Making a comeback in the smartphone segment, Indian consumer electronics brand Micromax has unveiled a new sub-brand ‘in’ — riding on the Prime Minister’s call to realise an Atmanirbhar Bharat and close on the heels of the PLI approvals accorded by the Government of India.
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Highlighting its ‘Indian’ quotient, Rahul Sharma, Co-founder, Micromax, launched the ‘in’ brand over Twitter and the company’s other digital handles on Friday, October 16.
We're #INForIndia with #INMobiles! What about you? #IndiaKeLiye #BigAnnouncement #MicromaxIsBack #AatmanirbharBharat pic.twitter.com/eridOF5MdQ
— Micromax India (@Micromax__India) October 16, 2020
With the ‘in’ brand of mobiles, the company wants to give a legit Indian option to consumers in the mobile phone industry. Micromax was a leading brand in the Indian mobile phone space until it lost the race to Chinese brands.
Wear your Indian pride like a badge of honour and show the world what we stand for. Make a small change to your social media bio by adding '#INForIndia ????????' to take the first step towards supporting #AtmanirbharBharat. #INMobiles #IndiaKeLiye #MicromaxIsBack pic.twitter.com/7DLo76uDEU
— Micromax India (@Micromax__India) October 18, 2020
The new avatar is inspired by the fun-filled, bold and aspirational Indian millennials, who are looking for performance-oriented products for their digital journey on the go and are set to drive India’s success story.
Sharma said, “We are delighted to make a comeback in the India market with our sub-brand ‘in’. When you have the word India or ‘in’ on you, it gives a sense of responsibility, the weight of a billion hopes. But bigger than anything is the pride it gives. Our endeavour is to bring India on the global smartphones' map again with 'in' mobiles.”
“India is one of the top five mobile gaming markets in the world, and with the ‘in’ brand, we will provide a bona fide choice that will allow consumers to edge ahead with high performance-oriented products, without infringing on their privacy,” Sharma said.
Krishnarao Buddha, Sr. Category Head, Marketing, Parle Products, said, “I hope and pray for the brand’s success. However, I feel if the brand would have made a comeback at least a month ago or with a big bang launch with the e-com festive sales, it could have made a big impact.”
Buddha said an exclusive partnership with Reliance Digital or Croma (Indian partners) may give it a chance to make it big once again.
“As it is, all other Chinese brands such as Mi, Oppo, Vivo and Realme are partnering with e-com. So partnering with an Indian brand line such as Reliance Digital or Croma and promoting it big both online and offline may work in favour of Micromax,” Buddha said.
Celebrity couple Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna congratulated the brand and Sharma on the new launch. Kumar was the brand’s face for years when the brand Micromax was at its peak in the Indian market.
Rahul is not just a bright guy but has a self-deprecating demeanour that is so refreshing.He has made me laugh with his anecdotes and stunned me with his insights often enough. Good going @Micromax__India https://t.co/LNHNLsDsjA
— Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) October 16, 2020
Dear Rahul, having heard all your brilliant ideas and seeing what you’re capable of firsthand I have no doubt about the success of #InMobiles. Extremely proud of what you’ve achieved so far and journey 2.0 looks very promising. Sending all my love and best wishes ???? https://t.co/oqrBEcBU7D
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) October 16, 2020
The brand colour and overall visual identity are inspired by India’s blue colours. With its brand promise to bring an uncompromised performance and a secure user experience, Micromax plans to holistically build and grow the smartphone ecosystem.
To begin the strategic re-entry into the smartphone segment, Micromax plans to invest Rs 500 crore and build products from ground-up for the new-age Indian consumer, and introduce a new range of smartphones under the ‘in’ brand.
Micromax has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across two locations in India, including Bhiwadi and Hyderabad. The brand has a capacity of producing over two million phones per month.
The brand is working on strengthening its already established retail and distribution network. Currently, it has a retail presence of more than 10K+ outlets and over 1000+ service centres across India.