Micromax Informatics

Micromax Informatics
Public
Industry Telecommunications
Consumer electronics
Founded 19 March 2000; 18 years ago
Founder Rahul Sharma
Sumeet Arora
Veeresh Moksha Rajesh Agarwal Vikas Jain
Headquarters Gurugram, Haryana, India
Area served
 Selected markets
Key people
 Asin Thottumkal
Syed Daood Naqvi
Rohit Kakkar
Archit Tayal
Manoj Sharma
Products Smartphones
Tablet computers
Air conditioners
LED TVs
Laptops
Power banks
Sound bars
Revenue Increase US$1 billion (2017)
Subsidiaries YU Televentures
Website www.micromaxinfo.com/ Edit this on Wikidata

MicroMaxStore.com is an Indian consumer electronics company headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana.[1] It was established as an IT Software company operating in the Embedded Devices Domain. It later entered the Mobile Handset business.

By 2010, Micromax was one of the largest domestic companies making handsets in the low-cost feature phone segment in India.[2] As of Q3 2014, Micromax is the Tenth Largest Smartphone vendor in the world.[3] The company is facing stiff competition from Chinese companies that are penetrating the Indian market.[4] The company also owns YU Televentures, which sells its products under the brand name YU.[5]

History

Micromax was incorporated as Micromax Informatics Ltd. on 29 March 2000 by Zeeshan Ali Zaidi.[6] It began selling mobile telephones in 2008,[7] focusing on low pricing to compete with international brands.[8]

The company has also introduced handsets with innovative features. For instance, Micromax's co-founder Rahul Sharma once saw a public call office being powered by a truck battery because of frequent power cuts in its locale. This prompted him to launch a feature mobile phone with a long battery life.[9] This was the X1i phone, Micromax's first telephone with a month-long battery back-up.[10]

In 2014, Micromax's sales in India exceeded those of Samsung. It became the mobile telephone manufacturer shipping the most telephones in one quarter in India.[11] On 24 January 2014, Micromax became the first Indian mobile company to sell in Russia.[12] As of 10 April 2016, Micromax announced a strategic partnership with digital payments company TranServ and major global payments technology Visa to offer the next generation of payment solutions in India.[13]

Products

In 2010, Micromax entered the tablet computer market with the debut of the Funbook series.[14] Micromax launched its first eight-core flagship smartphone, Canvas Knight A350, in January 2014 for the Russian market. In the same year, Micromax launched the Android One smartphone, Canvas A1. In November 2014, Micromax partnered with Cyanogen Inc. to provide Cyanogen-based smartphones in India, under the brand name YU.[15][16][17]

Micromax launched Micromax Canvas Sliver 5, which it claimed was the slimmest telephone in the world on 17 June 2015.[18] While most of Micromax's smartphones run the Android OS, the company also markets smartphones that operate Microsoft's Windows Phone. The company is an official Windows Phone 8.1 hardware partner.[19] In June 2014, it launched two Windows smartphones, the Micromax Canvas Win W092 and the Micromax Canvas Win W121.[20]

On 8 June 2015, Micromax announced the launch of Micromax Amaze 2.[21] The device has a 5-inch IPS display with resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The smartphone is powered by a 1.4 GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage.

A year later, Micromax announced the launch of Micromax Canvas Unite 4 and Canvas Unite 4 Pro.[22] Both these smartphones run on Indus OS 2.0. The Canvas Unite 4 is powered by a 1.0 GHz quad-core processor with 1 GB RAM. The Micromax Canvas Unite 4 Pro had more powerful specifications, featuring a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor with 2 GB RAM.

In 2016, Micromax Canvas Mega 2 was launched and shipped with a massive 6-inch screen. This device is classified within the budget segment, selling for Rs 6,500.

In an attempt to regain market share lost to Chinese competitors, Micromax has announced Micromax Vdeo Series 4G Mobiles. Vdeo series is aimed at entry-level smartphone buyers, or first-time smartphone users. This has been the stronghold of Micromax in India. Micromax have also introduced these phones in Russia. So far, Micromax has already launched 3 models - Vdeo 2, Vdeo 4, and Vdeo 5. The company is expected to consistently update this range with new iterations.

