Mobility Monthly Magazine
November 2017
Issue 11
Volume 14
Pages 38
20
beyond technology, beyond lifestyle
www.mobilityindia.com
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CONTENTS
P-26
EDITORIAL
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NEWS
10
LAUNCHPAD
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GUEST COLUMN
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Mr Deepak Kabu CEO of Ziox Mobiles Mr. Bhupesh Raseen Director on Board CMAI Chairman, Mobile Expert Committee(Honorary)
REVIEWS
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Comio P1: Built for Power Play Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro Ready for the Selfie game
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INTERVIEW
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Digital India will continue to spur the growth of hyper-connectivity with the plethora of opportunities it brings to the table: Nikhil Mathur, Managing Director-South Asia, GfK
SPECIAL REPORT
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Swapan Roy Manoj Jha Jayanta Ghosh E.J. Jawahardatham Anit Kumar Gautam Middya Sandip Sarkar Tridip Dey Sujit Goswami, Pratap Biswas S. Dutt Raj Kumar
Circulation Manager Production
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System Manager
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P. Biswas Ashish Ghosh Ashok Kumar Paul Ajay Biswas
H.O.: Delhi / Editorial Office Roy Mediative A-23, 1st Floor, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi-110020 (INDIA) Mob: 09810380882, 09811346846, 09582951366 Ph: 91-11-41602841, 65683896, 40536384-87 Redg.Off.: 38-B / 56 Block, C. R. Park, New Delhi-110019 (India).
SPECIAL SOTRY
Connecting the next billion to the World Wide Seb
Editor Chief Editor Associate Editor (Tech,) Asst. Editor Product Head Creative Head Acct. & Finance Marketing Manager Marketing Executives
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French Tech Tour to India 2017: A platform to bridging the French and Indian Tech ecosystems Mr Alexandre ZIEGLER, Ambassador of France to India
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REPORT Mr. Rajan Mathews Director General, COAI
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EDITORIAL
Connecting the next billion Dear Readers, Globally, broadband has been considered a key element in achieving a country’s socio-economic objectives; additionally, it helps drive transformation in quality of life by enabling and improving services such as healthcare, education, banking, government development programs while facilitating social inclusion. India lags behind other countries in broadband penetration with only 23% i.e. around 310 million subscribers. The accelerated socio-economic growth of India and success of the ambitious government programs depend significantly on enabling broadband access to the masses.
Hope this issue will help readers to pick the right mobile accessories.
Swapan Roy roymobility@gmail.com
Editor’s Choice
The OnePlus 5T The OnePlus 5T marks the introduction of a 6-inch Full Optic AMOLED Display with an 18:9 aspect ratio to deliver a more immersive viewing experience, all while keeping a form factor similar to that of the OnePlus 5. Thanks to the built-in software algorithm, the OnePlus 5T’s Full Optic AMOLED display features a new Sunlight Display that adapts automatically to harsh light to facilitate a great viewing experience. In addition to enhancing the visual appearance of the device, the larger display helps to improve the overall user experience. Users can calibrate their screens based on their viewing preferences across four different modes, including default, sRGB, DCI-P3 and adaptive.
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MOBILITY NOVEMBER 2017
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NEWS
David Chang will Lead India Operations fro Gionee
Gionee India announced that Mr. David Chang, Global Sales Director, Gionee Communication Equipment Co., Ltd will now lead the India operations for the brand. The strategic announcement comes at a time when Gionee with a loyal customer base of 1.25 crore in the country is bullish on strengthening its regional penetration. With its retail presence in over 42,000 stores and with 600 exclusive service centers, the brandtargets to be in the top five smartphones of the country. Gionee India has already established its leadership in the Indian smartphone market and with Mr. Chang’s skilled management the company aims to further consolidate its ranking among st the topselling brand in the country. Ranked at No. 10 globally, Mr. Chang has been instrumental in taking the brand to this position.
Huawei Partners with PTCL to Deliver Quality Broadband
Huawei announced that it has partnered with Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) for successful rollout of fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC)/fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) solutions to modernize PTCL’s fixed networks that will provide ultra-broadband services economically and efficiently. PTCL is Pakistan’s largest integrated operator, and it owns 95% of local fixed broadband access networks and plenty of access copper line resources. In order to meet growing demands for the Internet-based real-time video services, PTCL is committed to provid- ing higher bandwidth and bringing better customer experience. PTCL is transforming its network for providing 20 Mbit/s on average and 100 Mbit/s or even 1000 Mbit/s ultra-broadband services in high-value areas. To achieve these goals, PTCL, being the trendsetter of ICT services in the region, is introducing emerging broadband technologies, for example, VDSL2, vectoring, SuperVector, G.fast and GPON for enhancing user experience. For benchmarking quality of customer experience, PTCL has established a state-of-the-art test laboratory for real-time quality of service (QoS) evaluations of its services prior to rollouts.
Satya Nadella and Anil Kumble share their ‘Hit Refresh’ moments
Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft talked about his book Hit Refresh with Indian cricket legend Anil Kumble at a special event hosted by Microsoft and Harper Collins India. The event featured conversations between the two on the ‘hit refresh’ moments that have transformed their lives. In addition, Satya shared his views on future technology trends that will impact society, and even the world of sports.
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At the event, Satya spoke to Anil Kumble about leadership lessons he learnt on the cricket pitch that he uses even today as CEO—to compete vigorously and with passion in the face of uncertainty, putting the team first, and bringing out the best in everybody. They also discussed the positive impact of intelligent technologies on cricket, and how technology will redefine cricket for players as well as for the viewers.
