Samsung eyes 60 p.c. of India's smartphone mkt

KOLKATA, INDIA: Buoyed by the launch of its first dual SIM smartphones in India, South Korean handset maker Samsung Electronics on Tuesday said it is eyeing to capture 60 per cent of the smartphones market in the country by the end of 2012.

"Last year the smartphones market in India was about 8 million units. This year it is expected to be about 20 million units. We are aiming to catch 60 per cent of that at the end of this year," Ranjit Yadav, Samsung India country head (mobile and IT), told IANS here.

The firm has as many as 16 smart phone models in the market and enjoys about 41 per cent market share.

Yadav was in the city to unveil three dual SIM smartphones of the company.

He said the dual SIM phones would help users to separate their personal life from professional life and offer more flexibility in operation.

Total cellphone market in the country was expected to be about 160 million units this year.

The company, which has a portfolio of about 42 handset models, is also eyeing to gain 40 per cent of market share across all segments in the country by the end of 2012.

"At the end of 2011, we had about 31 to 32 per cent market share in India's cellphone market," Yadav said.