Vivo Plans To Set Up R&D Centre In India

After announcing Rs. 4,000 crore investment for setting up a manufacturing plant in India, Chinese smartphone maker Vivo is now planning to set up design, and Research and Development (R&D) center in the country.

"We are planning to set up design, and R&D centers in India in near future to support our 'Make in India' initiative," Nipun Marya Director-Brand strategy, Vivo India told Gizbot. However, he refused to divulge the exact timeframe that when will the company set up its centers in India.

Meanwhile, the company has launched its new Z series of smartphones with the launch of Z1 Pro. The device in three variants - 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM, 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM and 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM. The newly launched smartphone will be available in three colors - Sonic Blue, Mirror Black, and Sonic Black on Flipkart from 11th July.

Currently, this series is available on Flipkart and when we asked about launching Z1 Pro offline, Marya said, the company will decide over the course of time whether this series will be available offline or not.

As far as launching upcoming smartphones on the same processor are concerned, Marya believes, the company has to see whether Snapdragon 712 is the right processor because it depends on what pricing the devices will be launched.

"This processor is very powerful for the mid-range products but if we are launching a product in the affordable segment then we have to take a call," he added.

Where Vivo Stands In India

According to a report by research firm, Canalys Vivo posted its best-ever performance in India in Q1 2019, shipping more than 4.5 million units, its best result since Q3 2018. The vendor placed third, taking 15.0 percent of the market, up from 7.3 percent a year ago.

While Xiaomi held onto its lead but grew just 4 percent, it's the slowest rate since it entered the market. Samsung came second for a sixth consecutive quarter and was the only vendor in the top five to see its shipments shrink.

Another research firm Counterpoint also highlighted that Vivo's expanding portfolio in the mid-tier drove its growth along with aggressive IPL campaign around flagship V series.