As a category smart phone is growing very fast within the mobile phones.
In a chat with SME Channels Vijender Singh, MD, Pantel Technologies talks about what the company is into.
Brief us on Pantel as a company.
Pantel Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (PTPL) is an ICT products focused company. It was established three years ago with the mandate of making available affordable ICT products/ solutions for the India market. The idea was to successfully introduce new and existing technology based products for the dis-enfranchized set of buyers – contributing to bridge the Digital divide between those who have – and – those who do not have access to digital gadgets/ devices.
Tell us about your India presence.
The market growth for Tablet PC(s) in India is explosive. Seeing the opportunity in the Indian tablet PC market, Pantel Technologies was launched through an online activation on Feb 27, 2012. Only through the online channel, the company sold in excess of 10K units within the first month of launch. Today, the monthly shipments are in excess of 50K units/month in the retail market – indicating a robust demand for a new category within the first six months of its introduction to the Indian consumer. The company today has a country-wide distribution network of retailers and distributors selling tablet PC(s).
What are the product ranges you have?
Currently we have nine tablets in our portfolio. Screen size ranges from 7” (price at Rs. 3,999) and goes upto 9.7” (priced at Rs. 19,999).
What is the addressable market of smart phones and tablets in India?
Both the product categories are seeing explosive growth. It is difficult to estimate market size as on date; it would suffice to say that Tablet PC(s) with their affordable pricing, intuitive touch interface and easy usability have opened up a huge market for in semi-urban India. Likewise – the Smartphone gadget is a preferred product of the youth; and increasing affordability of these devices are only making its user adaption sky-rocket.
What is your competitive advantage in terms of products and technologies?
The Penta T-Pad series comes with the latest Jelly Bean OS and Ice Cream Sandwich Android operating software (OS). The tablet PCs are available at an unbelievable price range starting from INR 3,999. This tablet series possess various interesting features which are a perfect combination of hardware, content and network with seamless usability for a high-quality user experience. They are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled devices with 2G/ 3G Sim slot and USB dongle support. They have an impressive 5 point multi- touch screen which responds instantly and accurately to every touch, drag and click. It is pre-loaded with applications like Facebook, Twitter, Angry Birds, Skype for video calling, and many more with an undying 6+ hours of battery back-up. The excellent inbuilt cameras click crystal clear images of your loved ones.
What is your distribution channel?
Currently we have two distribution channels: selling through local retailers and through our online portal named ‘grab the future’.
What is your retail and Large Format Retail engagement?
The brand has made forays into the Large RetailFormat chains in India in the last quarter. The Penta brand is now available in chains like Reliance Digital, Sangeetha’s, Univercell, Vijay Sales, etc.
What all marketing activities have you initiated?
We believe in a holistic market approach. We believe in catering to all the queries of our buyers through our marketing initiatives. Presently we are focusing on: technology awareness rural programmes and online marketing programmes. There is also a lot of focus on a ‘solution’ approach to device usage; with a lot of pre-loaded content being given to Institutional customers depending upon their usage requirements.
What is your share in the tablet space and expectation?
There is no reliable third-party data on industry size and market shares. We do believe that innquantity terms we would be among the top three tablet PC suppliers in India market. We expect to more than double our sales this year over last year.