Tata Comm Betting Big On IOT
Tata Communications Ltd is set to invest about USD 100 million in the the Internet of Things (IoT), a digital space the company is betting big on in the next few years. IoT is a serious business and will become a significant revenue line for the firm going forward, Tata Communications Senior Vice President and Head, Internet of Things, VS Shridhar said. He, however, did not disclose projected revenue numbers. The Mumbai-based company has already rolled out its dedicated IoT network in 38 cites across the country, along with a platform to manage the services that supports very low power consumption, he said.“Low power consumption for devices with supporting platform and network is crucial for IoT applications and solutions. We have conducted trials and tested networks and applications, and are ready with the ecosystem for services to be launched seamlessly in India,” Shridhar said.
Huge Funding From Bytedance to Cheetah Mobile’s Live.me App
Cheetah Mobile announced that Live.me Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to raise US$50 million from Bytedance Ltd. (“Bytedance”) as its Series B financing. In addition, Live.me will have priority to provide live streaming services to Bytedance in overseas markets should Bytedance start to integrate live streaming features into its products in these markets. This transaction is subject to certain closing conditions. Live.me is already one of the biggest live-streaming platforms in India in terms of users. Since its debut, the Live.me team has been focused oncultivating unique talent and delivering creative local content to audiences in India and around the world. Following its debut in India earlier this year, Live.me is now pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy by setting up a new office in Mumbai and building strategic partnerships with local influencers and talent agencies — with the goal of creating popular content for users in India.
Panasonic India, CII, AOTS & METI Organize Technical Seminar on Welding Technology
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS Japan) in partnership with Panasonic India organized a technical seminar on high precision arc welding technology, in Pune from 7-8 November 2017. As industry partners, Panasonic India lectured the gathering of industry professionals, college professors and showcased practical demonstra-
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NEWS
tion on latest welding Equipment and Robot technology, that can improve productivity of Indian metal fabrication industry. The seminar was funded by Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry, Japan (METI) and served as an opportunity to promote welding technology, which remains a critical issue for industrial sectors required to assure long-term reliability across applications such railways, ships etc.
Smartron partners with Flipkart to Design & Engineer the Billion Capture+
Smartron collaborates with Flipkart as the Design & Engineering partner for Billion Capture+. This partnership is Smartron’s first step in their ‘Powered by tronX program to extend the tronX ecosystem to third party brands. The program is aimed at giving partner devices,whether they are smartphones or computing devices or wearables or smart home things, access to tronX’s assistive and predictive AI capabilities. tronX is India’s first AI powered IoT platform and through this partnership, Smartron will extend all these capabilities to the users of the Billion Capture+ devices in the future.
OPPO joins hands with Jio to offer additional 4G data of up to 100GB
OPPO, the Selfie Expert & Leader, has joined hands with Jio, a world-class all-IP 4G LTE service provider to provide special data benefits to its customers. As per the new “Jio OPPO Additional Data Offer” effective from 27th October, 2017, customers who purchase a new OPPO device and perform a recharge of Rs.309 or above will be entitled for benefits of upto 100 GB of additional Jio 4G data. The offer is applicable on the entire range of OPPO 4G Devices. This offer celebrates the launch of the OPPO F5, the brand’s first FHD+ full screen display model in India, featuring the groundbreaking A.I. Beauty technology – a technology designed to personalize beautification for subjects on a selfie image. The A.I. Beauty technology will take selfie photography to a whole new level of quality. Priced at INR 19,990 the F5 (Gold and Black Edition) will go on sale from November 9th and will be available both online and offline.
Fujitsu and Customers Co-create New WORLD RECORDS
More than 60 Fujitsu customers helped co-create a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title last night at the BMW Museum in Munich: Largest animated tablet computer mosaic. A total of 220 Fujitsu STYLISTIC R726 tablets were used to create on-screen artwork, which was then brought together to form a single large piece of art – a visual representation of co-creation in the form of an origami-styled landscape, which came alive with Japanese cherry blossoms and fluttering birds. The successful world record – verified by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS adjudicators – was created at the BMW Museum in Munich, during a customer dinner as part of Fujitsu’s annual event – Fujitsu Forum Munich. Customers attending the dinner contributed to the mosaic by each inserting at least one tile, in the form of a Fujitsu STYLISTIC R726 12.5-inch tablet, into a specially prepared wall.
MOBILITY NOVEMBER 2017
Microsoft and KidZania Share Good Practices for Cyber-Physical Safety of Children
The most common warning signs of abuse in cyber as well as physical worlds manifest as signs of depression, anxiety, social isolation, nervousness and low self-esteem. Parents need to be very alert to read these signs and immediately take corrective measures. It is important that while we draw benefit from the immense potential of new technologies, we must also make use of all the security features available to make it a safe and pleasant experience.” To that end, Microsoft and KidZania have joined hands with Dr. Kapoor to create awareness about good practices for holistic and collaborative cyber-physical safety of children. Microsoft and KidZania share a common philosophy. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. KidZania’s vision is to ignite the hearts and minds of kids everywhere by empowering them to make the world a better place. Microsoft and KidZania are helping create protected cyber and physical spaces where children are empowered to learn, be creative and achieve more.
Nikon Photo Contest Brings Stunning Visuals from Around the World
Nikon India recently completed a milestone of 10 years’ presence in India, inaugurated the Nikon photo contest exhibition today at All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society, 1, Rafi Marg, Delhi. The exhibition was inaugurated by Kazuo Ninomiya, Managing Director, Nikon India and Sajjan Kumar, Sr. Vice President – Corporate Sales and Strategy, Nikon India and the event was graced by renowned photographer Padmashree Raghu Rai. The exhibition is being held between 3rd November to 16th November 2017 at Delhi. Started in the year 1969, the Nikon Photo Contest is one of the world’s premier international photo contests witnessing immense participation from many nationalities.
