French Brand Alcatel Returns to India With V3 Series, Eyes Top 3 Spot In Smartphone Market

After a seven-year hiatus, French tech brand Alcatel has re-entered India's smartphone market, aiming to secure a top-three position within three years.

On Tuesday, the tech player unveiled its new lineup in India: the V3 smartphone series. The latest series has been launched through Nxtcell India, its exclusive brand partner for India and select markets.

“India is a big market with multiple consumer segments. Our long-term goal for India is to be among the top three players in terms of market share in the next three years. “Not only in smartphones, but we will also be building an integrated consumer tech ecosystem in India; we will have multiple product categories,” Nxtcell India Chief Business Officer Atul Vivek told PTI.

Padget Electronics, a subsidiary of Dixon Technologies, has entered into a collaboration with NxtCell India to begin the production of the devices. Based on the deal, NxtCell will put in an initial investment of $30 million (about Rs 260 crore). The money will be used to re-establish the French tech brand in India, where a plethora of competitors dominate the crowded smartphone market.

According to the PTI report, Alcatel is eyeing an initial manufacturing capacity in India of about two million units per year. Following the initial success of the domestic market, the company also has plans to expand its presence in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.

NxtCell will also take this opportunity to gauge market sentiment, based on which it plans to establish its own manufacturing facilities in India within the next few years.

The latest lineup, introduced by Alcatel, includes the V3 Ultra, V3 Pro and V3 Classic models. Users will be able to buy these models on the e-commerce platform Flipkart from June 2 onwards. The mid-range segment phones contain features such as Alcatel's patented NXTPAPER display technology and stylus integration.

The Alcatel brand is a trademark of Nokia used under licence by TCL Communication.