Motorola May Set Up Manufacturing Facility In India

There is an increasing demand for smartphones in India, and this could be one of the reasons why Motorola, a telecommunications company that has made products such as the MotoG handset, is considering setting up a manufacturing facility in the country, according to NDTV.

Marcus Frost, the company’s Senior Marketing Director Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, was asked if Motorola was planning on setting up a production unit in India. Frost said that Motorola are evaluating their options. He added that Motorola will have news soon.

Frost didn’t go into further details about Motorola’s possible plants, nor did he give a timeline. Motorola makes products in Latin America, as well as China. Motorola did have a plant in Chennai, but it ended up closing down a few years ago, according to Financial Express.

Motorola is not the only smartphone maker considering opening up a manufacturing plant in India. Aside from Motorola, Xiaomi and Gionee are also thinking about setting up plants in the country.

Frost said that India is a huge market for Motorola. The Motorola Moto G has been doing well in India, as sales have been strong for it. Until last year, Motorola has sold more than 3 million units in India. If Motorola opens a manufacturing plant in the country, then it will be opening up shop in one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the world. In the March, 2015, quarter, more than 19 million smartphones were shipped to the country.

Amit Boni, Motorola India General Manager, said that Motorola believes that when it comes to a better mobile relationship, everyone deserves a choice.

As previously reported by Inquisitr, earlier in the year, Motorola announced that it was releasing the Moto E, which boasts features such as Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and anti-smudge coating. It also has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory. Recently, the Times Of India reported that Motorola decided to slash the prices of the Moto E in India by Rs 1,000.

The Moto E, both the 3G and 4G variants, are now selling for Rs 5,999 and Rs 6,999, which is around US $93 and US $109. The price cut comes just as Motorola announced that it was launching its third generation of Moto G phones in India, according to the Hindu. Those who want to buy the phones will be able to do so by visiting the online marketplace Flipkart, as this is where the phones are exclusively available.

[Image by David Ramos / Getty Images]