As mobile devices continue to dominate the Indian market, so too does the number of brands. Gone are the days of straight choices between Nokia, Samsung, Sony or Panasonic.
Now you have other players such as LG phones, MI mobile phones, Lyf mobile phones, Intex mobile phones as well as Micromax phones. The closest competition, currently, is going on between Micromax, Lava, Spice, and Samsung. All these are competing for budget based smartphones and tablets covering a large part of the consumer base in India.
Out of these, Micromax and Lava have arguably come closest in terms of offerings, features, specifications, functionality and prices. If you’re a bit confused and want to discover a comparative aspect of the two, here are a few points you can ponder on:
Type of Brand: Both are Indian brands which have their handsets fabricated in China. Micromax began earlier than Lava, with the latter entering the market in 2009. Thus, as a brand, Micromax has already gained a considerable lead. Still, Lava is quickly developing itself as a brand and in the past 6 years, the company has made a relentless development.
Brands: Both have specific brands to differentiate mid-range and high-range handsets. (Dash for Micromax and Flair for Lava – Low to Mid range), (Canvas, Knight, Yu for Micromax and Iris, Pixel for Lava – Mid to High range)
Marketing and Branding: Micromax pushes heavily in this area, using celebrity personality Hugh Jackman as their image minister while also spending vigorously on ATL (Above the Line promoting – TV Ads, Print media and so forth). Lava on the other hand does not have a marked representative but still dabbles in ATL (TV Ads, Event Sponsorships) and additionally BTL (Below the Line – Sign Boards, In-Store Promotion). Both are available on every single social stage.
Quality: Handsets from both brands are of significant quality. (Much better when contrasted with other Indian brands – Personal Opinion).
No.of models released till date: Both have a great deal of models in every tier and rivalry is serious. Likewise, both have generally less item life cycle when contrasted with MNC brands (Samsung, Microsoft, Nokia), especially as Indian Market is rapidly supplanting their handsets.
Sales Trend: Micromax has higher deals when contrasted with Lava whcih they have built up themselves. They also have first mover advantage, putting them ahead in this resepct.
Investments: Lava has constrained speculations however off of late, Micromax is forceful on this front as they are putting a great deal in new businesses.
Best Price Category: Both have quite solid budget handsets under Rs. 10,000 and are constantly experimenting with new operating systems and user interfaces (Cyanogen for Micromax and Hive for Xolo).
International Presence: Both have impressive global nearness. Micromax is developing quick in Russian and other SAARC markets, while Lava is also gaining ground in a portion of the SAARC markets.
Work Culture: We can’t remark on work culture in Micromax, however as I work in Lava, I can state with certainty that culture in Lava is energetic and youthful.
On a broad scale, Micromax has developed a better grip over the market with its competitive pricing and high-level features. Lava was a little late to join the race but has been steady in its growth in last six years. The prime growth by the later has been witnessed in the low-cost feature handsets. Lava has MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador who is establishing a belief for this brand through a series of commercial advertisements. The company has set a huge budget for television promotion.
Micromax, on the other hand, has been promoting its phones more over the world-wide web, people trust it for its upgraded features and advanced technology. Micromax has set itself with an image of a brand that is capable of giving better than average features for a pocket-friendly price. One of the biggest proofs of this fact was recently given by the success of Canvas series. The brand has maintained a long presence in Indian markets which has won it a better trust among customers.
Lava is also doing good but will need some more time to reach up to the level of Micromax. Its marketing strategy is excellent and no doubt the handsets have been proving their worth to a larger lot, but it will need little more time to set in the depth of consumer’s mind and get a permanent place. Its present-day growth is pretty much evident that the day will come soon and then consumers will have a real hard time to choose between Lava and Samsung, LG, Intex or Micromax mobile phones.