Comments - Military Brings Computer Manufacturing to Pakistan - PakAlumni Worldwide: The Global Social Network 2024-03-29T14:09:05Zhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=1119293%3ABlogPost%3A86328&xn_auth=noPakistan's military-run enter…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2022-07-23:1119293:Comment:4093442022-07-23T01:15:45.649ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p>Pakistan's military-run enterprises need upgrade to revive economy<br></br>Corporate empire has potential to be globally competitive<br></br><br></br>By Uzair Younus<br></br><br></br><br></br><a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pakistan-s-military-run-enterprises-need-upgrade-to-revive-economy" target="_blank">https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pakistan-s-military-run-enterprises-need-upgrade-to-revive-economy</a><br></br><br></br><br></br>Pakistan's military would do well to mimic China's strategy to become globally…</p>
<p>Pakistan's military-run enterprises need upgrade to revive economy<br/>Corporate empire has potential to be globally competitive<br/><br/>By Uzair Younus<br/><br/><br/><a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pakistan-s-military-run-enterprises-need-upgrade-to-revive-economy" target="_blank">https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pakistan-s-military-run-enterprises-need-upgrade-to-revive-economy</a><br/><br/><br/>Pakistan's military would do well to mimic China's strategy to become globally connected, competitive and innovative.<br/><br/>Such a reconfiguration may solve Pakistan's macroeconomic challenges and recurring external crises, as the military is finding it difficult to muster resources required to compete with an India that is growing at a faster pace and rapidly modernizing its military. This is tilting the balance of power in the region toward India, creating national security risks for Pakistan.<br/><br/>Critics will argue that reorienting the military's corporate empire will only worsen the challenges facing Pakistan's floundering democracy. This concern is valid, but Pakistan's growing economic challenges mean that it is time to prioritize sustainable growth and socioeconomic development.<br/><br/>Changing the military's corporate approach is likely to create the space for broader economic reforms that are urgently needed to end Pakistan's protracted economic decline.<br/><br/>The experience of the last few years shows that there is, at least in the near term, no political party capable of challenging and dislodging the military from its dominant role.<br/><br/>The next best alternative is to leverage the military's economic empire to transform the country's economy. But the question is: Do Pakistan's generals have it in them to reform in a way that generates wealth for their country?<br/><br/>With millions of younger Pakistanis joining the workforce and failing to find jobs, the time for a different approach is now.</p>
<p class="comment-timestamp"></p> Pakistan's military-run enter…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2022-07-23:1119293:Comment:4096112022-07-23T01:15:11.278ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p>Pakistan's military-run enterprises need upgrade to revive economy<br></br>Corporate empire has potential to be globally competitive<br></br><br></br>By Uzair Younus<br></br><br></br><br></br><a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pakistan-s-military-run-enterprises-need-upgrade-to-revive-economy" target="_blank">https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pakistan-s-military-run-enterprises-need-upgrade-to-revive-economy</a><br></br><br></br><br></br>Pakistan's economy is facing another crisis as the country reaches a staff-level…</p>
<p>Pakistan's military-run enterprises need upgrade to revive economy<br/>Corporate empire has potential to be globally competitive<br/><br/>By Uzair Younus<br/><br/><br/><a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pakistan-s-military-run-enterprises-need-upgrade-to-revive-economy" target="_blank">https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pakistan-s-military-run-enterprises-need-upgrade-to-revive-economy</a><br/><br/><br/>Pakistan's economy is facing another crisis as the country reaches a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund to resume the support program that was suspended earlier this year. The finalization of the agreement will unlock inflows of almost $1.2 billion, critical to helping stabilize the country's economy.<br/><br/>This latest crisis is part of the decades-long economic decline of the country, which has been captured by a kleptocratic elite. This system is underpinned by Pakistan's powerful military, which operates a multibillion-dollar corporate empire across various sectors.<br/><br/>To many observers, the military's dominant role in the economy must be curtailed if Pakistan is to achieve sustainable growth. But well-meaning as they might be, these efforts have consistently failed to date, meaning that Military Inc. continues to be the dominant player in Pakistan's economy.<br/><br/>It is time to accept that rather than trying to cut this empire down to size, it may be more fruitful to develop Military Inc. 2.0: a corporate empire that is globally competitive.