Google Inc (GOOG) developed Android operating system for mobile phone is gaining rapid momentum in India . Recently, LG Electronics launched a new mobile phone ‘LG GW620’ and Motorola Inc. (MOT) launched a smartphone called “Milestone” in India. Both of these handsets are based on the Android operating system. Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sony Corp. (SNE) and L.M. Ericsson AB (ERIC); HTC, and Samsung Electronics have already introduced their respective Android-based mobile phone in India.
The major advantage of Android is that it is an open-source operating system. As a result, this software enables application developers to develop interfaces for any mobile handset. These handsets can feature an intuitive user interface and an efficient combination of Internet access, messaging, and multi-media applications based on the Android ecosystem. Currently, more than 6,000 multimedia and social networking applications are available on the Android ecosystem.
After China, India is the second largest emerging market of the world. Currently, India has more than 604 million wireless subscribers and this figure may reach 853 million by 2014.
Ministry of Telecommunication of the Indian Government is exploring several options to auction the available spectrum for next-generation high-speed 3G networks. The Government of India has also decided to allocate spectrum for the super-fast (4G) WiMAX network together with 3G technologies. As a result, this market has become highly lucrative for mobile phone makers.
At present, the Symbian operating system developed by Nokia Corp. (NOK) is the undisputed leader in the Indian market. Nokia commands about 66% market share. Nevertheless, Android based mid-ranged mobile phones are gradually increasing their market share in India.
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