When Reliance Jio announced their new Jio 4G feature phone, it created waves in the telecom sector. With Reliance Jio already taking pre-orders, customers are expecting to get it in their hands as early as 15th August. Jio is making good on their promise of delivering these handsets at the earliest possible date.
So, what’s the problem?
The phone was announced during the last Reliance AGM, where it was also announced that the phone will be Made in India, by Indians, for India. That itself generated a lot of buzz around the phone along with the low price, which is effectively zero. However, what many people missed in the announcement is the fact that the phone will be manufactured in India starting from the 4th Quarter of 2017.
This means that the initial batch of the Jio Phone will be manufactured in China. Now, that in itself is not a problem. Most of the smartphones manufactured today, including the iPhones, are manufactured in China and the quality is impeccable.
With the recent anti-China sentiments prevalent in the country, the Jio Phone might have a hard time selling. This has never been an issue before. Products made in China are usually good sellers here in India. Especially in smartphones. With the kind of premium quality offered at relatively bottom prices, China-made products are tough to beat.
Will it really affect the sales of the Jio Phone?
We don’t think this fact will affect the sales of the Jio Phone. Sure, a section of the Indian market might not even look at the phone. But when it comes down to it, the value offered by Jio with their Jio Phone is hard to beat.
Ultimately, in a consumption-oriented society, whatever offers the best value for money, sells. Make in India is still in a nascent stage. It has progressed in leaps and bounds, but it still has a long way to go before it can offer premium quality at lowest prices.
What do you think? Does it matter to you whether a phone you are using is made in China, or will you hold out for the Made in India label? Sound off in the comments below.