made by Indian firms like Micromax, Lava, and Karbonn. Therefore, it won’t come as a surprise if the Indian government has future plans to more fairly level the playing field for various companies.
