Flipkart initially launched smart TVs under its in-house MarQ brand and well, they were pretty decent. But, it has now pivoted its business model to become a licensee for other bigwig technology giants, offering to build affordable ‘Made in India’ smart TVs for them.
Flipkart recently began selling Motorola-branded smart TVs in India and well, it has now signed a new partnership. The e-commerce giant has joined hands with Nokia to launch Nokia-branded smart TVs in the country. Flipkart is the second company after the well-known Finnish giant HMD Global to become a licensee for Nokia.
In an official press statement, Adarsh Menon, SVP and Head – Private Brands, Electronics and Furniture at Flipkart says, “Working with Nokia allows us to further expand the choice of high-quality, technologically advanced products for Indian consumers. Nokia is a globally popular technology brand and enjoys immense brand recall, so we’re excited to start this journey with them to extend the brand into a fast-growing product segment.”
Under this partnership, Flipkart will manufacture and market Nokia-branded smart TVs under the Make in India program. The Finnish giant will re-enter the TV market (it was selling TVs under its brand name until 1995) and earn royalty from Flipkart from using Nokia’s brand name.
One of the standout features of Nokia-branded smart TVs, when they land in India, will turn out to be the backing of renowned audio brand JBL. The TVs will feature “superior audio quality powered by JBL’s sound program,” says the press release.
Vipul Mehrotra, Vice President, Nokia Brand Partnerships comments, “Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for the Nokia brand (not affiliated with HMD Global) in a new category. And where better to start than in India, where our brand has been trusted for quality, design, and reliability. Flipkart’s understanding of the needs and behaviors of Indian consumers and the power of its reach will help it make Nokia branded smart TVs accessible and affordable to many.”
Well, you must have heard the popular saying – strike when the iron is hot. Well, Nokia appears to be doing just that by following Motorola’s lead and entering the uber-competitive but fledgling smart TV market in India — led obviously by Xiaomi’s Mi smart TVs. The company will most likely be banking on its popularity, brand trust, and build quality in the older days to attract users to its smart TVs offerings. So, will you be interested in buying a Nokia-branded smart TV? Tell us your thoughts in the comments down below.
