Micromax to start CKD manufacturing in 60 days

New Delhi

Domestic handset-maker Micromax on Monday said that the company hopes to start complete knock down (CKD) components manufacturing in the next 60 days.

"We are planning to bring CKD level manufacturing in the next 60 days in our new plant which is expected to either come up in Telangana or Bhiwadi," Vikas Jain, one of the co-founders of Micromax, said during the launch of a new study by Counterpoint Research and IIM-Bangalore.

"While we are working on logistics and building infrastructure for CKD, our other two plants have the capacity of churning out 3 million handsets in a month jointly," Jain explained.

While semi knock down (SKD) components used PCBA (an electornic printed circuit board which comes with all components attached), CKD manufacturing uses PCB (the printed board used to electrically connect and mechanically support components using pads, conductive tracks and several other features etched from sheets of copper laminated onto non-conductive substrates).

Jain, when asked about the importance of India becoming a manufacturing and components hub, also said that India losses out to try or adapt the technology first. "Most semiconductor technologies gets introduced in China and it takes us nearly six-eight weeks minimum to get the tech to India," he explained.

Micromax, according to IDC's latest report, has the third largest market share in smartphones with Samsung and Lenovo in the first and second spot respectively. IDC claims that Micromax's decline can be attributed to the vendor "facing tremendous pressure from other local vendors in sub $100 segment and with Chinese players in $100-150."

The company also claims that it is the 10th largest manufacturer of handsets in the world.