India is not proposing to restrict Chinese smartphone manufacturers from operating in the sub-$150 price range, a key minister said Monday, providing relief to scores of international giants in the world’s second largest handset market.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the junior IT minister, said at a press conference that while India feels an obligation to ensure that local firms flourish in the smartphone ecosystem, “there’s no such proposal in our ministry,” he said of the rumored plan.
Chandrasekhar’s remark contradicts a Bloomberg News report from earlier this month that said India was planning to use official or unofficial channels to restrict Chinese smartphone makers in the affordable price segment.
Xiaomi executives said at the company’s earnings call this month that they hadn’t received any communication from the Indian government or any of its agencies. Chinese smartphone makers dominate the market in India, according to market research firm Counterpoint.
This is a developing story. More to follow…
