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Made-in-India Dell PCs by end of the year(The Economic Times (India) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge): With an eye on the leadership position of the Indian PC market, Dell on Thursday announced its plans to begin manufacturing operations in India by the year-end. The location of the proposed unit is yet to be decided. The plant is expected to substantially reduce costs for Dell's customers in India and bring down delivery time. Dell plans to manufacture desktops and notebook computers at this facility. At present, the Indian market is served from Dell's factory in Penang, Malaysia. The company is currently ranked number four in India with an overall market share of 5%. In last four quarters, Dell's unit shipments in India grew by over 50% while revenues jumped by 40% to $270m. "We are in discussions with state governments for setting-up our base in India. The plant will be operational by end of this year," Paul-Henri Ferrand, vice president and general manager (South Asia), Dell said without disclosing the likely capacity or the investment in the plant. He said the plant in India would be the same the company was operating elsewhere in the world. The company has seven manufacturing plants and is adding one each in the US, eastern Europe and India. The manufacturing plant is important for Dell's strategy to become the number one computer brand in India. Besides, the American major is on an aggressive manhunt for sales personnel. "In the last three quarters, the company doubled its sales force in India," Rajan Anandan, Dell's new vice president and general manager for India, said. Mr Ferrand said the present numbers would double in the next three quarters. |