Nokia banks on Asha and Lumia to revive fortunes

It may be losing market share and witnessing lower consumer interest, but Nokia refuses to be cowed down. The Finnish phone maker — that has been struggling globally as Samsung and Apple rule the roost — has said it is confident of holding on to its market leadership in India despite intense competition and absence of the ubiquitous Android operating system (OS) from its line-up.

In his first interview after taking over as Nokia India head, P Balaji, the man charged with resurrecting the operations in the country, told TOI that the company has managed to make a comeback of sorts with an all-new range — the Asha series in the mass-end of the market and Windows-run Lumia at the top — and fortunes should only look up from here. "We are now more-than-ever confident of our strategy, and its execution," said Balaji, who has been with Nokia for less than a year as managing director after joining from rival Sony Mobile.

Balaji is unfazed with market share numbers that show Samsung closing ranks and nearly breath down its neck, threatening Nokia's long-standing numero uno position in India. "We have an industry leading position in India... and will continue to be a leading player," he said.

After losing its commanding lead in the market, Nokia has been making amends over the past year or so to get back at rivals, many of whom also include regional players who cashed in on new innovations such dual SIM phones that took the market by a storm. Nokia got the dual SIM line-up around two years ago and thereafter introduced the Asha range in January last year in a price band of Rs 3,500-8,500.

After managing bulk of the market with Asha, Nokia got into its most ambitious launch with the entry of the Lumia series in November 2011, something that it hoped would give it numbers in the lucrative high-end mobile phone market where margins are attractive. While Lumia
has received mixed response globally, Balaji said the series has picked up in India, especially with the younger generation where acceptance is seen as crucial to build up buzz around the brand.