Sony wants a piece of the entry-level Indian market

Sony announced it will focus on the high-end segment in order to bring its smartphone business to profit, but it seems the company is willing to make exceptions for markets such as India, where low prices are essential.

Speaking to ET Tech, Sony India managing director Kenichiro Hibi said Sony is planning to compete in the cutthroat Indian entry-level market against opponents like Xiaomi, Asus, Motorola, and Google’s Android One, and dozens of local players. Because India is growing at a fast pace, Sony sees the country as “completely different” from the global market, so it’s going to release phones costing Rs 8,000-10,000 ($125 to $160), a range Sony doesn’t target in other countries.

In order to target the low-price segment, Sony considers releasing devices that are exclusive to India and manufacturing phones locally.

[related_videos align=”center” type=”custom” videos=”592594,591709,539522,564685″]

Sony’s latest launch in India is the Xperia E4g, an LTE variant of the mid-range Xperia E4 listed in India Rs 13,290 ($213). While relatively inexpensive, the E4g (and other devices Sony may launch here) faces stiff competition. Just last week, for instance, Xiaomi introduced the arguably superior Xiaomi Mi 4i at a starting price of Rs. 12,999.

As for the global market, Sony raised some eyebrows with the Japan-only Xperia Z4, while the company is doubling down on marketing the Xperia Z3 in the rest of the world.

Do you think Sony stands a chance in India?