As the anti-china sentiment strengthens in the country, domestic brands like Micromax, Intex, and Lava etc.have sprung into action. While Micromax announced that it will launch not one but three smartphones to mark its comeback, Lava also jumped the bandwagon to announce that the company will move its R&D center from China to India.
Continuing to build on the sentiment, Lava has announced a “Design in India” contest where the company is calling students and professionals to design their next smartphone. The contest, which is open for students and professionals from various streams like B.Tech, B.E, B. Des, M.Des, etc. will also award the top three winning teams with a cash price of Rs. 50,000, Rs. 25,000, and Rs. 15,000, respectively, and a chance to work with the company.
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Lava has provided a contest entry form amidst reports that the company could be readying a couple of smartphones for launch in India. The company says that these phones were ideated before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and targets the sub-Rs.10,000 price bracket.
The registration window for the contest is open till July 9, after which the company will offer a pre-placement interview opportunities to the winning teams along with cash prizes, the company said in a statement.
Just vocal for local?
While the domestic smartphone maker aims at nurturing untapped talent based on their designs and concept, the timing of this contest makes it look like an attempt to ensure that the brand stays relevant while the users are actively looking for non-Chinese smartphones.
This strong urge to go with homegrown brands has led to smartphone makers like Xiaomi, Poco, and Realme, etc. making desperate attempts to steer away from the “Chinese” tag. Realme’s Madhav Sheth went on record to say that the company is an Indian startup and its phones are made in India. This statement was uncalled, is incorrect, and could've been avoided.
Though the government has been “vocal for local”, 100% made in India smartphones are a distant dream. Indian companies not only lack in terms of R&D compared to major smartphone makers but will have to source components like chipsets, displays, etc. from suppliers based outside India.
What consumers today want is Indian brands that rather than riding the hyper-nationalist sentiment and end up selling substandard products, focus on offering products with better value for money, and improve on after-sales service.
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