<br/><br/>Pakistan's military began playing a role in the economy soon after independence. The construction of the 805-km cross-border Karakoram Highway in the Himalayas was a major inflection point. The Frontier Works Organization was formed then with the mission to construct the highway on the Pakistani side.<br/><br/>Today, military-run organizations have their tentacles spread across the entire economy, with the military-owned Fauji Foundation being one of the largest conglomerates in the country. The government has exempted both the Army Welfare Trust and the Fauji Foundation from income taxes, giving them an edge over privately owned companies.<br/><br/>The military also operates housing developments across the country, with the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) a dominant force in the country's real estate sector. While the initial aim was to develop homes for serving and retired military personnel, DHA has since evolved into a multibillion-dollar entity with a presence in all major cities.<br/><br/>The military's economic footprint, however, is indicative of broader economic issues plaguing Pakistan. For decades, Pakistan's civilian and military elites have extracted wealth by engaging in highly protected, low-productivity sectors. As a result, Pakistani businesses are both globally uncompetitive and provide shoddy services to domestic consumers.<br/><br/>An example is the DHA project in Karachi, built on land reclaimed from the Arabian Sea. The predominant role enjoyed by the military meant that development of the DHA site occurred without proper access to proper stormwater drainage, resulting in multimillion-dollar homes, paid for in cash, routinely being flooded during monsoon rains.<br/><br/>Political volatility and instability have further compounded the problems, leading to an anemic rate of foreign direct investment, particularly in export-oriented sectors. The result: recurring balance of payments crises that require bailouts.<br/><br/>To emerge from this crisis, Pakistan's military must learn from its strategic ally China. While the Chinese regime also began with military-run organizations developing public infrastructure, over the decades, it has developed companies that have a more global outlook.<br/><br/>In addition, China focused on improving quality by leveraging technology while also investing in global best practices. This ensured that the country built globally competitive businesses that enhanced China's technological reach, such as telecommunications group Huawei Technologies.<br/><br/></p>
<p class="comment-timestamp"></p> #Pakistan to corporatize Stat…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2019-09-15:1119293:Comment:1262542019-09-15T23:21:17.282ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>#Pakistan to corporatize State #Defense Enterprise Heavy Industries #Taxila. The move to corporatize HIT will enable the enterprise to more easily enter joint ventures (JVs) with national and foreign firms.| Jane's 360…</span></p>
<p><span>#Pakistan to corporatize State #Defense Enterprise Heavy Industries #Taxila. The move to corporatize HIT will enable the enterprise to more easily enter joint ventures (JVs) with national and foreign firms.| Jane's 360 <a href="https://www.janes.com/article/90808/pakistan-to-corporatise-heavy-industries-taxila#.XX7FKJjC1Vo.twitter" target="_blank">https://www.janes.com/article/90808/pakistan-to-corporatise-heavy-industries-taxila#.XX7FKJjC1Vo.twitter</a></span><br/><br/><span>Pakistan's Senate passed legislation in late August to support the transformation of state defence enterprise Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) into a corporate entity. The move is in line with Pakistan's efforts to spur capability developments in its national defence industry.</span><br/><br/><span>The legislation - the Heavy Industries Taxila Board (Amendment) Bill 2019 - will result in HIT, a specialist in military land systems, becoming a limited company. The bill was approved earlier this year by Pakistan's National Assembly and was referred to the Senate for consideration in May.</span><br/><br/><span>In approving the bill, the Senate's Standing Committee on Defence Production said in a report that the move to corporatise HIT will enable the enterprise to more easily enter joint ventures (JVs) with national and foreign firms.</span><br/><br/><span>The committee said these JVs would be in commercial sectors - including the production of automobiles, trucks, and wagons - and that resulting revenues, investments, and technologies would benefit HIT's defence production activities. However, the committee also warned that such commercial activities should not be to the detriment of defence production.</span><br/><br/><span>According to the committee, other objectives of the move to corporatise HIT include enabling the enterprise to earn revenues to subsidise Pakistan's defence budget; support national efforts to "move incrementally towards self-sustenance" in the defence sector; support private-sector defence industrial expansion in Pakistan; and "help bring in the latest technologies" into the country to benefit defence.