Samsung Opens 10 exclusive stores in Bengaluru
Samsung India announced the expansion of brandshops in Bengaluru to further increase its retail presence in the city. These outlets will enable the brand to create more touchpoints for customers while tapping into the huge demand for Samsung’s innovative products in the region. The brandshops spread across 1,750 sq. ft. to 3,000 sq. ft. have been set up in high footfall areas such as Whitefield, Hebbagodi, Peenya, Banashankari, Ramamurthy Nagar, Jaya Nagar and Marathalli. All 10 outlets will be functional by end – December, making it the largest number of stores opened within three months. The stores will display the entire range of Samsung offerings – QLED TV, The Frame and other Televisions, FlexWash and other Washing Machines, Air Conditioners, Refrigerators, Microwave Ovens, Galaxy Note8 and other mobiles phone and wearables – thereby creating a one-stop shopping experience while reinforcing Samsung’s commitment to consumers.
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Huawei launched Huawei Band 2 & Huawei Fit
Huawei India Consumer Business Group launched three smart, trendy fitness wearables designed to motivate even the most hardened couch potatoes to hit the road to fitness. Both the Huawei Fit, Band 2 and Band 2 Pro are available across all major cities in traditional watch retail stores as well as multi-brand electronic outlets. Additionally to ensure wider reach these products are available on popular e-commerce portals as well. Priced at Rs 9999/- the chic Huawei Fit which works well as an entry-level watch, is so versatile that it virtually acts as a personal coach while the Band 2 at Rs 4599/- and its variant, the Band 2 Pro with its standalone GPS at Rs 6999/-are super smart and efficient in monitoring your fitness routine.
LG launches Air Purifier Range
Keeping in view the rising concern over deteriorating air quality which is a result of growing air pollution in our country, LG Electronics today announced the launch of its Air Purifiers range- LG PuriCare. These modern, stateof- the-art Air Purifiers offer powerful filtration that reduces the harmful substances in the air, thereby keeping the room fresh and clean, apart from being stylish in their design LG understands that nothing is more important to consumers than germ-free and fresh air for the family’s good health and wellbeing. This launch is LG’s offering in the same direction, yet again reinstating that it’s a brand that truly cares for consumers.
Xiaomi Announces New Xiaomi Redmi Y Series
Xiaomi announced the launch of a new Smartphone series designed around people’s lifestyles with Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite. The Redmi Y series is designed for people who need a smartphone that can complement and enhance their everyday routine and lifestyle. Combined with the user enhancements of MIUI, Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite boast a large display, and solid battery life that can get you through a busy day. Alongside the new series of phones, Xiaomi also unveiled the global version of MIUI 9, the latest upgrade to its popular Android-based operating system, which includes new features designed for India.
Honor Launches Holly 4 Plus
Ascending in the Indian offline market, Honor, Huawei’s sub-brand today launched the all-new Holly 4 Plus smartphone in India. The device comes incorporated with apical technology and numerous new exciting features and is designed for consumers who wish to capture sharper pictures with a massive battery. Keeping in mind the trendy desires and preferences of the young and vibrant target audience, Honor has carefully designed the Holly 4 Plus comes with a sleek 8.2mm think body with a metal finish which appeals to the modern user. The Holly 4 Plus is specifically built for the selfie driven
MOBILITY NOVEMBER 2017
generation as its 8MP front camera that comes with a beauty mode provides a high clarity pictures to help consumers click shaper selfies and also provides additional security with a rear fingerprint scanner.
Sony India Introduces Xperia R1 Plus and Xperia R1 Exclusively for Indian Customers
Sony India introduced– Xperia R1 Plus and R1. Bundled with attractive offerings, these smartphones will be manufactured in India. Promised to be a flag bearer of Sony’s ongoing commitment to Indian consumers, both these smartphones are integrated with impressive 13.2 cm (5.2) HD Display, 13MP Autofocus camera with Exmor, thus making them a perfect choice for those looking to buy a mid–segment smartphone. Packed with innovations such as Uplink Data Compression (UDC), VoLte and 4G Broadcast Ready, this new offering by Sony will add immense value to the mid-segment smartphone users in India to suit their multi-faceted lifestyle. And together with Android Oreo 8.0 upgrade option, users will be able to use it with the latest condition.
HMD Global unveiled Nokia 2
HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, announced the launch of the Nokia 2. Its impressive two-day battery life doesn’t come at the expense of performance. Combining a Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platform and a 5 inch, high quality display with the pure, secure and up to date Android experience, the Nokia 2 offers technology that you can depend on, all day every day. The Nokia 2 delivers unrivalled durability in design, drawing on all the hallmarks of the Nokia phone heritage of quality, simplicity and reliability. Its sleek frame is precision-machined from a single block of aluminium while Corning Gorilla Glass is complemented by sculpted polycarbonate on the back delivering both a great feel and the build-quality you expect from a Nokia smartphone. Premium materials and thoughtful, ergonomic design combine to create a unique model that’s as practical as it is stylish, leaving you free to enjoy an affordable, long-lasting smartphone experience.
MiGadgets unveils CARPRO X10 in India
MiGadgets launched a digital video recorder DVR CAR PRO X10. This digital video recorder, with its audio and FULL HD (1920×1080) recording, makes the driving experience intelligent, safe and intuitive. The stylish and sleek DVR CARPRO X10 has a compact design and supports an external memory of 32GB with a continuous recording loop function while on the road. Other interesting features include a G sensor with motion detection in case of recording in the case of impact, photo capture, 170-degree ultra-wide view, and ability to record in poor visibility. The rear VGA camera support in DVR CARPRO X10 is worthy to mention about as it prevents rear car accidents.
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LAUNCHPAD
Dell brings the revolutionary XPS 15 notebook to India
Zoook Launches the ultra-compact ZB-Jazz MusicBot
Dell announced the launch of XPS 15, the most powerful XPS and the smallest 15-inch notebook in the world. The legendary XPS family offers the most elegant designs and premium experiences to enhance work and personal success – a combination that ultimately results in beautifully crafted products with no compromises. With Dell’s iconic, virtually borderless InfinityEdge display, the XPS 15 packs a stunning 15.6-inch screen into a 14-inch form factor, backed by the unmatched Intel® Quad Core™ processor and NVIDIA GeForce® GTX graphics. Continuing to build on the XPS family’s premium pedigree of design, form, and function, the Dell XPS 15 has been designed to offer some of the most unique features to users for the ultimate computing experience.
