Indian Clock Maker Starts Selling Mobile Phones

India's Orpat Group - which claims to be the world's largest manufacturer of wall clocks - has entered the Indian mobile phone market. The company is said to be aiming at the low-cost end of the market and has a sales target of two million handsets this year.

Orpat also aims to set up a mobile manufacturing facility in Morbi, Gujarat, by 2009, Orpat director Nevil Patel told the Economic Times newspaper. The company's initial handsets are being assembled in China using a handset platform from NXP Semiconductors.

"Orpat has 80 exclusive showrooms and more than 50,000 retail outlets, which we will leverage for selling mobiles. The existing dealers will act as point of sales for handsets. They will also tap mobile chains to garner additional sales," Mr Patel added.

On the web: Economic Times - Orpat Mobile

Posted to the site on 28th May 2008