</span><br/><br/><span>HIT is one of Pakistan's most important defence enterprises. The organisation specialises in upgrades and manufacturing a range of military vehicles including main battle tanks (MBTs), armoured personnel carriers, and artillery, as well as military vehicle engines and related components and associated equipment.</span><br/><br/><span>Its most important programmes include the production of Al-Khalid-I MBTs and the development of Al-Khalid-II MBTs, both for the Pakistan Army.</span></p> #Pakistan outlines 5th gen fi…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2019-04-04:1119293:Comment:1247232019-04-04T18:07:23.548ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>#Pakistan outlines 5th gen fighter #aircraft industrial aims. "Such large-scale (Project Azm) requires synergetic efforts from a number of #industrial (public and private) and #academic organizations to fulfill the enormous task." #jf17thunder |Jane's 360 …</span></p>
<p><span>#Pakistan outlines 5th gen fighter #aircraft industrial aims. "Such large-scale (Project Azm) requires synergetic efforts from a number of #industrial (public and private) and #academic organizations to fulfill the enormous task." #jf17thunder |Jane's 360 </span><a href="https://www.janes.com/article/87669/pakistan-outlines-fgfa-industrial-aims#.XKYrRPt9RKY.twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.janes.com/article/87669/pakistan-outlines-fgfa-industrial-aims#.XKYrRPt9RKY.twitter</a><br/><br/><span>The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) has outlined ambitious plans to support its development of a fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) - otherwise known in Pakistan as Project AZM.</span><br/><br/><span>The PAC enterprise, which is owned and run by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), has established a new office - the Aviation Research, Indigenization & Development (AvRID) unit - to lead the FGFA programme, it confirmed.</span><br/><br/><span>The development programme is supported through Pakistan's development of a new aerospace complex - named 'Aviation City' - that was launched in 2017 to support Project AZM and other national military aerospace requirements.</span><br/><br/><span>"The office of DG [Director General] AvRID has been established to transform into reality the [PAF's] air staff vision… with the long-term goal of developing our own fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA)," PAC said on its website.</span><br/><br/><span>"[The] development of [the] FGFA would be a major national programme that would entail a massive amount of work, not all of which may possibly be carried out within PAC or even within Pakistan.</span><br/><br/><span>"Such large-scale development requires synergetic efforts from a number of industrial (public and private) and academic organisations to fulfill the enormous task," it added.</span><br/><br/><span>In order to "manage an engineering development programme of this magnitude", effective technical, engineering, and project management processes need to be established, PAC said.</span><br/><br/><span>PAC also outlined several specialist project teams that it will establish in collaboration with other national agencies as part of the Aviation City initiative.</span><br/><br/><span>These include an engineering management and support office, an Aviation Design Institute, a Mission Electronics Design Institute, an Aero Structures Design Institute, an Advanced Technologies Centre, and a Flight Test Centre.</span><br/><br/><span>PAC states that AvRID will collaborate with and leverage the capabilities of these various Aviation City agencies in undertaking Project AZM. "This [will] put together components of industry and academia to build a high-end research centre to enhance indigenisation capability. </span></p> In July 2016, British newspap…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2017-01-24:1119293:Comment:1129652017-01-24T23:47:19.862ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p>In July 2016, British newspaper Financial Times report headlined "China urges Pakistan to give army lead role in Silk Road project (CPEC): Squabbles in Islamabad highlight obstacles to Beijing’s plans for transport and energy corridor" said as follows:</p>
<p>"Frustrated with the slow progress on a sprawling, $46bn infrastructure project stretching from China to south Asia, Beijing is seeking to give Pakistan’s army a lead role.... progress has stalled as the two sides work out how to turn…</p>
<p>In July 2016, British newspaper Financial Times report headlined "China urges Pakistan to give army lead role in Silk Road project (CPEC): Squabbles in Islamabad highlight obstacles to Beijing’s plans for transport and energy corridor" said as follows:</p>
<p>"Frustrated with the slow progress on a sprawling, $46bn infrastructure project stretching from China to south Asia, Beijing is seeking to give Pakistan’s army a lead role.... progress has stalled as the two sides work out how to turn the proposals into concrete projects, said Victor Gao, a former Chinese foreign ministry official, with some blaming Pakistan’s competing ministries"..... “Pakistani politicians have squabbled over the route for the CPEC and this may have made people nervous in Beijing,” said a Pakistan government official. “Pakistan is a noisy place politically while the Chinese are not used to harsh disagreements, especially over such a vital project.”</p>