French technology company, Zoook has introduced the ZB-Jazz MusicBot Bluetooth Speaker which comes with a built-in 2000mAh rechargeable battery and has the unique NFC Feature which enables short range communication between compatible devices. With 8 hours of playtime on a single charge, the ZB-Jazz MusicBot also supports Siri, which means that you can get your questions answered loud and clear. The MusicBot comes with the latest Bluetooth 4.2 technology which allows you to enjoy a stable and completely uninterrupted audio play for a superb sound experience. It supports Bluetooth profiles such as A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, and HFP and is compatible with both Android and Mac software.
HARMAN announced plethora of new products in India
Gionee launches M7 Power
HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, today announced new initiatives for consumers in India by launching an extensive, new line-up of over two dozen audio products and by opening three new consumer service centers in the country. HARMAN’s Global Brand Ambassador, Grammy and Academy award winner, renowned musician and singer, A.R. Rahman participated in a special launch ceremony in New Delhi. The products launched include a variety of audio portables, headphones, home and multimedia, and car aftermarket products from HARMAN’s JBL, Harman Kardon and Infinity brands. Consumers in India will now have wider choice, with products starting from Rs. 1,119 and going up to Rs. 39,990.
Amkette announced QC 3.0 Car Charger
Amkette launches the QC 3.0, qualcomm certified charger. Say goodbye to all your traffic woes because now, you will always have the company of your phone in your car. With the ability to charge smartphones with 4X the speed, this device is a step ahead of all the others in its league. The QC 3.0 car charger comes with the fastest and most efficient USB charging technology in the world. The charger provides 3 layers of power protection, from over-charging, over-heating and short-circuits so that you’re safe even if you forget to turn the charger off. The smart IC identifies non-QC phones and charges them at their fastest possible speed. Easy to use, the charger is compact and comes with an inbuilt LED light. MOBILITY NOVEMBER 2017
M7 POWER distinguishes itself with next-generation fullview display, long-lasting battery and super performance. Equipped with a built-in 5000mAh high-quality Battery powered by intelligent management system, the phone possesses a 4GB RAM and a 64GB ROM to offer an upgraded user experience, assisting to multi task without latency. Gionee M7 Power priced at INR 16,999, and will be available in three striking color options, i.e. Blue, Gold and Black across all retail stores in India starting November 25 th , 2017.
Alcatel Launches A5 LED And A7 Smartphone Variants
Alcatel recently announced the launch its new smartphone variants A5 LED and A7. With the launch of multiple functionalities, as well as immersive selfie features, the A5 and A7 bring a new level of performance and experience, opening up a new era of smartphone interface. The new A5 LED, a modular phone, delivers fun features like lightup notifications and music light shows through the LIGHTUP+ MOD. The POWER+ MOD gives an additional 3100 mAh of battery boost effectively ensuring battery of 5,900 mAh. The new modular phone will provide the consumers an enhanced multimedia experience and more ways to take and share selfies.
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Trends that will dominate the Mobile industry in India Mr Deepak Kabu CEO of Ziox Mobiles
O
ver the past few decades, India has been at the centre of consumer demand fuelled by technological advances. Now with Sri. Narendra Modi’s ‘Digital India / Make in India’ Campaign, the paradigm of business is undergoing a massive transformation wherein the IT Market has undoubtedly seen a positive upward growth. To start with, Digital India ensures that technology is made available to citizens, enabling India to be digitally empowered in the field of technology. With Demonetization, adoption of Digital currency brought a new facet among the smartphones. As the market became more competitive amid aggressive 4G rollout along with the rise of digital currency it triggered higher demands for smartphones. Along with this the year also saw the Ecommerce boom which kept the users further hooked to Internet connectivity and their smartphones. With popular brands like Flipkart, Amazon in the market, people are using their smartphone to search for products and services, give orders, make transactions etc. Even the Regular bank related transactions have now done digital. Almost 60% of the customers uses mobile devices in 2017 to check their account balances, view recent transactions, pay bills or transfer funds. Next the apps are playing an important role in business and communication tool and the trend will further strengthen with the coming time period. Another trending conversation, centers around IoT, the major game changer in the transformation of India into a digital economy. Mobile development has gained momentum in past few years and the trend has progressed from smartphones to Internet of Things. IoT-based solutions are not just for urban India; they
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offer rural citizens access to services that were earlier out of reach. The government has taken up the initiative of building smart cities across the country. This means IT companies will play a vital role in creating infrastructure and providing services to both government institutions as well the citizens. It is expected that the technology of IoT ( Internet of Things) will play a vital role in this
Endeavour Along with the growing developments, Security, is of utmost importance in the digital world. From confidential government data to your personal username and password, everything is important and should be protected from hackers and online frauds. It seems that everyone is talking about mobility, the cloud, and digitization. Bio-metric systems and other unique technologies are being developed for tighter digital security. While it’s exciting to think about the new business models these technologies make possible and the trillions of dollars in opportunities to be gained, there are also very real risks. Besides increasing smartphone usage and adoption of 4G technology, wide distribution, booming consumption & continuous innovation along with low entry barriers continue to fuel the growth of mobile video. Mobile video, set to comprise two-thirds of all mobile traffic and more than half of online ad spend, is a highly valuable investment for advertisers. India though a very dynamic market, represents the largest opportunity being the second largest mobile phone market, after China. With developed countries seeing maturity in smartphone penetration, the focus is now on developing countries which shall continue to grow.
