Why Flipkart is excited about selling the Moto G in India

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="MT35" style="border: 0px; font-family: nexa_bold, Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 35px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="conimh" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 640px;"> <span class="redtag" style="background-color: #ee543f; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: white; font-family: nexa_bold; font-size: 12px; left: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.06em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 5px; position: absolute; text-transform: uppercase; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 1;"><a href="http://tech.firstpost.com/tag/flipkart-interview" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; color: white; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Why Flipkart is excited about selling the Moto G in India">#FLIPKART INTERVIEW</a></span><div class="TAC" style="border: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="http://stech2.firstpost.com/tech2images/640x359/proportional/jpeg/2014/02/Flipkart2-624x351.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #464646; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Why Flipkart is excited about selling the Moto G in India"><img alt="Why Flipkart is excited about selling the Moto G in India" src="http://stech2.firstpost.com/tech2images/640x359/proportional/jpeg/2014/02/Flipkart2-624x351.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" /></a></div> </div> <div class="CL" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> </div> <div class="prodtxtinf" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(242, 244, 246); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 11px 0px 12px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 640px;"> Flipkart claims their Moto G deal is an exclusive</div> <div class="MT30 PL20 PB88" style="border: 0px; font-family: nexa_bold, Arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 30px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 88px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="b20open MT15" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin: 15px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Flipkart along with Motorola Mobility today announced the<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> launch of Motorola’s Moto G</strong> smartphone in India. The Moto G is priced at Rs 12,499 for the 8 GB version and Rs 13,999 for the 16 GB. According to Flipkart the smartphone will be available exclusively only on Flipkart. However, the phone has been available for pre-order on Snapdeal as well, <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">which has reported</strong> over 1000 pre-orders.</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Motorola, which was recently sold by Google to Lenovo, has promised full after sales support for the smartphone. The phone goes on sale on 6th February.</div> <a href="http://stech4.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/moto-g-profile.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #464646; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Moto G in India" class="size-full wp-image-217697" data-original="http://stech4.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/moto-g-profile.jpg" height="360" src="http://stech4.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/moto-g-profile.jpg" style="border: none; display: inline; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></a><div class="prodtxtinf" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(242, 244, 246); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #666666; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 11px 0px 12px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 640px;"> Will the Moto G work in India?</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> We spoke to Flipkart founders, Sachin and Binny Bansal on what this deal means for Flipkart, the trends in e-commerce in India and innovations by Flipkart.</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What does a deal mean for Flipkart? Is the Google-Lenovo deal on Motorola likely to affect the sales of the Moto G?</strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sachin Bansal</strong>: It’s the biggest the thing to have happened anywhere. The fact that a brand like Motorola only saw Flipkart as an option for launching in India shows where we stand.</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> As far as the Lenovo deal goes, I don’t see it affecting the sales and we believe that the Motorola brand is here to stay. We are the e-commerce platform that they have chosen to go with, so it shouldn’t really matter what happens at the backend (<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sic</em>) where the Moto G sales are concerned as long as consumers are getting the product.</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Binny Bansal</strong>: Moto G is an exceptional product. It is definitely a quality product from a big brand. We are very, very excited about the volume of sales that we are expecting from the Moto G. I don’t think something like the Lenovo deal will have too much of an impact on the sales.</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The exclusive deal is definitely a game-changing moment for e-commerce, given that Flipkart is bringing a world-class product to India.</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How has the response been to Flipkart in tier-2 and tier-3 towns?</strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sachin Bansal</strong>: The response has been pretty good. We have done some targeted marketing in these towns. The number of consumers is lower in each tier-2 city than what you will find in, say, a major metro but the sheer number of tier-2 and tier-3 cities is so large that it makes sense for us to expand in these towns.</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Which categories have seen the biggest growth in two-2 towns for Flipkart?</strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sachin Bansal</strong>: Mobile and tablets continue to do very well and the growth rate has been great. The books category is also growing. The fastest growing category for us has been Fashion. Clothes, shoes, accessories are the biggest in terms of growth in tier-2 towns. We are, of course, planning to get some bigger fashion brands online as well</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Binny Bansal</strong>: Tier-2 and tier-3 towns have shown some amazing trends. Laptops and clothing and footwear have got a very strong response. These are categories that are really picking up in these towns.  Women’s clothing is doing really well. We’re seeing quarter on quarter growth in double digits in this category. It will be probably be one of the biggest businesses in the next 3 or 4 years.</div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What has been the response to PayZippy in India?</strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Binny Bansal</strong><span style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: These are very early days and it’s still in a startup mode. We’re running a number of experiments with the product. But the response has definitely surprised us, we weren’t expecting the kind of response we’ve got. You’ll see many more innovations on payment modes from us in the coming days.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where is Flipkart on the eBooks market, especially now that Amazon is also in India with Kindle and eBooks?</strong></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Binny Bansal</strong>: The eBooks space it is still very early days in India. Amazon, of course, captured the US eBooks market very well. In India, we are bullish about the market and see that as the future. For now, we think working on both eBooks and physical books strategy is the right way to go.</div> </div> </div> </div>

Why Flipkart is excited about selling the Moto G in India

#FLIPKART INTERVIEW Flipkart claims their Moto G deal is an exclusive Flipkart along with Motorola Mobility today announced th...

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