<p>The Pakistan military has thousands of civil, mechanical and electrical engineers with decades of experience in building large infrastructure projects and analysts say the army is well placed to supervise the corridor, according to the Financial Times.</p>
<p>In fact, Pakistan Army's Frontier Works Organization (FWO) is building significant parts of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). A July 2015 announcement is an illustration of what Frontier Works Organization is doing to advance CPEC:</p>
<p>“The Frontier Works Organization (FWO) has built roads with 502 kilometers length on the western alignment of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to link Gwadar with other parts of the country. The FWO took up the challenge to extend the benefits of Gwadar port to rest of the country by building roads in rugged mountainous terrain and highly inaccessible areas. The gigantic task was undertaken on the directives of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/11/pakistan-army-chief-backer-guarantor-of.html" target="_blank">http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/11/pakistan-army-chief-backer-guarantor-of.html</a></p> #India’s most profitable reta…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2016-08-19:1119293:Comment:1104292016-08-19T17:31:24.474ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>#India’s most profitable retail chain run by #Indian Army. 3900 stores $35 million profit in 2014-15 <a href="http://qz.com/760021" target="_blank">http://qz.com/760021</a> via @qzindia</span><br></br><br></br><span>The Indian defence services could teach the country’s top private retailers a thing or two about making money.</span><br></br><span>A chain of 3,900 stores of the Indian defence ministry’s canteen stores department (CSD) earned Rs236 crore ($35 million) in profit in financial year…</span></p>
<p><span>#India’s most profitable retail chain run by #Indian Army. 3900 stores $35 million profit in 2014-15 <a href="http://qz.com/760021" target="_blank">http://qz.com/760021</a> via @qzindia</span><br/><br/><span>The Indian defence services could teach the country’s top private retailers a thing or two about making money.</span><br/><span>A chain of 3,900 stores of the Indian defence ministry’s canteen stores department (CSD) earned Rs236 crore ($35 million) in profit in financial year 2014-15, according to a report in the Economic Times on Aug.17, based on a reply to a right to information query.</span><br/><span>For the same period, the Kishore Biyani-owned Future Retail, which runs supermarket chains such as Big Bazaar and eZone, reported a profit of Rs153 crore; the corresponding figure for Reliance Retail was Rs159 crore.</span><br/><span>The CSD stores typically work on operating margins as low as 1%—this figure can vary anywhere between 8% and 18% for a private retailer. These canteens function on a not-for-profit basis, but their volumes are huge. In 2014-15, their turnover stood at Rs13,709 crore, according to the report, trailing that of Reliance Retail at Rs17,640 crore but ahead of Future Retail’s Rs11,149.87 crore.</span><br/><span>A big reason to the CSD stores’ better profitability is lower overhead costs.</span><br/><span>“CSD does not have to bear two expenses that are major operational costs for retailers—real estate and advertising,” explains Devangshu Dutta, CEO of Third Eyesight, a New-Delhi based consulting firm. That’s because they are located within easy reach of defence staff, typically inside cantonments and not in commercial locations such as markets or malls.</span><br/><span>“Staffing and training costs are lower than private retailers since the management workforce is partially shared with the standing armed forces. CSD also has a focused, sometimes captive, audience which it doesn’t really have to fight for,” Dutta said.</span></p> GFIVE a mobile communication…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2016-03-19:1119293:Comment:1082222016-03-19T05:13:01.531ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p>GFIVE a mobile communication brand of GFIVE Group is the first-ever mobile manufacturing company in Pakistan. GFive is listed in top 10 in terms of global sales volume, has continued to hold the title of the fastest developing communication company. With established strong sales network based on the 95 global operations centers (including Pakistan), G’FIVE expands its business in full communication industry, dedicated in providing smart phone service to more consumers…</p>
