Micromax Informatics

Micromax is an Indian Smartphone manufacturer and consumer electronics company headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, India.[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 the products under the brand name YU.[5]

Micromax Informatics
Private
ISININE720K01014
Industry
Founded2000 (2000)
FounderRahul Sharma
Headquarters
Gurugram, Haryana
,
India
Area served
Worldwide
Selected markets
Key people
Rahul Sharma

Rajesh Agarwal
Products
Services
Revenue ₹2,368.79 crore (US$330 million) (2020)
OwnerRahul Sharma

Rajesh Agarwal
Number of employees
20,000+
SubsidiariesYU Televentures
Websitewww.micromaxinfo.com

Amidst growing competition, the company has been trying to position itself as a consumer electronics company. Micromax co-founder Mohit Sharma, Dewas & Rohit Patel Nagora stated that the other segments would contribute to 20% of overall revenue.[6][7] Rajesh Agarwal stated in another interview to Economic Times that Micromax was "looking into" electric vehicles.[8][9] In 2019, Rahul Sharma announced the launch of Revolt Motors, an e-bike company.

History

Micromax was incorporated as Micromax Informatics Ltd. in the year 2000 by Mohit Sharma, Dewas and Rohit Patel, Nagora.[10] It began selling mobile phones in 2008,[11] focusing on democratising technology for masses to compete with international players.[12]

The company has also introduced handsets (budget and flagship) with innovative features. For instance, Micromax's co-founder Mohit Sharma, Dewas 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.[13] This was the X1i phone, Micromax's first telephone with a month-long battery back-up.[14]

In 2014, Micromax's sales in India exceeded those of Samsung. It became the mobile telephone manufacturer to ship the most telephones in one quarter in India.[15] On 24 January 2014, Micromax became the first Indian mobile company to sell in Russia.[16]

Segments

Mobile handsets

Micromax launched almost 13 smartphones in India by 31 March 2019 - eight new smartphones under Micromax branding and five new phones under Yu Umbrella.[17]

Consumer Electronics

Known for mobile handsets and LED TV panels, Micromax is also expanding its portfolio in the consumer electronics segment, targeting the "premium economy" consumers.[18]

Products

Funbook series

In 2010, Micromax entered the tablet computer market with the debut of the Funbook series.[19]

Canvas Knight A350 & Canvas A1

Micromax launched its first eight-core flagship smartphone, Canvas Knight A350, in March 2014 for the Russian market. In the same year on September, Micromax launched the Android One smartphone, Canvas A1.

Canvas Silver 5, Canvas Win W092 & Canvas Win W121

Micromax launched Micromax Canvas Sliver 5, which it claimed was the slimmest telephone in the world on 17 June 2015.[20] The company is an official Windows Phone 8.1 hardware partner.[21] In June 2014, it launched two Windows smartphones, the Micromax Canvas Win W092 and the Micromax Canvas Win W121.[22]

Canvas Amaze 2

On 8 June 2015, Micromax announced the launch of Micromax Amaze 2.[23] 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.

Canvas Unite 4 & Canvas Unite 4 Pro

A year later, Micromax announced the launch of Micromax Canvas Unite 4 and Canvas Unite 4 Pro.[24] 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.

Canvas Mega 2

In 2016, Micromax Canvas Mega 2 was launched and shipped.

Bharat series

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.

Bharat 2, which was introduced in Q3 2017 became the largest selling phone in the under ₹ 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.[25]

Dual 4 & Dual 5

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.

Canvas Infinity

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 ₹ 9,999, users enjoy other features such as the 16 MP Front Camera.

Infinity N11

Micromax Infinity N11 smartphone was launched in December 2018. The phone comes with a 6.19-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 720x1500 pixels. Micromax Infinity N11 is powered by a 2 GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 SoC processor. It comes with 2GB of RAM. The Micromax Infinity N11 runs Android 8.1 and is powered by a 4,000mAh battery. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Micromax Infinity N11 on the rear packs a 13-megapixel primary camera and a second 5-megapixel camera. It sports an 8-megapixel camera on the front for selfies.

Micromax Infinity N11 based on Android 8.1 and packs 32GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded via microSD card (up to 128GB) with a dedicated slot. The Micromax Infinity N11 is a dual-SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM cards. Connectivity options on the Micromax Infinity N11 include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, Micro-USB, 3G, and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India) with active 4G on both SIM cards. Sensors on the phone include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, and proximity sensor. The Micromax Infinity N11 supports face unlock.

