Fact Check: Will India Ban Sale Of Chinese Smartphones Costing Less Than Rs 12,000?

Image courtesy BGR.in

New Delhi: Chinese smartphone manufacturers may soon be barred from selling phones costing Rs 12,000 ($150) or less in India.

According to a Bloomberg report, the Indian government is considering restricting the sale of low and medium-range Chinese smartphones to boost desi companies like Lava, Micromax and others.

Chinese smartphone manufacturers like Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo dominate the budget smartphone segment — under Rs 15,000 price segment. Among non-Chinese companies which have a presence in this segment are Samsung and Moto.

If the government does go through with this move, it will be another major blow to Chinese companies.

Smartphones under Rs 12,000 contributed to a third of India’s sales volume for the April-June 2022 quarter, with Chinese companies accounting for up to 80 per cent of those figures, said a Counterpoint report.

Chinese smartphone companies have been under the lens of late.

Firms like Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo were recently charged with tax evasion by Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently. Vivo’s bank accounts were frozen by ED in a money-laundering case.