LG to sell 4 mln GSM handsets by 2008

New Delhi, Dec 24 LG Electronics India Private Ltd (LGEIL), a subsidiary of South Korea's LG Electronics, today said company aims to triple its business in the GSM segment and plans to sell four million handsets from present 1.5 million units by next year.

''We are planning to launch 21 new models next year in the Indian market. At present we have 10 GSM mobile phones,'' company Business Group Head (GSM) Anil Arora told reporters on the sidelines of its new handset launch. The company will also strengthen its retail network by increasing its outlets from present 15,000 to 65,000 outlets by 2008. ''We will pump in Rs 145 crore in Key Retail Management and marketing activity,'' Mr Arora said.

The company is also eyeing a market share of six percent from 1.7 per cent in the GSM category by next year, Mr Arora said.

Riding on the recent launch of LG Shine, a high-end mobile phone, LGEIL plans to unleash a few more upgraded versions of the same while toying with the idea of introducing operating system-based mobile phones to capture the IT savvy consumers' interest in Internet surfing and for entertainment.

''We will also launch KS20 GSM handset early next year which will have a touch screen, Wi-Fi and bluetooth connectivity and run on Windows.

A late entrant in the GSM handset market, LG currently makes colour phones in the sub-Rs 14,000 price range. It plans to launch 32 new models next year.

The company launched last month two new handsets; the KG 288, and the KG 285 for GSM users in the country. The KG 288 and the KG 285 are the latest addition to LG's existing range of entry-level mobile handsets.

UNI