<p>GFIVE a mobile communication brand of GFIVE Group is the first-ever mobile manufacturing company in Pakistan. GFive is listed in top 10 in terms of global sales volume, has continued to hold the title of the fastest developing communication company. With established strong sales network based on the 95 global operations centers (including Pakistan), G’FIVE expands its business in full communication industry, dedicated in providing smart phone service to more consumers globally.<br/><br/>Since 2014 GFIVE team made efforts to establish world leading standard manufacturing plant in Pakistan. Today by the Grace of ALLAH (ALL MIGHTY) GFIVE Mobile (Pvt) Limited is the Pioneer in Pakistan who assembled and produced GFIVE Smart Phone & Bar Phone handsets first time in Pakistan with labeling “Made in Pakistan”.<br/><br/>By installing State-of-the- Art Assembling Plant and Equipment approved by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) with the capacity to produce over half million handset per month. Gfive started its trail production successfully in January 2016, and produced over 87,000 handset of Smart and Bar Phones which completely meets the high quality standards.<br/><br/>With the aim, GFive Mobile (Private) Limited started their first ever state of the art Mobile production line & assembling unit in Pakistan for feature & Smart Phone segments to serve our valuable Pakistani customers nation-wide back up with strong after sale services.<br/><br/>GFive management always primarily focus on introducing reliable products to their customers at a very economical prices with strong after sale services & support nation-wide, We always believe, Pakistan is a highly potential market for production & assembling mobile handsets after the introduction of 3G/4G and upcoming 5G services together with a significant development towards digitized Pakistan and this is the right time to serve our Pakistani people, who feel proud to buy first ever “Made in Pakistan” handset.<br/><br/>GFive Mobile (Private) Limited has kept very strong network coverage, which cover all major & connecting cities of Pakistan through our strong distributional channel include whole-seller, dealer/retailers, high profile corporate sector such as Hypermarkets, Mobile Operators, Online Stores and Banks, etc. In addition of this, we also kept presence of our own outlets, regional offices, direct sales team and Customer care Centres.<br/><br/>We wish and hope that Government will also lead the initiative through practical steps in this direction and encourage companies to setup such type of production & assembling units in Pakistan and put Pakistan on the world map where handsets are assembled and manufactured in Pakistan and GFive Mobile (Private) Limited is a pioneer and of-course trend setter in Pakistan telecom industry and being served Pakistan 100% by Made-In Pakistan” Handset.<br/><br/>We are proud of what we’ve achieved but this journey continues and we want to be better than we have ever been before as we strongly believe that we are bigger than ‘a handset provider’.<br/><br/><a href="http://phoneworld.com.pk/gfive-as-first-ever-mobile-manufacturing-company-in-pakistan/" target="_blank">http://phoneworld.com.pk/gfive-as-first-ever-mobile-manufacturing-company-in-pakistan/</a></p> Datawind’s $38 Tablet Looks l…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2016-03-19:1119293:Comment:1082212016-03-19T02:39:42.821ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>Datawind’s $38 Tablet Looks like a $38 Tablet</span><br></br><span>For tablets, the race to the bottom has just reached a new low with Datawind’s Ubislate 7Ci, an Android tablet that’s on sale now for $38.</span><br></br><br></br><span>The Ubislate 7Ci has an interesting history. It started out as a project by India’s government to get cheap tablets into the hands of students, under the name Aakash. After being announced in 2010 with a target price of $35, the finished product arrived a year later…</span></p>
<p><span>Datawind’s $38 Tablet Looks like a $38 Tablet</span><br/><span>For tablets, the race to the bottom has just reached a new low with Datawind’s Ubislate 7Ci, an Android tablet that’s on sale now for $38.</span><br/><br/><span>The Ubislate 7Ci has an interesting history. It started out as a project by India’s government to get cheap tablets into the hands of students, under the name Aakash. After being announced in 2010 with a target price of $35, the finished product arrived a year later with a $45 bill of materials, and DataWind as the manufacturer.</span><br/><br/><span>But back then, it wasn’t possible to buy the Aakash outside of India, and a comparable tablet from DataWind cost well over $100. It’s taken a couple years, but Datawind has finally managed to reach a sub-$40 price for U.S. consumers. You can buy the Ubislate 7Ci straight from Datawind’s website.</span><br/><br/><span>Here’s what $38 gets you:</span><br/><br/><span>7-inch, 800-by-480 resolution capacitive touchscreen</span><br/><span>1 GHz single-core processor</span><br/><span>512 MB of RAM</span><br/><span>4 GB of storage</span><br/><span>MicroSD card slot</span><br/><span>0.3-megapixel front camera</span><br/><span>Android 4.0.3</span><br/><span>Basically, these are the specs we were seeing on smartphones a few years ago, and tablets of this quality were showing up for $100 as early as 2011. You get what you pay for with these devices, and that generally translates to poor viewing angles, weak battery life and so-so performance. The meager 4 GB of storage doesn’t leave much room for apps, though the inclusion of a MicroSD slot is helpful.