ASUS to invest in India with both smartphones and gaming stores

AsusTek Computer Inc is stepping in where Sony is slacking. While Sony has decided to “defocus” the Indian market for their mobile business, ASUS is ready to take it for all its worth. The company plans to do this by focusing on mid-to-higher end devices, but they’re also pairing this strategy with a collection of gaming shops.

In spite of being relatively new to the region (ASUS first set up smartphone operations in India in 2014), the company has already secured roughly 2.5 percent of its smartphone market. ASUSTek country manager and regional head Peter Chang says he wants to double the figure by year end.

Some of this will hinge on the regional success ZenFone 3, the company’s recently unveiled new flagship smartphone on a budget. These devices will arrive in India sometime next month. In spite of the ZenFone 3 existing in the above-20,000 rupee price range, ASUS says they will be pushing hard in the 10,000 to 15,000 rupee price range as well.

This strategy makes sense, seeing as data shows that Indian smartphone buyers, while still primarily concerned with mid-range devices, are beginning to show interest in spending more on their headsets. The average selling price of an Indian smartphone in Q1 2015 was 10,364 rupees, but this figure has increased to nearly 13,000 in the intervening year.

Regarding the dedicated gaming stores, one is already in operation with another slated to go live later this week. These locations will focus on selling Republic of Gamers merchandise. Although ASUS sees potential for smartphone market growth in the region, they believe the potential for gaming notebooks is even greater. By 2017, the company wants to have 5 Republic of Gamers stores active in the country in addition 195 other gaming stores.

What are your thoughts regarding ASUS’s plans to invest in the Indian market? A worthy endeavor or a fool’s errand? Let us know your take in the comments below!