Nokia partners Flipkart to launch smart TVs in India

Flipkart has entered into a strategic relationship with Nokia that grants it the use of the Nokia brand for smart TVs in India – a global first for the brand in the TV category, a statement said on Wednesday.

New Delhi: After Motorola, Nokia has now partnered e-commerce major Flipkart for launching smart TVs in the Indian market, marking the smartphone maker's foray into consumer durables space.

Flipkart has entered into a strategic relationship with Nokia that grants it the use of the Nokia brand for smart TVs in India – a global first for the brand in the TV category, a statement said on Wednesday.

"Flipkart will leverage its understanding of the needs of Indian consumers to develop, facilitate the manufacturing and distribution of the Nokia branded smart TVs while managing the end-to-end go-to-market strategy," it added.

The companies, however, didn't give any information about product specifications, pricing and launch date.

A number of phone companies have now added smart TVs to their product portfolio. These include players such as Samsung, Micromax, Intex, Xiaomi, Motorola and OnePlus.

In September, Motorola had announced its partnership with Walmart-backed Flipkart to launch its smart TVs in India. Its television sets -- available in display sizes ranging from 32-inches to 65-inches -- are priced Rs 13,999 onwards.

The Nokia branded smart TVs will feature audio powered by JBL's sound program.

"Nokia is a globally popular technology brand and enjoys immense brand recall, so we're excited to start this journey with them to extend the brand into a fast-growing product segment," Flipkart Senior Vice President and Head - Private Brands, Electronics and Furniture Adarsh Menon said.

Notably, Flipkart also offers smart TVs under its private label -- MarQ by Flipkart. It offers smart TVs with a screen size of 24-inches to 65-inches UHD, priced between Rs 6,999 to Rs 64,999.

"Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for the Nokia brand in a new category...Flipkart's understanding of the needs and behaviours of Indian consumers, and the power of its reach will help it make Nokia branded smart TVs accessible and affordable to many," Nokia Vice President Brand Partnerships Vipul Mehrotra said.

HMD Global holds the rights for the Nokia brand.