NEWS WIRE: India: Mobile Provider Nokia Targets Rural Markets for Growth

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MUMBAI, June 26 – Nokia has reiterated that the rural markets will be a focus area for its growth in India. Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, President and CEO of Nokia Corp., during his visit to India, outlined several initiatives for the non-urban markets in the areas of microfinance, distribution, agricultural services and after sales and support services.

“India’s consumption of mobility is growing at a phenomenal pace and it has the potential to make a major contribution to the country’s socio-economic development. Nokia recognizes its responsibility and our aim will be to try and bring more consumers into the folds of mobility by maximizing value creation,” said Kallasvuo.

Nokia also announced that it is looking at microfinance as a major initiative to increase mobile penetration in India from the current 26 percent. While India is adding 8 million subscribers a month, the country still has a huge untapped base constrained due to the initial cost of the mobile phone. The company is running pilots and trials to gauge consumer response in select markets and will soon come out with specific offerings to make buying a mobile phone more affordable.

D. Shivakumar, Vice President and Managing Director, Nokia India, said, “Language, content and affordability will play a critical role in connecting the next billion consumers. At Nokia, our endeavor is to drive down the accessibility barriers and make universal access a reality.”

The company said that with its large distribution network in the country and nine Indian language support, it is also providing agriculture-based solutions catering to the farming community in India. It is working with a host of content providers and has started programs for farmers, which include providing solutions from information on market prices for agricultural products to weather updates to financing options.

To access difficult and unserved markets, Nokia aims to leverage its distribution network to expand proactively into rural geographies. In addition to increasing its existing fleet of rural vans, the company will also be reaching out to villages across India to showcase the relevant product portfolio and solutions to demystify the use of mobile technology. Several educational programs will also be launched in the rural areas for consumers on the benefits of mobility.

Recognizing the crucial need for a rural care network to match its expanding rural distribution footprint, Nokia is simultaneously focusing on increasing its Care Service Centers in the rural geographies.

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