Sony plans to make Xperia phones in India

After televisions, Sony Corp plans to assemble its Xperia smartphones in India and manufacture a couple of sub-Rs 10,000 models, specifically designed for the local market. The company is in talks with Taiwan’s top contract manufacturer Foxconn to assemble its smartphones in India and the first batch is likely to roll out this calendar year, three senior industry executives said.

The Japanese consumer electronics major is finalising a new strategy for the Indian market, which is its fourth largest after the US, China and Japan. The plan includes increasing revenue by boosting mobile phone sales, with the country poised to become the world’s second largest smartphone market by 2017.

Sony has globally decided to vacate the entry-level smartphone segment, but it has realised that it needs to have a couple of handsets in emerging markets since that segment accounts for more than 70% of industry sales.

Local assembling and manufacturing of smartphones provide the makers duty benefit of 6% to 6.5%, which is aimed at encouraging the government’s Make in India initiative.