BenQ-Siemens dual brand unveiled in India

New Delhi, June 22: BenQ Mobile, the German-Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer, today unveiled their new consumer brand -- BenQ-Siemens -- in India, and launched four new handsets targetted at mid-end and high-end users.

''We have successfully united the two companies at an operation level worldwide and are proud to announce this new brand in India, which, besides being a very strategic market for BenQ Mobile, is also our third largest subsidiary. We would like to see India become our global talent pool,'' BenQ Asia Pacific Corp President Adrian Chang told reporters here.

Siemens had sold its mobile handset business to BenQ in June last year, under which, BenQ can use the Siemens brand name for up to five years.

The dual brand of BenQ-Siemens commands a 5.4 per cent market share globally and is hoping to attain a 3 per cent market share in India by the end of 2007. The new brand will focus on expanding its product portfolio in the 3G arena.

''We will be shipping around 1.4 million handsets to India by the end of 2007, to be able to reach our target of a 3 per cent market share,'' BenQ India Sales and Marketing Business Head G Prasanna Kumar said.

''We plan to launch 12-13 models by the year end in India, beginning with the four handsets we unveiled today,'' Mr Kumar said and added that in the next one year, BenQ will focus on all mid-end and high-end phones.

Asked about their marketing strategy in India, Mr Chang said, ''At present, we would like to focus more on the distribution and setting up of the mid-end and high-end infrastructure, as we would like to target these users, but we will be also be looking at the low end handsets.'' Out of the four phones launched today in the Explorer Performer, Affordable quality and Explore image and Status categories, the BenQ-Siemens E61, CL71 and C81 range between Rs 6000 to Rs 16, 000, while the S88, which falls in the affordable range is for Rs 3,000.

On plans of setting up a manufacturing unit in India, Mr Chang said, ''We were looking at Chennai last year, but with the Siemens acquisition we have to put our plans on hold. However, we are keeping our options open for Chennai and Haryana in the future.'' BenQ Mobile, an industry leader in wireless communications devices with a high lifestyle appeal, is headquartered in Munich (Germany) and is one of the three business divisions of BenQ Corporation.

UNI