Spice aims to open 200 Android-focused phone stores in 18 months

Mobile phone company Spice Global is looking to open up to 200 special stores focussed on handsets built on Google's Android platform in next 12-18 months.

"Today we have launched first two Android branded retail stores, one in Noida and other in Bangalore, in the country. In next 12 to 18 months our target is to open between standalone 50 to 100 AndroidLand stores," said Dilip Modi, co-founder and group CEO of Spice Global on Wednesday.

He said that the company has opened the store in direct arrangement with Google and executives in these stores have been trained by Google who will help customers in anlaysing their needs and providing softwares in their phone as per their requirement.

The company runs over 650 mobile retail outlets in the name of Spice Hotspot across country. The AndroidLand stores opened by company will have active mobile phones and tablets for customers to experience instead of dummy models.

"We also have network company managed 650 mobile shops within which we expect to create about 100 such experience zones where customer can check applications live with help of Wi-Fi in the AndroidLand stores before buying device," Mr Modi said.

Around 100 thousand Android based devices are shipped every day in India which offers huge potential to make business, he said.

Spice along with its own handsets will sell devices from company like Samsung, Sony, HTC, Lenovo, Xolo, Micromax, Karbonn and LG through AndroidLand Stores.

The company's retail mobile phone business contributes about Rs 2,400 crore per annum, he said.