‘Easy EMIs up high-range handset sales’

Kolkata: Smartphone major Realme believes prospective cellphone buyers are not afraid of going for high-range smartphones owing to the availability of easy and low-cost EMI schemes and other allied offers. “Practically, some people think that there is no need to pay upfront for owning a feature-packed phone,” Realme India product manager Sreehari. The consumer electronics manufacturer is betting big on its fastest-growing mid-premium segment of handsets worth Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 apiece. “We are in all these segments, but in the last five years in this country, our primary sales came from under-Rs 15,000-Rs 17,000 segments. Now, we want to move up from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 segments as well. The people who were buying handsets worth under Rs 15,000 are now spending more and going for Rs 15,000-Rs 30,000 range,” he said. Commenting on the launch of realme 11 Pro Series 5G on Thursday, Sreehari said, “In two-three years, we want to be the number one player in Rs 15,000-Rs 30,000 category.” By 2023, the handset maker is aiming to have 50,000 stores pan-India from around 30,000. “In West Bengal, we will increase 19 service centres, reaching 50 in total by this year-end,” he added.