Chinese firm, ZTE today marked its entry in India’s GSM-based retail handset market. The company has positioned itself as a low-cost player. The new handsets include S315, A261, R220, R230 and R230BT.

The handsets to be available under ZTE brand name are priced in the range of Rs. 1,100 to Rs. 3,800.

ZTE’s current offering in the form of CDMA-based handsets from the Indian market constitute 16 % to 20 % of its total global sales.

The company has appointed Overseas Mobiles Private Limited as its national distributor which in turn will appoint 80 regional distributors. ZTE aims to have a 100,000 strong retail presence by this year-end.

“One of the largest handset manufacturers in the world, we at ZTE have already sold over 20 Million handsets in India through partnerships with various telecom operators. We also have one of the strongest after sales service network with over 250 service centers across the country. India is a key focus market for us and we are delighted to launch ZTE branded handsets in the retail market as this would play a critical role in furthering our existing market-share in the country,” said Dr. DK Ghosh, Chairman & MD, ZTE India. “ZTE is focused on providing great products at competitive pricing to Indian consumers and we will seek to provide them with a much larger choice by introducing handsets across segments in the coming days. Together, with Overseas Mobiles Private Limited, we will make a difference in one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world.”

“We are proud to be a partner of ZTE Corporation and deeply humbled by ZTE’s decision to appoint Overseas Mobiles Private Limited as the national distributor for India and look forward to a mutually successful relationship,” said Arshit Pathak, Director, Overseas Mobiles Private Limited.