YU ACE

Following the latest 18:9 trend, the smartphone features a 5.4-inch HD+ Full View display with the screen resolution of 720 pixels. Powered by a 1.5 GHz Quad-core Mediatek 6739 processor, the device runs on the latest Android Oreo operating system. Furthermore, backed up by 2GB RAM + 16GB internal storage, the handset will later be launched in 3GB RAM + 32GB storage variants as well.[26]

Canvas 3 TV

Running Android Nougat out of the box, Micromax Canvas 3 allows media sharing and wireless smartphone control. The TV comes in different screen sizes: 32-inch, 40-inch and 50-inch. Micromax Canvas 3 TV sports an HD ready screen featuring 1,366 x 768 pixels resolution. It runs Android OS and supports a wide variety of apps. It allows users to surf the web, check emails, download apps and much more. It packs 1GB RAM and 5.5GB storage. As for connectivity, Micromax Canvas 3 provides users with 3 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports.[27]

iOne Note

Micromax is planning to launch three new smartphones in India soon, including a budget phone with “premium” features and “modern look”. The Indian company is teasing the launch through its social media channels ahead of any official announcement. This new development comes amid the anti-China sentiment that has reached new levels due to the clashes at Galvan Valley. Micromax launched the iOne Note as its last smartphone in the country in October with a price tag of INR 8,999.[28]

Upcoming Products

Phone with an Apple notch

Now, on 12 December 2018, Micromax announced its first phone having a traditional notch that was featured by Apple a year ago. This can be seen on the teaser of the phone with highlighted notch that Micromax has posted on several social media platforms. The phone will be launched on 18 December 2018. There are no official announcements of the specifications of the phone but as seen on the teaser, reveals its dual camera set up on front and back with LED flash on both sides as well and a notch display.

Manufacturing in India

Product Manufactured

Mobile phones, LED TVs, LED lights and Tablets. Government would be providing land to Micromax for setting up the centre, which has a capacity to produce 10 lakh devices a month, which include mobile phones, LED TVs, LED lights and Tablets. It presently employs 700 people. The firm's first facility in Uttarakhand has a capacity to produce 16 lakh devices.[29]

Manufacturing hubs

Hyderabad, Bhiwadi, Rudrapur and Telangana. Micromax phones are mostly imported from China and some products are assembled in India. Micromax have three factories- Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Rudrapur, (Uttarakhand) and Telangana. In Bhiwadi, the SMT (surface mount technology) line is already operational and trials are running in Rudrapur. For Telangana, the machinery is under import. Altogether, Micromax will have a capacity of about 30 lakh a month for mobile phones.[30]

Manufacturing

Micromax started manufacturing LED televisions and tablets at its factory in Rudrapur (SIDCUL), Uttarakhand, in April 2014.[31] 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.[32] 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).[33]

International Markets

Micromax has started international business a few years back with markets like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and since then grown their presence to other markets as well. Micromax have a 5% share in Russia. Also exploring Middle East and a cluster of countries in Africa.[34]

Subsidiaries

YU Televentures
Main article: YU Televentures

The first product, to be launched under a newly floated wholly owned unit, YU Televentures, is a smartphone with operating system from US-based Cyanogen through which Micromax aims to move beyond the business of mobile phone hardware that has become more or less standardised.[35]

History of YU

Micromax founder Rahul Sharma launched YU, a new Smartphone company with a phone called Yureka at ₹ 8,999. Yureka, the first phone from the new brand, runs the Android-based modified CyanogenMod operating system which is exclusive to it in India.[36]

Ongoing Projects and Partnerships

In November 2014, Micromax partnered with Cyanogen Inc. to provide Cyanogen-based smartphones in India, under the brand name YU.[37][38][39]

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.[40]

Micromax and the telecom major Reliance Jio has bagged a ₹1,500 crore order from the Chhattisgarh government to distribute 50 lakh smartphones to women and students in the state. Under the project, 45 lakh smartphones are being given to women and the remaining will be distributed to college students in the state. The project was given through a tender process. The beneficiaries will receive 1GB 4G data, 100 minutes voice calls and 100 SMS per month for six months, following which they will be offered tariff plans that are most affordable and competitively priced.[41]

Endorsements

Actors Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna were the first celebrities to endorse Micromax Mobiles.[42] Hugh Jackman was the brand ambassador of Micromax and appeared in a commercial in 2013 for its first flagship smartphone, the Canvas Turbo A250,[43] 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.[44] Vighnesh Pande endorsed Micromax Canvas Unite 4 line of smartphones in 2017.

Key awards and achievements

Micromax recognised as an emerging company of the Year by V&D 100 Awards.[45]
In 2017, Rahul Sharma, was conferred the Transformational Business Leader of the Year.[46]

Controversies

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.[47] 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.[48] However, the High Court lifted the ban, allowing OnePlus One to be sold in India as the licensing deals with Cyanogen are different for both parties.[49]

Stealthy installation of Adware

In early 2015, a Reddit user found adware installing itself stealthily on his/her Micromax A093 Canvas Fire telephone without permission.[50] The adware was also using excess telephone resources such as data, memory storage, and battery life. Further investigations by the XDA community found the advertisements were created by Adups, an AdPush company based in China.[51][52]

See also
  • Micromax Moulsari Avenue

References
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