Dixon Technologies to make Gionee smart phones

Noida- based, Dixon Technologies, is set to start making 3G and 4G smart phones for Gionee from May, becoming the second contract manufacturer after Foxconn to take up local production for the Chinese smart phone maker in India, reported ET.

Dixon will locally start manufacturing Gionee's 'P' series of 3G and 4G phones from next month and graduate to the 'F' series of 4G smart phones by July, Gionee India's Managing Director, Arvind Vohra.

The 'P' series of Gionee smart phones locally manufactured by Dixon will be priced at about 6,000 while the more expensive 'F' series will cost Rs 10,000, Vohra said.

Recently, Gionee inked a separate contract manufacturing pact with Dixon to step up local production of smart phones, in what is slated to lend impetus to the Narendra Modi government's 'Make in India' drive.

Presenty, Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn entirely handles local smart phone production for Gionee at its Andhra Pradesh unit. "Foxconn will take care of 50-60% of Gionee's local smartphone production needs while Dixon will handle the rest from its Noida factory and no duplication in the handsets manufactured at the Foxconn and Dixon factories for the India market." added Vohra.

However, Dixon will initially dedicate three production lines at its Noida facility for Gionee's smart phone production needs and may scale up to six lines in the near future, depending on market requirements. Currently, Gionee sells around 4.8 million phones a year in India and plans to increase the number to eight million units annually by the end of this fiscal.