Sony eyeing one of the top 3 positions in the Indian smartphone market

Consumer electronics major Sony Wednesday said it wants to be among top three players in the Indian smartphone market by garnering market share of about 15-16 percent in the next three years.

"We want to be in big league. We plan to be in top three (mobile phone maker in smartphone category)," Sony India, Mobile Division, Head Sales and Marketing, Sachin Thapar told reporters here, responding to a query on the company's target for the next three years.

Sony India has about nine percent market share in the smartphone category at present, he said.

With a proposal to bring a slew of mobile phones under the Xperia brand, the firm aims to garner market share of about 16 percent by 2015-16.

"In the coming weeks we will be launching our E series range of mobile phones offering both single and dual sim. The price will be around Rs. 10,000 onwards", he said, on the company's new product launches.

Hoping to triple its sales of Xperia range of mobile phones to Rs. 3,500 crore in 2012-13 from Rs. 1,700 crore in 2011-12, he said the company had allocated Rs 300 crore for the marketing of Xperia range of mobile phones.

Launching the Xperia Z smartphone in Tamil Nadu market which contributes about 11 per cent of sales, Thapar said the firm targets Xperia sales of about Rs. 400 crore in this region.Besides, the company is also increasing it sales network in the region to 900 outlets from the present 650.

Asked about Finance Minister P Chidambaram announcing an increase in excise duty of six per cent in his budget, he said the company did not increase the cost of mobile phone due to it, adding, "at the moment, we are not increasing it. We are giving the benefit to customer."

Chidambaram in his budget speech last month announced a six percent increase in excise duty for mobile handsets priced above Rs. 2,000.