With the entry of Jio services, India has witnessed tremendous adoption of 4G enabled mobile phones. To capture these early first time 4g adapters, Micromax has started rolling out basic smartphones with 4g capabilities under the Bharat series. So far, the company has already launched Bharat 2 - which is considered as one of India's cheapest 4G mobile phones.

In an attempt to reinvent itself, and to enter the premium segment, Micromax has announced the entry of Micromax Dual 5 and Micromax Dual 4 in India.

Later in August 2017, Micromax launched its first bezel-less smartphone with an aspect ratio of 18:9. This device called Canvas Infinity still fell within the budget category. For Rs 5,000, users enjoy other features such as the 16 MP Front Camera.

Bharat 2, which was introduced in Q3 2017 became the largest selling phone in the under Rs 5,000 budget segment in India. The company will expand its Bharat series of phones and will launch Bharat 5 in India. This is the sixth Micromax phone under the Bharat series. Earlier Micromax launched - Bharat 1, Bharat 2, Bharat 2 Plus, Bharat 2 Ultra, Bharat 3 and Bharat 4.[23]

Manufacturing

Micromax started manufacturing LED televisions and tablets at its factory in Rudrapur (SIDCUL), Uttarakhand, in April 2014.[24] As of August 2015, Micromax was set to start a ₹500 crore (US$70 million) manufacturing plant in Rajasthan's Alwar district after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Rajasthan government and Bhagwati Products Ltd.[25] The company also plans to set up a manufacturing plant in Hyderabad with an investment of about ₹400 crore (US$56 million) to ₹500 crore (US$70 million).[26]

Endorsements

Actors Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna were the first celebrities to endorse Micromax Mobiles.[27] Hugh Jackman is the brand ambassador of Micromax and appeared in a commercial in 2013 for its first flagship smartphone, the Canvas Turbo A250,[28] and for the Canvas 4 and Canvas Sliver 5 thereafter. In July 2013, actor Chitrangada Singh posed for the Canvas 4 smartphone in New Delhi.[29] Presently, Anil Kapoor is the brand ambassador for consumer electronics in India

Controversies

Antitrust and patent litigation

In March 2013, Ericsson sued Micromax for infringement of Ericsson's eight patents registered in India that were essential to the 2G and 3G standards. The Delhi High Court ordered Micromax to pay royalty amounts to Ericsson based on the percentages of the net selling prices of the devices incorporating 2G and 3G standards. Around the time that Ericsson filed its patent infringement suit, Micromax filed a concurrent complaint with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), alleging that Ericsson had abused its allegedly dominant position by imposing exorbitant royalties for the use of its SEPs, thus violating the Competition Act 2002.[30] As of February 2016, the CCI had yet to issue a final determinative ruling on the basis of Micromax's allegations.

In late 2014, New Delhi High Court ruled that sales of the OnePlus One smartphone are blocked in India because Cyanogen OS signed an exclusive deal to sell Micromax mobile telephones only in India, although One Plus One had a worldwide licensing deal. This move was seen as a monopoly to stem the sales of One Plus One and other smartphone brands.[31] However, the High Court lifted the ban, allowing One Plus One to be sold in India as the licensing deals with Cyanogen are different for both parties.[32]

