An exclusive interview with IT.Voice,Mr. Yogesh Bhatia, MD- Detel India,reveals his strategies for business in India .
Nisha Harshwal:-What kind of product verticals are you targeting within India?
Mr.Yogesh Bhatia:-Detel has always channelized its resources towards providing quality products to the customers at a disruptive price. We have an extensive range of feature phones targeted at the masses. Recently we have also forayed into the smartphone accessories and Television market.To expand our product basket in consumer durables segment, we have announced a range of affordable LED TVs starting from Rs.3,999 to Rs.69, 999 this year.
Having launched the world’s most economical products under the two categories- Detel D1 feature phone at Rs. 299 and the Detel D1 LCD TV at just Rs. 3,999, we have rightly been able to touch upon the lives of people who felt that phones and TVs are luxurious products & that they could never afford it.
Nisha Harshwal:-Among all the devices innovations implemented by your company which is your all-time favorite and why?
Mr.Yogesh Bhatia:-Among all the products launched,Detel D1 Hero and D1 Dezire feature phones are the top listed productsin terms of innovation. These two affordable phones are equipped with a unique feature of Bluetooth Dialler. With this smart feature, one can easily connect their Smartphone with these feature phones and can make calls, send SMS, and listen to the music; helping in longer battery life of the Smartphone. Apart from Bluetooth dialler feature, these phones also incorporate a ‘talking feature’which is especially designed for people who find it hard to read due to literacy challenges or have limited visual ability.
Nisha Harshwal:-What are the initiatives taken to popularize DETEL?
Mr.Yogesh Bhatia:-We entered the Indian feature-phone market with our brand Detel in 2016.India is an economy where over 22 percent of the population is below the poverty line. For a matter of fact, when a range of foreign brands and Indian brands are tapping into the Indian Smartphone market big time, it’s quite surprising that over 70 percent of the market is still untapped. With the vision of #connecting40croreIndians, we took the initiative to bring such phones to the people who could not afford a phone but dreamt that one day they too would buy a phone can now own and speak on one for the first time.
During the Indian Mobile Congress 2017, India’s first ever Mobile, Internet & Technology event, we launched the world’s most economical feature phone in the Indian market- Detel D1 at the price tag of just Rs. 299. No other Brand is offering a Feature Phone at this price point, with the specifications we are offering, such as 1.44″ Monochrome Display, 650 mAh Battery, Torch Light, Phonebook, FM Radio, Speaker, and Vibration Mode. Launch of the world’s most economical LCD TV-D1 is yet another milestone we achieved this year under our mission #HarGharTV. With such initiatives, we have been able to popularize our products and make mark in the industry.
We are trying to bring communication services in the most cost-effective manner, with a clear target to address common person in the untapped sections. With every consecutive launch, we are glad to bring to our customers feature phones that are not only economical & affordable but also cater to a lot more needs of the feature phone buyers in India. India is a price sensitive market and the consumers especially in tier- 2, 3 markets, and in rural areas are cautious about their spending behavior.
We strongly believe in Word of Mouth Marketing, this has helped us popularize the brand in an organic way. Our customers who use our products are the true ‘Brand Ambassadors’ of Detel. The fact that we are the front runners when it comes to launching economical products substantiates our position in the market.
Nisha Harshwal:-What kind of strategy you have planned to position DETEL product successfully in the market?
Mr.Yogesh Bhatia:-We have always created products for the masses of India and have adopted distinctive strategies for all our Detel products. We have reached out to communities like ChaiWalas, DabbaWallas, Panvadi’s Shop, Milk man etc. and give out the message that anyone can sell Detel Mobiles and accessories under Detel Sales Entrepreneur Program. These specific groups help us reach the massesin an effective manner as they have earned a reputation for their meticulous operations, integrity and honesty towards their customers.
Nisha Harshwal:-How many channel partners do you have in India and how do you profile your partners?
Mr.Yogesh Bhatia:-We are working with almost all major distribution channels across India. Under an association of B2BAdda with Barista, our products are being made available at over 80 Barista café outlets in India. Our products are also available at Relay stores and Spar Hypermarket. As far as the online channel is considered, our products are available on Detel’s official website and app, our B2B distribution partner B2BAdda.com, and on e-commerce platforms Flipkart & Amazon India.Since features phones are a big hit in Tier 3, 4 cities and beyond, our offline distribution drives the major demand for our phones in these cities. On the other hand, in tech-savvy cities i.e., Tier 1 and 2, most of the demand comes from the online channels.
Nisha Harshwal:-How the year 2018 has been for Detel in the Indian market?
Mr.Yogesh Bhatia:-2018 has been a disruptive year for Detel. Right from entering into new avenues like LED TVs, Smart TVs, smartphone accessories, Bluetooth Speakers, to launching the world’s most economical LCD TV, we have achieved new milestones this year. In our niche market, we launched feature phones with innovative features like Talking feature to aid senior citizens and visually impaired people, India’s first Bluetooth dialer phone, etc. setting us apart from the other players in the market. 2018 has been a stepping stone for the company.
This year, we initiated a new customer-retention programme by rewarding our existing customers with a bundle of gifts. We celebrated the festivities with great enthusiasm with our campaigns like ‘Diwali Detel Sang’ where we gave 108 gifts ranging from power banks to Smart LED TVs to lucky customers.
