HMD to Make Smartphones in India, Export Globally

New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) Finnish mobile devices company HMD will make all its new range of self-branded smartphones in India and aims to export to other parts of the world, a top company official said on Thursday.

HMD Global founder, Chairman and CEO Jean Francois Baril told PTI in an interview that mobile phones that are being produced in India are very competitive even compared to the best players in China.

The company unveiled the "HMD Crest" brand series smartphones from the company's stable with a 50-megapixel (MP) selfie camera.

"Crest family has been conceived in India, made in India for the Indian market and also for overseas," Baril said.

He said HMD has been exporting Nokia mobile phones from India, and now HMD's new smartphones will also be exported from India.

Baril said India's smartphone market is a tough market, but the company is making a profit in India and will be able to navigate through the market with product differentiation.

HMD Global Chief Operating Officer Alain Lejeune said the company has partnered with Dixon Technologies and manufacturing unicorn Zetwerk's Zet Town to produce devices in India.

India is the biggest market for HMD, and the new smartphones will add to the existing volumes of mobile phones that the company makes in India, he added.

"This week, our focus is on HMD Crest and Crest Max. Two months back, we launched HMD Skyline. More devices will be in the next two months. Going forward, our focus will be only on HMD-branded smart devices," Lejeune said.

He said the company will continue to sell Nokia brand feature phones, and the focus will be on HMD brand phones in the smartphone segment.

HMD Vice President for India and APAC Ravi Kunwar said the company will sell new Crest smartphones in the price range of Rs 10,000-20,000, which is very competitive, but consumers in the market are looking for differentiation and innovation.

HMD unveiled two 5G smartphone models -- Crest priced at Rs 12,999 apiece with 12 GB system memory and 128 GB storage, 50 MP front and 50 MP dual AI rear camera.

Crest Max is priced at Rs 14,999 with a 64 MP main camera, 5MP Ultrawide & 2MP Macro lens at the Rear and 50 MP Selfie camera. It will have 16 GB of system memory and 256 GB of storage.

The phone will be sold on Amazon during the "Great Freedom Sale on Amazon Specials", which will begin next month. It will also be available on the HMD website.