Nokia not good for mobile Internet, says Spice

NEW DELHI, INDIA: With a shift to mobile Internet, Spice is banking heavily on regional applications and services. The company has shown its deep desire for Android platform, and said that it'll be the future of mobile communication. However, Spice also feels that Nokia is not good for mobile Internet, because it lacks Android.

Bhupendra Kumar Modi, chairman and managing director, Spice Global said recently that they are meeting the requirements of mobile Internet users and transitioning the company into mobile Internet driven company. Spice is also tying up with regional application providers.

It's all about: application, content and services

The company said that the projected Internet population would be 450 million by 2015 that include 360 million mobile Internet users. “The mobile consumers are hungry for content in India,” he said.

Spice has also entered into a service partnership with Indian Railway for 10 years. With a focus on Indian application and services, the company has tied up with Sulekha search. The application that helps communicate with colleges is already famous in Malaysia, informed Modi.

“We are tying up with application companies in every area,” he added.

With probable partnership with Naukri.com and Rediff.com, the company is looking at revenue-sharing model with them.

Outside India, Spice has already tied up with Google. “Application is the key and we are putting India-grown applications with Indian language to serve Indian people,” he said.

The company has recently launched its Android-based cellphone, Mi 320 for Internet browsers. “We are building our strategy around Android platform, informed Modi.

Nokia and Android

Commenting on Nokia, he said that it's good at mobile devices but not for mobile Internet. He also asserted that Nokia isn't succeeding because it lacks Android, which he said is the future for mobile.

According to a recent Canalys study, Google's Android platform has a dominant position in the smartphone market, increasing its lead over struggling Nokia. Google and Apple have revolutionized the smartphone market in just a few years, leaving former market leader Nokia in trouble, it says. In the backdrop of this the observation by Spice assumes significance.

Focusing on Internet-ready devices

The company has branded all the Internet capable phones as MiPhone and said that it will keep prices under Rs. 10,000. Modi said that India can reach the Internet penetration through mobile devices only.

The company said several strategic plans are in the pipeline. It has created a new nerve center at Singapore that facilitates R&D, supply chain and business intelligence.

"We are switching from being an Indian company to a multinational organization, and are capable to compete with any of the MNCs in the world," he added.

The company's worldwide turnover is US$ 1.6 billion. It has Rs. 2,400 crore market cap in India. The company's device portfolio currently accounts 40 per cent as Internet-ready cellphones, which is expected to increase drastically.