Motorola just unveiled the edge 60 pro in the country priced at `29,999. Speaking at the launch of the new phone, TM Narasimhan, managing director, Motorola India, broke down the brand’s recent performance in the Indian smartphone category. “At the end of the day, the consumers decide a brand’s market share. So, what we have done is listen to the consumer and give them what they want,” he said.
Listening to the consumer seems to be paying off. As per CyberMedia Research, the Lenovo-owned brand has posted double-digit growth in six of the past seven quarters, with the only exception being Q2 of CY23.
The Indian smartphone market is estimated to be around $40 billion, growing at a CAGR of 6-7% as per Statista. Narasimhan says that the brand’s ambition is to make its way into the top three by 2026. To that end, the brand has taken a few bold steps. The first is in the area of design, where Motorola has partnered with Pantone, a provider of professional colour standards. The partnership has helped the brand identify colours and designs that are trendy, says Narsimhan.
The second area is in the user interface and user experience, where Motorola has leveraged AI to create a proactive smartphone experience than reactive. It has also launched Smart Connect that allows Motorola users to achieve seamless connectivity between their phones and Windows PC.
Narasimhan says that these steps have played a key role in pushing Motorola’s market share from a mere 2.4% in the last quarter of CY23 to reach 7.8% in the last quarter of CY24 (International Data Corporation). While it does sell online on Flipkart, Motorola also has close to 60,000 retailers offline to ensure it can reach out to consumers wherever they are.
The brand has phones that start as low as 6,999, going all the way up to89,999 and Narasimhan says the bulk of the sales comes from the mid-segment or the 10,000 to35,000 range. “We are a Gen Z focussed brand. We have tried to identify what they want across different price ranges and created differentiation in each price segment,” he remarks.
Prabhu Ram, VP, Industry Research Group, CyberMedia Research, says its focus on aesthetics, combined with sturdy hardware, clean and intuitive software, purposeful AI features, has resonated strongly with younger, always-on users. “Its 53% YoY growth in the first quarter of this year highlights the strength of its value proposition, particularly in the mid-premium and premium segments,” adds Ram.
Rutu Mody-Kamdar, founder of Jigsaw Brand Consultants, observes that Motorola’s comeback has been a classic example of strategic restraint and cultural timing. “The brand has struck the right balance between functionality and aspiration, especially with models that offer high-end features without the inflated price tag,” she says.