Him Electronics, a subsidiary of the Golchha Organisation, has entered the mobile handset business by launching Ark smartphones. The move by the Golchha Organisation marks the entry of yet another Nepali business house into the ever-growing smartphone segment in the country. The domestic mobile market is estimated to be worth Rs12 billion annually and growing at the rate of 20-25 percent.
Ark smartphones from Him Electronics will compete with Colors among home-grown models and around two dozen international brands that are sold in the country.
“As the smartphone market has been growing rapidly and hordes of international brands are coming into the market, we thought why don’t we add value for customers by creating a Nepali brand,” said Abhisek Thakur, business head of Him Electronics.
He added that they had launched the brand after two years of homework. “We will be offering innovative products at affordable prices and become the number one mobile seller in the country within a few years,” said Thakur.
Him Electronics has rolled out five models with prices ranging from Rs6,090 to Rs14,490 as part of its first phase. The phones have been divided into three categories, namely Edge, Icon and Storm which represent low, middle and high-end series respectively to cater to all kinds of customers.
The Storm K35+ is the cheapest smartphone in its line-up with a price tag of Rs6,090. It features 3.5 IPS display, 1 GHz dual core processor, 256 MB RAM, 2 GB ROM, 1,200 mAh battery, dual SIM functionality and 3 MP rear and 1.3 MP front-facing cameras.
Ark’s high-end phone is the Edge A5HD which is priced at Rs14,490 and features a 1.3 GHz quad core processor, 5-inch display, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal storage, 2,000 mAh battery and 13 MP rear and 3 MP front-facing cameras.
“The phones have better specifications and technology on a par with foreign smartphones. In addition, they are pre-installed with Nepali apps and software,” said Thakur. “We have to work hard on brand awareness and the distribution and service network to achieve the targeted growth.”
Meanwhile, another home-grown company Teletalk has moved to secure a bigger piece of the market by unveiling a wide range of its Colors smartphones besides expanding the sales and distribution network.
“We offer 16 models of smartphones with prices ranging from Rs4,500 to Rs30,000,” said Gaurav Hamal, head of branding and marketing at Teletalk, adding that they planned to roll out premium phones and smart watches as per market trends.
Teletalk maintains 38 sales and service centres across the country. The company recently opened a showroom in Jumla.
“We have a strong sales and service network and our phones are very competitive compared to international brands. So we will be able to become the number one selling brand in the country’s mobile market soon,” said Hamal. He added that the brand had been launched in Sri Lanka and Myanmar and that they planned to make forays into a number of African countries soon.
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