New Delhi: Domestic handset maker Jivi Mobiles said it will invest Rs 200 crore to increase capacity to around seven lakh handsets per month at its two manufacturing units that will create jobs for 1,000 people.
The company, with an eye on the rural customers of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, also launched seven feature phones today in the price range of Rs 699-1,199.
The company, which is making feature phones at its Delhi unit, is also planning to start assembling smartphones by next year. The other unit is located at Lonavla, Maharashtra.
“Currently, we are focusing on feature phones and want to lead in the segment. All our devices are assembled locally,” Jivi Mobiles CEO Pankaj Anand said.
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He further said 65-70 percent of the market is feature phones.
“We are one of the few companies in the country to offer such a wide range of feature phones at low price points and all our devices are Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) approved,” Anand added.
Regarding manufacturing of phone parts, he said it will start making battery, chargers and handsfree in India to cut the cost of duty, which is 29.5 percent. The company also plans to start exporting made in India phones to Saarc countries, starting with Nepal, Burma and Bangladesh.
