Google's Android One program hasn't really ticked the boxes that Google would have liked it to. The first generation Android One device failed to bring about the traction Google started out to achieve and the response to the recently launched Lava Pixel V1 hasn't been great either. And Google has acknowledged the fact that the program is not turning out as it hoped it would. In order to give the sales a boost, Google is planning a massive investment for the same in India.
Rajan Anandan, MD, Google India and Southeast Asia has told the good folks back at Financial Times that Google is committed towards the program and has further stated that the program has not lived up to the expectations. Talking further about the Indian market, he went on to state that sweet spot in the India’s price conscious smartphone market is between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 and Google is working towards the same. Google plans on working with OEMs to bring high-quality and affordable devices for as low as Rs 3,000.
Google also plans on ramping up its local search business and help more businesses come online whose main language is not English. The so-called new beginning of the Android One program would be announced in the next few weeks. What would be interesting to see is as to how does Google manage to take on the Chinese and Indian OEMs who are already operating on really small profits. The bigger profit lies in the volumes and Google understands it pretty well that India's ever expanding population brings with it an unmatched opportunity in the smartphone arena.
Let us wait and watch how the Android One program pans out in future.
