Guwahati, June 24: Bengal-based Rashmi Group plans to invest over Rs 15 crore to promote its mobile handset brand, Reach Mobile, in the Northeast, this fiscal.
The Rs 6,500-crore group, which forayed into the region almost a year back with the launch of a range of smart and feature phones, added two HD (high-definition) models and a feature phone here.
"Currently, we are selling over 20,000 units per month in the Northeast. But we look to scale the figures up to one lakh units per month in a year's time. We are investing over Rs 15 crore in augmenting manpower, setting up infrastructure, marketing and advertising during 2015-16," Vinay Kumar, president (sales and operations), Reach Mobiletech Pvt Ltd, said at the launch today.
The investment is part of the Rs 150 crore that the company plans to spend pan India during the current fiscal.
"Reach Mobiletech was incorporated in May 2013. We aim to be among the top three handset manufacturers in the country," said Kinjal Desai, head, corporate affairs, Rashmi Group.
According to data from a research firm, CyberMedia Research, the country's mobile handsets market in 2014 (calendar year) grew by 4 per cent to 257 million units in terms of shipments over 2013.
The price of the smartphones launched today, Reach Klassy 300 HD and Reach Kla-ssy 400 HD, has been slashed by half as a special introductory offer for the Northeast.
"The smartphones are priced at Rs 4,999, while the dual-SIM feature phone, Reach Champ. Rs 1,800, comes with a price tag of Rs 699 in the Northeast market," Kumar said.
Reach Mobile has over 20 distributors in the Northeast. The company has set an ambitious plan to extend its reach in the Northeast, particularly in the semi-urban and rural markets.
"Our products will be available over 3,000 retail points in six months. We are eyeing rural markets with value-for-money and affordability as USP. For the Northeast, we have added more style in terms of colour and compactness," Kumar said.
The company currently ships its handsets from two manufacturing hubs in China (Beijing and Shenzen). "We plan to set up a production facility in the country soon," Desai said.
