“We are Looking Forward to Kick-Start our Offline Distribution in India”

With an aim to expand its business opportunities in India, BLU Products is all set to establish its offline channel partner base in India.

Varun M, Head of Business Development, BLU Products speaks with Zia Askari from TelecomDrive.com about the company’s focus today and how it is planning to create much needed market differentiation.

What are the key priorities for BLU in India?

Our key priority in India is to establish ourselves as a leading brand in India. We have cultivated a strong base in the USA, and BLU is a trusted brand that appears in almost every list of top 10 phones in the USA, and we would like to replicate that success here in India as well. Therefore our main focus is definitely to connect with the Indian customers, and to let them know who we are, and what kind of products do we offer.

India already has a lot of smartphone brands - how is BLU different and unique?

The smartphone market in India is a burgeoning one, with a new player entering the fray every two days. In such a crowded market, our USP lies in the top-notch design and quality of our phones and the internal components used in the same. We maintain a standard quality that is at par with the global standards, which ensures that all our products are dependable as well as affordable.

What is your go to market strategy for India?

We did a soft launch in India 6 months back exclusively with online channels, Amazon and Snapdeal. We started with Windows OS smartphones and received good consumer response. In March 2016, we launched our Android smartphone portfolio along with feature phones, exclusively, on Amazon.

Going forward in 2016, we have many interesting products lined up in smartphone and feature phones category that we will launch through our offline channel. We are actively looking to on-board partners in all major states to kick-start our offline distribution. So, we have started with online model but our comprehensive go to market strategy involves working with both online and offline distribution model.

How do you look at the fast emergence of online channel sales in India?

India has seen an online revolution in the last 2 years, and consumers are comfortable with the thought of buying gadgets and electronics through digital channels. As the Internet penetration in India keep growing, we believe that more and more consumers will come online, especially from tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

We will actively participate in the growth of online channel and launch our products that are relevant to this customer segment. Having said that, we believe that both offline and online channels will co-exist, and both these channels will grow as we see the demand for smartphones going up.

What kind of device led innovations is BLU going to bring for the Indian market?

Being an American smartphone brand, we believe in giving the best of class quality to our consumers. We will never compromise on our quality and consumer experience. Our devices will have top class features at value pricing in India. We will launch range of products that will address the connectivity, entertainment and security needs of the consumer.

There are many players who have announced their plans for make in India. Do you have any such plans for India?

We are excited about the Government of India’s vision around Make in India, and would definitely like to be part of this change. We believe that Make in India is a highly beneficial initiative as it improves our cost, and helps us bring a wider range of products to the Indian consumers quickly and simultaneously along with our global launches. We are currently evaluating our options, and will announce our plans in near future.