‘We aim to strengthen our premium and mid-segment portfolio’

Nipun Marya started his vivo journey in 2017 and “the last few years have been eventful, to say the least,” says the former director – Brand Strategy of this fast-growing smartphone brand. He had successfully led vivo’ s expansion and brand evolution in the India market. Marya has now joined as CEO in another smartphone company— iQOO India— where he will be responsible for driving the growth of the iQOO brand and its operations in India. “I am really excited to lead the brand’s growth trajectory in a hyper-competitive market and by 2022, we aim to double our market share in the mid-premium segment from 5% to 10%,” he tells Sudhir Chowdhary as he discusses iQOO’s growth plans in India.
Excerpts:

Tell us about your new role at iQOO India.

As a technology enthusiast, it is an exciting opportunity to lead a brand that’s shaping the premium segment with its innovative features and high-performance devices. My focus will be on consumers who demand performance and making iQOO gain predominance in the online premium performance segment. I am excited to lead the brand’s growth trajectory in a hyper-competitive market, cementing its market share while addressing the needs of our young, demanding consumers. By 2022, we aim to double our market share in the mid-premium segment to 10%. It comes with its challenges, but it will be hugely gratifying to cement iQOO’s leadership.

How has been iQOO performing in India? Any milestone achieved so far?

iQOO’s DNA is of a young, premium high-performance smartphone brand and we have continuously delivered products that offer cutting-edge performance. iQOO today is a fast-growing player in the Indian smartphone market. In fact, iQOO recorded a growth of 671% in Q3’21 versus Q2 ’21 (Source: Counterpoint). Bringing exceptional performance and revolutionary power, the brand has received a phenomenal response from Indian consumers in the last two years. Our smartphones like iQOO 7, Z5 and Z3 have been the highest rated smartphones in their respective segments on Amazon. We are also a premium partner of BMW M Motorsport globally, together conveying the true spirit of the track and the pursuit of speed and perfection to passionate customers. The iQOO 7 Legend won the 2021 Red Dot Award for Product Design, one of the world’s most prestigious design award. In the on-going Battleground Mobile India Series (BGIS 2021), iQOO 7 has been selected as the Official Smartphone of BGIS 2021.The brand has recently sold 25 million smartphones globally and is the fastest-growing brand in India.

What are your top priorities at iQOO for the coming years?

Aligned with our philosophy, “I Quest On and On”, iQOO as a brand aims to bring the joy of adventure to users through technology, by delivering unmatched performance and unique experiences to Indian consumers. iQOO products have always stood out in terms of leading technology and performance, like the iQOO 7 series is powered by industry leading processor, 66W FlashCharge technology and Intelligent Display Chip. For the coming year, iQOO will continue to focus on superior performance and gaming experience with an aggressive product portfolio. We also have plans to expand our distribution network with an omni-channel strategy.

How does the product pipeline for 2022 look like? Do you plan to launch products in mid-premium and affordable segments as well?

We have received an overwhelming response to the iQOO 7 series and Z Series this year. iQOO has a strong line-up of products and innovations planned for the coming year with premium high-performance products as we expand our portfolio. We plan to expand into accessories with the launch of the gamepad in India and continue to contribute towards the growth of the e-sports community.