Motorola sets sights on No.2 slot in India

HONG KONG, Feb 28: Motorola Inc., the world's second-largest mobile phone maker, is close to taking the No. 2 spot in India as it ramps up its marketing and manufacturing facilities, a company executive said on Tuesday.

''We came from a very small market share. We have stepped up our efforts... we have made it the headquarters of our high growth markets,'' said Simon Leung, senior vice president of Asia, at the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in Hong Kong. ''We should be number two in no time.'' Industry sources said Motorola was currently the number three.

Leung also said the company could also build a plant to make mobile phones in the world's fastest growing mobile market, which has surpassed China in terms of net monthly customer additions.

India, which has a mobile penetration rate of just 8 per cent, added a record 4.7 million subscribers in January, taking its total mobile user base to more than 81 million. This exceeds the combined population of France and the Netherlands.

REUTERS