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GUEST COLUMN
Ground Realities of the Ailing Mobile Handset Industry under ‘Make in India’ M
AKE IN INDIA program launched with a lot of fanfare in India is indeed negatively affecting many Indian mobile manufacturers & brands as there are strong efforts to promote imports by foreigners and pseudo Indian experts and we are fooled under the name of incentives, concessions, PMP (Phased Manufacturing Program), etc. The cost difference between import as CBU (Completely Built-Up) and SKD to assemble or manufacture in India, has been reduced which is ultimately compelling brands to opt import as CBU, instead of manufacturing under the current definition. The following issues are indeed affecting Indian Mobile Industry: 1. The issue is not with incentives or concessions, but with huge marketing budgets of foreign firms, with which Indian companies can hardly compete. 2. Unabated large-scale imports from China, etc and flooding the Indian markets by virtual dumping or flooding the market with sales prices subsidized directly by export incentives of other countries (for example, China gives about 20% export incentives). Sale prices of finished phones in Indian markets are lower than sale prices in their own domestic (foreign) markets. 3. Nothing prevents us to impose higher duty on import of CBU Mobile handsets that are hampering ‘Make in India’ drive. We need for a clear-cut government policy defining whether we want import or manufacture locally. 4. We need to appreciate that with the aim of safety and high quality technical products, Indian government introduced multiple BIS testing and approvals, but as a result India has become the only country in the world to have so many approvals for mobile phone, battery, fuel cells, charger, Indian language, SAR & RoHS. These certifications and approvals are easily acquired or managed by foreign firms but difficult for small local manufacturers and there are also adding a lot up to the cost of compliances besides being time-consuming. 5. The so called Phased Manufacturing program has failed to create strong Indian brands and failed so far to build strong Indian domestic manufacturing sector; and imports of foreign brands continue unabated. The answer is not saving on some import duty on components, but how to actually promote local manufacture and beat CBU imports. 6. The foreign companies are imposing high unreasonable and undefined costs on Indian companies for so called IPR, when they failed to enforce them in their own
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Mr. Bhupesh Raseen
Director on Board CMAI Chairman, Mobile Expert Committee(Honorary) country (from where goods are imported). Indian Mobile brands\companies are made to fight the legal battles on their own unlike in some countries where the legal battles are contested by their government agencies to protect the rights of their manufacturers. This is pushing Indian manufacturers into a disadvantage. To sum up, in the light of the above mentioned with regard to Indian mobile industry, I strongly believe that the Government of India has to take immediate action to ensure the success of ‘Make in India.’ I further appeal to all Mobile Industry-related Associations to join hands together and take the above discussed issues to the relevant government verticals for speedy resolution.
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REVIEW
Comio P1: Built for Power Play T
his is the agship smartphone from brand Comio, and its massive 5000mAh battery is the main highlight of this device apart from its unibody metal slim design and security features.
Specs and Features: Comio P1 Comes with Unibody metal 9.2mm slim design with security features - Finger print sensor, anti virus, anit theft, and intruder selďŹ e.13 MP Rear Camera with Flash , 5 P Lens, F 2.0 aperture. 8 MP Front Camera with Screen Flash , 4 P Lens and F 2.0.13.97 centimeters (5.5-inch) capacitive HD IPS touchscreen with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution and 267 pixel density.Android v7.0 Nougat operating system with 1.3GHz 64 bit quad core processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory expandable up to 128GB. 5000mAH lithium-Poly battery and standby time of 720 hours. 2 SIM hybrid slotw - nano SIM / MicroSD card.15 months manufacturer warranty for device and 6 months manufacturer warranty for in-box accessories. Performance: On paper specs wise Comio P1 is perfectly balanced. Powered by a 64bit Quad-core SoC coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM and the storage is expandable up to 256GB via a microSD card. The smartphone comes with a hybrid dual SIM slot. You can get easily two days of talktime with P1 thanks to 5,000mAh battery. Comio P1 ships with Android 7.0 Nougat, which is great. You can run two apps side-by-side on the P1, and resize windows using divider. The P1 has a 13MP primary camera which manages to take decent photos is good light. The front 8MP camera has a wide-angle lens and performs similar to the
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rear camera - great performance in daylight, but indoors there is visible noise. Verdict: Comio P1 is an ideal smartphone under 10,000, and a great attempt by Comio to make its mark in this segment.
REVIEW
Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro Ready for the Selfie game I
t is the flagship model of the ZenFone 4 Selfie Series that features most advanced front camera system featuring the Sony IMX362 dual-pixel image sensor, which has twice as many light-capturing photodiodes as conventional sensors of the same resolution. Looks and Design: ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro has a contemporary, sleek style and features an elegant, seamless metal unibody made using advanced nano-molding technology (NMT). On the front, it features a 0.2s fast fingerprint sensor that supports 5 fingers and detects fingerprints in all 360 degrees. With a visually frameless 2.5D Corning® Gorilla® Glass screen and an edge that’s only 6.85mm thin, ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro strikes the perfect balance between beauty and comfort. A bright 500 nits AMOLED display with Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and a color gamut that is wider than 100% NTSC makes photos, videos, and other content look as vibrant as real life. Performance: ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro is powered by a 64-bit, 2GHz, octacore Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 4GB RAM and desktop-grade Adreno 506 graphics to deliver smooth and responsive camera performance for the best photography experiences, as well as run the latest apps and games with ease. A 3000mAh battery ensures that you enjoy a day worth of uninterrupted productivity and photography, and it also supports fast-charging. Its 24MP DuoPixel selfie camera comes with a ƒ/1.8 aperture Sony IMX362 dual-pixel image sensor with 1.4µm pixel size. and ASUS SuperPixel Engine that enables users to capture 2X-brighter low-light selfies and astonishingly detailed 4K UHD selfie videos. ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro also comes with a 120° super-wide-angle wefie camera that makes it easy to fit multiple people or the surrounding environment into the shot, perfect for social oc-
casions and travel. The front Softlight LED flash ensures the user captures true skin tones. The 16MP camera with Sony IMX351 sensor at the rear supports EIS and 4K Videos along with RAW file support. ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro also comes with a 120° widest-angle wefie camera with 200%-wider field of view that enables users to fit their friends easily into the frame for a more social and fun selfie experience. The wide-angle view is also helpful for selfies where users want to capture their environment or a scenic background in their photo. ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro is available in three beautiful colors: Rouge Red, Sunlight Gold and Deepsea Black. In terms of image quality, the ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro performs quite well. With the manual mode, I was able to capture those stars at night, no RAW support though. The selfie cameras perform quite well under broad daylight, low-light photography will be a challenge for the phone. Personally, I enjoy using the secondary wide-angle camera to take selfies, all thanks to the fisheye effect. One more thing, its rear camera does come with portrait mode, but the quality is just average. Verdict: Quality device with premium look and top of the line specs.
