Indkal Signs Pact To Design, Manufacture And Distribute Smartphones For Acer

Weeks after bagging $36 Mn (around INR 300 Cr) in its maiden funding round, Bengaluru-based consumer electronics startup Indkal Technologies has now entered into a trademark licensing agreement with Acer Inc to design, manufacture and distribute smartphones for the Taiwan-based hardware company.

Indkal is looking to launch a variety of smartphone models under the Acer brand in mid-2024, ET reported, adding that it will also handle distribution of the smartphones through ecommerce and offline channels.

The report further said that Indkal is aiming for an initial capacity of assembling a million smartphones per year, after which it plans to scale up its production, and will also apply for benefits under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme soon.

Inc42 has reached out to Indkal Technologies for comments on the development. The story will be updated based on the responses.

Taiwanese laptop maker Acer has now joined the line of entering the smartphone manufacturing space through this deal with Indkal, after some of the widely known global tech giants set up their own manufacturing units in the country.

India’s electronics manufacturing industry is now the second largest maker of mobile phones in the world, according to the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).

As per ICEA, which represents top smartphone brands like Apple, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, India produced 2.45 Bn units of mobile phones worth INR 4.1 Lakh Cr, compared to INR 18,900 Cr in 2014-15.

“We are excited that Indkal Technologies will further (our) mission in India by providing a wide range of smartphones under the Acer brand that expands end-user choices and enrich their experience in the Indian market,” the report quoted Jade Zhou, vice president of global strategic alliances at Acer Inc, as saying.

Indkal has initially made an agreement with Acer to obtain trademark license in television, smartphones, and large appliances exclusively in India in 2021, based on various reports.

This comes almost a month after Indkal raised $36 Mn (around INR 300 Cr) in its Series A funding round led by Mauritius-based Aries Opportunities Fund to expand its product offerings and strengthen sales and service network.

Also, a portion of the proceeds will be deployed to set up a research and development hub to support product development infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone maker Vivo is set to unveil one of India’s largest mobile phone manufacturing facilities next month. This manufacturing unit will boast an annual production capacity of 120 Mn devices, set up with an investment of over INR 3,000 Cr.