Stealthy installation of Adware

In early 2015, a Reddit user[33] found adware installing itself stealthily on his/her Micromax A093 Canvas Fire telephone without permission. The adware was also using excess telephone resources such as data, memory storage, and battery life. Further investigations by the XDA community[34] found the advertisements were created by Adups, an AdPush company based in China.[35]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Micromax becomes number one mobile phone company in India". Patrika Group (5 August 2014). Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  2. ↑ Lison, Joseph (27 June 2011). "We never thought we would sell 1.8 million handsets a month: Micromax co-founder". DNA. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  3. ↑ PTI. "Micromax world's 10th largest mobile phone brand in Q1: Gartner". Livemint (Press release). Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  4. ↑ "India's Micromax, once a rising star, struggles". Reuters. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
  5. ↑ "Official website of YU". YuPlayGod. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
  6. ↑ "Micromax Informatics Ltd". tofler.in.
  7. ↑ Limaye, Jayesh (13 February 2013). "Micromax, An Indian Mobile Phone Company That Got It Right". Techtree. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Singh, A. "Micromax: Capitalising on innovation and pricing". Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  9. ↑ Fonearena IQ India 2012title=Speakers and Panelists http://www.fonearena.com/iqindia2012/speakers.html IQ India 2012title=Speakers and Panelists Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 28 November 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ Dharmakumar, Rohin (27 February 2010). "Micromax Mobile Advantage". forbesindia.com. forbesindia.com.
  11. ↑ "Micromax beats Samsung, becomes India's No. 1 vendor: Report". The Times of India. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  12. ↑ Satpathy, Sambit (23 January 2014). "Indian mobile phone brand Micromax launches in Russia, aims to release 14 smartphones in 2014". BGR. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Micromax, TranServ, Visa form strategic partnership". ABP Live. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  14. ↑ Khurana, Rohit (27 August 2013). "Micromax Canvas Series India- Evolution And How It Affected Indian Smartphone Market". intellectdigest.in. intellectdigest.in.
  15. ↑ "Cyanogen Inc Announces Micromax Partnership In India, Forming The YU smartphone brand". Micromax Co. Retrieved 14 Dec 2014.
  16. ↑ "Micromax's YU brand handset to be launched next month". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  17. ↑ "Micromax Launches New Phone Brand YU, Powered by Cyanogen OS". Micromax Co. (19 November 2014). Retrieved 14 Dec 2014.
  18. ↑ Micromax Canvas Sliver 5 Launched, world slimmest phone Archived 19 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine., News Exprezz, 19 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Microsoft announces Windows Phone 8.1, Micromax new hardware partner". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  20. ↑ "Micromax introduces Canvas Win series; Launches two Windows-based phones- Canvas Win W121 and Canvas Win W092!". Microsoft News Center India. Microsoft. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  21. ↑ "Micromax Canvas Amaze 2 launched with a 5-inch display at Rs 7,499". Indian Express. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  22. ↑ "Micromax Canvas Unite 4 and Canvas Unite 4 Pro launched in India with Indus OS 2.0". MobiGyaan. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  23. ↑ "Micromax Bharat 5 to launch in India today | Gadgets Now". Gadget Now. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
  24. ↑ "Micromax starts manufacturing smartphones in India". The Economic Times. 23 April 2014.
  25. ↑ "Micromax plant worth Rs 500 crore to come up in Rajasthan". Firstpost. 24 August 2015.
  26. ↑ "Micromax to Invest Up to Rs. 500 Crore on Hyderabad Plant". NDTV Gadgets. 24 August 2015.
  27. ↑ Bollywood Hungama. "Twinkle Khanna chosen to endorse Micromax Mobiles?". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  28. ↑ Hugh Jackman to be face of Micromax. The Hindu (18 October 2013). Retrieved on 28 November 2013.
  29. ↑ "Chitrangada Singh Sizzles at Micromax Canvas 4 Launch!". Times Internet. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  30. ↑ J. Gregory Sidak (2015). "FRAND in India: The Delhi High Court's Emerging Jurisprudence on Royalties for Standard-Essential Patents". Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice. 10 (8): 609–618. doi:10.1093/jiplp/jpv096.
  31. ↑ http://www.androidauthority.com/oneplus-one-india-575171/
  32. ↑ http://www.gsmarena.com/delhi_high_court_lifts_the_ban_on_the_oneplus_one_sales_in_india-news-10585.php
  33. ↑ "Micromax is highjacking my phone, installing apps and showing ads. What can I do?". Reddit. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  34. ↑ Diamondback (14 January 2015). "Micromax Remotely Installing Unwanted Apps on Devices". XDA-Developers. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  35. ↑ Prabhu, Vijay (18 January 2015). "Micromax Remotely Installing Adware on its Smartphones causing unwanted downloads and popups". India: Techworm. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
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