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SPECIAL STORY
India currently ranks 36th, globally, in internet inclusion based on availability, affordability, relevance, and readiness. Current internet penetration in India is 33%, rural penetration is at 16%, according to COAI’s IMC – Deloitte report.
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lobally, broadband has been considered a key element in achieving a country’s socio-economic objectives; additionally, it helps drive transformation in quality of life by enabling and improving services such as healthcare, education, banking, government development programs while facilitating social inclusion. India lags behind other countries in broadband penetration
with only 23% i.e. around 310 million subscribers as of August, 2017. Rise in broadband penetration to 60% in India is expected to translate into a 5-6% increase in country’s GDP. The accelerated socio-economic growth of India and success of the ambitious government programs depend significantly on enabling broadband access to the masses. According to COAI’s report, ‘setting aspirational goals’, ‘increasing planned budgetary allocation and effective usage of USOF’, ‘implementing policies and guidelines to standardise deployment of infrastructure’ are some of the key recommendations for consideration to build this connectivity-infrastructure for billions. The report also addressed Net Neutrality as a continuous area of debate, and why it is critical for the regulator to take a holistic ap-
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SPECIAL STORY largest catalyst for increasing the points of interface for G2C, G2B and G2G services. Machine to machine (M2M) communications targeted through smart solutions e.g., smart governance, integrated traffic & transport system, command & control centres will play a big role in redefining a city’s operations and create an ecosystem facilitating streamlined decision making and enabling seamless service delivery.
proach towards it before it defines its approach – principle-based/ prescriptive; ex-ante/ex-post, etc. Similarly, it is deemed important to define the regulatory guidelines towards new emerging technologies which are giving rise to new use cases, while arguing for a stable regulatory. Speaking on the launch Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI said “The telecom industry is contributing significantly to the Indian economy. The industry has ensured that the Government’s Digital India programme reaches the farthest corners of the country and everyone reaps the benefit of new communication technologies. We envision an empowered society where every individual participates in the economic growth of the country. Mobile connectivity and data services have played a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and moving India towards a truly equitable and democratic nation. With the lowest call rates in the world and affordable access to data the industry truly is at the cusp of revolution.” Adding this to report, PN Sudarshan, Partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP, said, “As the fastest growing and second largest telecom market, India represents a strong destination for investment. Telecom is redefining mobility, work, governance, etc. and will promote geographical, financial and social inclusion and enable the interplay of technologies and industries for exponential growth propelling India towards a $5 Trillion economy.” Key highlights of the Report: • Smart City: Telecom is expected to be the single
• Smart Healthcare: The future of healthcare shall rely heavily upon IoT, tele-monitoring and monitoring through wearable devices. Also, e-medicine is expected to become more robust in terms of its offerings, fueled by prevalent schemes viz. Digital India platform, to facilitate collaborations with international organisations to enhance R&D, Make in India, for manufacturing specialized mobile units, and Skill India, for training paramedics and employees of public and private hospitals alike. • Smart Money: Regulations on payments banks, the central government’s focus on financial inclusion, the near universal coverage of Aadhaar as a digital identity, the innovations across payment systems and the rapid adoption of smartphones in India have created an enabling environment for the development of digital payments • Smart Energy: ICT, considered as the nervous system of “Smart Grid”, will encourage more consumer participation for efficient energy usage through smart interactive end user systems delivering near real time energy data at consumer fingertips. In addition, for the utility, ICT can make possible, through the Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), a real-time “as operated view” of the power network, transforming our passive energy networks into smart responsive energy networks. Smart Agriculture: Various attempts at modernizing Indian Agriculture are witnessing implementation of IOT at various scales, e.g., hyperspectral remote sensing using drone systems, soil monitoring sensors, smart irrigation etc.
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INTERVIEW
Digital India will continue to spur the growth of hyper-connectivity with the plethora of opportunities it brings to the table: Nikhil Mathur, Managing Director-South Asia, GfK GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices. In an interaction with Mobility India, Nikhil Mathur, Managing Director-South Asia, GfK talked about all the emerging trends of hyper-connectivity in India.
Nikhil Mathur Managing Director-South Asia, GfK
What is the Hyper-connected Consumer study all about? The ‘Hyper-connected Consumer study’ has uncovered an emerging category of connected consumer who is embracing and actively opting for digital modes of lifestyle. The study examines how this tech-savvy group engages digital channels on a daily basis and what businesses should do to cater to the needs and wants of this unique segment of the Indian population. The study was conducted in India between June and August 2017 amongst more than 2500 smartphone owners, and a subset sample of 750 was tracked on its Android smartphones for six weeks to generate behavioral insights. The survey covered nine urban cities of India with the objective of gaining a deeper understanding of hyper-connected consumers’ media habits in the digital space. Who are Hyper-connected Consumers? The term ‘Hyper-connectivity’ is characterized by the widespread or habitual use of devices that have Internet connectivity. The hyper-connected consumer is defined as someone who owns a smartphone, at least one other connected device, accesses the internet daily with, and spends more than four hours daily on the smartphone. There are around 43 million hyper-connected consumers
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in India, with major cities like Delhi and Mumbai reporting the highest concentration of consumers belonging in this segment. The hyper-connected consumers have the most intense usage on their smartphone during the traditional media opportunity window. What are the key findings of this survey? The Hyper-connected Consumer study has revealed the emerging trends of hyper-connectivity in India. The valuable insights drawn from the study can help brands targeting the Indian market to rethink their strategy, such that they can seamlessly integrate their offline and online offerings in the consumer purchase journey in order to be ready for them when and where they are wanted the most. According to the Hyper-connected Consumer study in India, this group of consumers spend almost six hours daily online, which is double the amount of time compared to the average consumer. 9pm to 12 midnight is the prime time for them. Moreover, hyper-connected consumers spend more than half (61%) of their total time using smartphone for communication and social networking. WhatsApp and Facebook together account for 54 percent of the time spent on the smartphones. Compared to the average consumer, hyper-connected
TREND consumers access Instagram thrice as much, use taxi apps more often (1.3 times) and downloaded six more apps to total 16 new apps in the last month. Furthermore, the study has revealed that the frequency of engaging with brands online is also higher for this group of consumers. Four in five (80%) like or follow a brand on Facebook while two-third (65%) forward brand content to others, showcasing that they have some level of engagement with at least one brand on social media. In particular, hyper-connected consumers tend to search for coupons/vouchers from a particular brand nearly twice as much as the average consumer. This group of consumers have 20% more purchasing power than the average connected consumer. At GfK, we believe that ‘Digital India’ will continue to spur the growth of hyper-connectivity with the plethora of opportunities it brings to the table. It is even more imperative for companies to have an in-depth understanding of how to deal with today’s hyperconnected consumer and make the best use of it, as they are the trendsetters. How India is engaging in digital age, changing behaviors? The lifestyles of people are enormously changing due to digitization and businesses are taking care of customers in a special and unique manner. India is dealing with a new-age world of hyper-connected consumers who are digitally connected to almost everything in their daily chores. Digital India, a brilliant project is a testimony to the fact that India is embracing this massive technological paradigm shift going full throttle towards a digitally enhanced future. Be it retail, banking, education, food, travel or manufacturing, the Digital India initiative proves that we are moving in the right direction! The Indian consumer, who earlier was simply connected (a device meant searching the internet and a mechanism to call others) has become hyper-connected and this remarkable initiative by the government is catering tremendously to the growth levels of hyper-consumerism. Another aspect to this massive surge in the digital world is the social messaging behaviour of the hyperconnected consumer, which is creating great stories on the social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The “desktop-first” era is a bygone era; all we can see now is the smartphone, which has become a key platform and is driving the latest trends in innovation. Thus, it clearly reflects that smartphones are going to be greatest driver of the Digital India initiative, whose escalating penetration will only grow in the future. Hence transforming India into one of the largest smartphone economies in the world. What are the best practices you suggest for brands in this digital age? The outburst of smartphones, social media platforms and high speed internet are the major drivers behind the dramatic change caused in the consumers’ expectations when it comes to brand engagement, where: • Companies are realising the increasing importance to engage consumers and potential customers through
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various channels available. Sometimes companies need to meet consumers personally and get to know their demands and personal choices. With consumers displaying love towards visual content, it is significant to offer them something extraordinary which they can share on digital platforms There is a dire need to fuel platforms with video content. Digital technologies provide consumers a new lens on brands and new ways to engage every day. There’s the opportunity for brand relationships to evolve because of technology With everything turning digital, companies need to personalize the customer’s experience and with a personal touch, yet, their privacy should not be harmed at all Transparency is another major aspect companies must consider; by making everything visible to the customers, the company can escalate their level of reliability and create a trusted brand Brands need to continually strive to understand their customer engagement and relationships, and how it will evolve with digital technologies so they can innovate and provide better value for their customers and more growth through margin for themselves In nutshell, consumer experience that is customized and seamless is key to winning in digital India and brands need to work hard to ensure end to end journey of brand evolution is delivering to this need to win in India
Future trends in this segment Some of the key future trends in the hyper-connected segment listed below: • The rural consumer has also become smarter and so have the channel partners or brands. Hyperconnected consumer in rural markets is ready to experience innovative retail concepts like mobile payment • Today’s consumer wants more than just good value and it is essential for brands to continuously strengthen their relationship with their customers. The best way to deal with the digitally connected consumers is to deliver them digital solutions by utilising digital tools; social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and other are already doing wonders in our lives. The simpler and innovative a brand becomes, the better and smoother it is for them to win over customers • Brands would need to continually strive to understand their customer engagement and relationships, and how it will evolve with digital technologies so they can innovate and provide better value for their customers and more growth through margin for themselves • This year was predicted to see more than 350 million mobile internet users; a clear example of Digital India galvanizing a movement in the nation and mobile is key enabler to this digital disruption. • About 20-25% of internet users in India are from rural areas. They access internet through mobile phones rather than using desktops or laptops, thereby demonstrating the significance smartphone usage.
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SPECIAL REPORT
French Tech Tour to India 2017: A platform to bridging the French and Indian Tech ecosystems
Mr Alexandre ZIEGLER
Ambassador of France to India
Business France, the Trade & Investment Commission of France in India, is organizing, with several stakeholders and partners, the second edition of the “FrenchTech Tour to India”, a multi-purpose and multi-format platform to run over Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad & Bangalore from the 13th to the17th of November 2017.
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he “French Tech Tour to India 2017” will consist in an immersive mission to India for 9 innovative “French Tech” startups and SMEs and the World biggest car makers . The program for these companies will include customize business meetings with Indian start-ups, investors, partners and clients as well as pitch sessions and curated networking cocktails across the 4 cities. The first edition of the event in 2016 pitch sessions and networking and networking event was a tremendous
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success and recorded a footfall of more than 150 participants in each city. France is eager to develop strong partnerships with the Indian start-ups ecosystems. Therefore, the “French Tech Tour to India 2017” will also include meetings with several incubators in the 4 cities, and more specifically T-Hub in Hyderabad , Indian leading start-ups incubator, and one the biggest in the World. The “French Tech Tour to India 2017” will finally have a strong participation
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French Delegates with award winning companies.
at the Bangalore ITE.Biz 2017 (Bangalore, 16th to 18th of November 2017 ), with the objective of strengthening reciprocal awareness between the French and Indian Tech ecosystems , and of promoting France as a leading Innovation and Business Hub in Europe for Indian Tech Companies. In the years to come, Business France looks forward to take these initiatives to greater scale. The French Tech initiative fits in with the goals and objectives of the “Startup India” and “Digital India initiatives by the Government of India. We hope that this spirit of reciprocal learning and collaboration between India and France strengthens in the following years. For some years now, the French Tech ecosystem has enjoyed a steady and strong development, driven by a new generation of entrepreneurs, investors, engineers, designers and other talented people. Like India, France has emerged as a leading Startup Power, home to vibrant Tech Hubs and talents, and imbued with a strong entrepreneurial culture. With 100,000 Engineers trained yearly, 6,000+ Tech startups, 200+ Tech startup incubators / accelerators, 100+ VC funds active, more and more large companies and Mid-Caps involved into startup initiatives, not to mention our Innovation Clusters, France stands among the leading ecosystems globally when considering Techrelated Entrepreneurship and Innovation; as ascertained by the fact that France led -for the 6th consecutive yearthe race in the “Deloitte Fast 500 2015 EMEA” ranking with 87 laureates. The “French Tech” is benefiting from both Software and Hardware-centric capabilities. Also, while France has been historically known for Telecommunications and Media technologies for instance, the country has nurtured a growing number of World market leaders emerging in domains such as Big Data & Analytics (with Success Stories such as Criteo, Scality, Talend or Teads...),
IoT and Connected Devices (over 25% of all startups exhibiting at the CES 2016 were French), eCommerce and Sharing /On-demand Economy, or BioTech and MedTech (No. 2 in the World for BioTech and No. 1 for MedTech IPOs over 2011-2015). In addition to public supportive programs, private initiatives such as the StationF to open in early 2017 in Paris (consisting in the retrofit of the Halle Freyssinet, to make it the largest business incubator worldwide with over 1,000 startups spread over 33,000 sqm), shall contribute to sustain this dynamic. Also noteworthy is the fact that many MNCs (Cisco, Facebook, General Electric, Google, Huawei, Intel Corporation, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung...) have implemented R&D and Innovation centers in France and are increasing the scale of their operations in this domain. The “French Tech Tour to India” finds its origin in the statement that with over 5,000 and 6,000 Tech startups respectively, and many large corporates involved in Open Innovation and Acceleration programs, India and France both belong to the Top 5 of the Tech startup ecosystems in the world. Yet, further initiatives need to be developed to exploit the true potential for synergies and value co-creation between the 2 Startup Powers. Hence, in addition This French Tech Tour to India 2017 is part of the larger French Tech initiative spearheaded by the French Government and associated public and private stakeholders to promote innovation and the growth of startup ecosystems in France. These initiatives look at bridging the French and India Tech ecosystems, creating reciprocal awareness between the two ecosystems and enabling participating French Tech startups and SMEs to find their future partners and clients and develop in the Indian market about the “French Tech.” initiative.
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REPORT
Total Mobile Subscribers Base as on September 2017 is 946.66 million: COAI
Mr. Rajan Mathews Director General, COAI
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OAI the apex industry association representing leading Telecom, Internet, Technology and Digital Services companies, released the latest telecom subscriber numbers, for the month ending September 2017. As per the data, India’s private telecom service providers have a total of 946.66 million subscribers. The data also includes the figures of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) by the end of August 2017 (Source: TRAI). Amongst the individual companies, Bharti Airtel Ltd continues to hold the top position, with 29.80% market share, adding another 1.00 million subscribers during September to take its total subscriber base to 282.04 million subscribers. Airtel is closely followed by Vodafone India Ltd, which stands at 207.44 million, while Idea Cellular Ltd stood at 190.15 million subscribers at the end of September. The report, which also provides mobile subscriber numbers across individual circles, showed that UP (East) circle remained at the top with total 83.46 million subscribers, while Maharashtra remained at second position with a total of 79.20 million mobile subscribers. Bihar was a close third with total 76.15 million subscribers. Kerala and Haryana led in the growth percentage of new additions with 0.69% and 0.37% respectively, followed by Gujarat
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with 0.14% growth in September 2017. Mumbai and Delhi added 273,250 and 136,216 subscribers respectively, with total of 30.17 million and 47.57 million subscribers respectively. Mr. Rajan Mathews, Director General, COAI stated: “The increase of subscribers in Kerala, Haryana and Gujarat shows that there is still room for basic services to grow and expand to the corners of the country. The steady investment in infrastructure in these regions is showing positive result. The industry is reeling under a cumulative debt of over INR 4.6 lakh crores. The industry further needs an additional investment of over INR 2.5 lakh crore for infrastructure rollout and expansion, especially in the far flung areas of the country.” Mobile connectivity and data services have played a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and moving India towards a truly equitable and democratic nation. The telecom industry, therefore, deserves an urgent and immediate intervention to encourage policy and regulatory stability, and facilitate growth, innovation and investment in the sector. The industry remains committed towards working for a fully connected and digitally empowered India and furthering the Hon Prime Minister’s vision of Digital India.
Date of Pub: 10th November, 2017 | Postal Dt.: 16th & 17th of same Month/ Posted at NDPSO
R.N.I. No. DELENG/2004/14198
Postal Reg. No.: DL(S)-01/3442/2016-18