</span><br/><br/><span>Even if you don’t find this tablet appealing, the price point alone is impressive. The average tablet today could reach a similar price in a few years, opening up new uses and business models. Magazines or newspapers could bundle their subscription costs into cheap tablet instead of paper. Schools could install a touchscreen on every desk. Touchscreens and Internet connectivity could become much more commonplace in appliances like ovens, washers and dryers and kitchen tables.</span><br/><br/><span>For those uses, cheap and “good enough” are all that are required, and that’s exactly where Datawind is headed. Suneet Singh Tuli, Datawind’s CEO, told the Washington Post that the company hopes to be producing $20 tablets in a year or two. For now, Datawind is targeting students and users who don’t have an Internet connection.</span><br/><br/><span>Word is that DataWind will be showing off its $38 tablet at the CES trade show next month, so hopefully we’ll be able to check it out then.</span><br/><br/><span><a href="http://techland.time.com/2013/12/16/datawinds-38-tablet-looks-like-a-38-tablet/" target="_blank">http://techland.time.com/2013/12/16/datawinds-38-tablet-looks-like-a-38-tablet/</a></span></p> Last month, an India-based mo…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2016-03-19:1119293:Comment:1083122016-03-19T02:21:50.628ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p>Last month, an India-based mobile manufacturing company named Ringing Bells announced a series of ultra-low budget, domestically-produced mobile handsets. These new phones included India’s cheapest 4G smartphone at ₹2999 ($44.60) and a 3G model dubbed Freedom 251 priced at a jaw-droppingly low ₹251 ($3.80).<br></br><br></br>----------<br></br><br></br>The market for budget smartphones in India is massive: though the per capita income is just under $1,600, this year India is projected to overtake the United…</p>
<p>Last month, an India-based mobile manufacturing company named Ringing Bells announced a series of ultra-low budget, domestically-produced mobile handsets. These new phones included India’s cheapest 4G smartphone at ₹2999 ($44.60) and a 3G model dubbed Freedom 251 priced at a jaw-droppingly low ₹251 ($3.80).<br/><br/>----------<br/><br/>The market for budget smartphones in India is massive: though the per capita income is just under $1,600, this year India is projected to overtake the United States in smartphone purchases. Currently, the market is dominated by a few major players: Samsung, Micromax, and Intex. Using manufacturing facilities in China, companies like Micromax and Intex produce hardware replicas of iPhones, Samsung Galaxys, and HTC Ones, trying their best to provide specifications that keep up with the current global standards. These efforts include Micromax’s $34 3G enabled phone and Intex’s HTC-inspired model for just $50.<br/><br/>------------<br/>But until now, no one had tried to market a phone for less than $4. What’s it like to use a $4 smartphone? I decided to investigate. From the start, something about the Freedom 251 didn’t seem right: though the expected delivery date is set at June 2016, it was almost impossible to obtain a review unit after the big reveal. I reached out to Ringing Bells’ media relations team to get one and was repeatedly stonewalled.<br/><br/>Then, reports surfaced indicating that the review units that were made available weren’t actually Freedom 251s. They were Adcom Ikon 4s, a $61 handset developed by a Delhi based company, and manufactured in Chinese, and Taiwanese units, and currently available in the market.<br/><br/>Amidst the confusion, reports of fraud surfaced. India’s Income Tax Department paid the company’s head office —which was shut down earlier this month— a visit. Since their initial announcement, the Ringing Bells’ website has listed all of its phones, including the Freedom 251 as unavailable for immediate sale, and their social media channels are flooded with unhappy customer comments. All their phones have reached pre-order limits according the communication on their website. Customer support is unavailable, and after failing to get in touch with company representatives over phone and email, it is difficult to understand whether Ringing Bells is still a functioning company. The enforcement directorate has ordered an investigation into Ringing Bells possible breach of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.<br/>Ringing Bells has admitted to purchasing demo handsets from Adcom and dressing them up as Freedom 251s to give the press an idea of what their eventual product would look like. But there’s no way Ringing Bells could build a phone comparable to the Ikon 4: a breakdown of the phone’s parts reveals it would cost roughly ₹2500 ($37.33) to build. Adcom, along with everyone else, was dumbfounded by Ringing Bells’ logic; the company has threatened to seek damages against Ringing Bells for dragging its company, and brand name, into this mess.<br/><br/>Eventually I did get my hands on one of the Adcom Ikon 4s, shabbily repackaged as the Freedom 251. While booting up, it pops up a rather optimistic screen that has the Hindi line ‘your dreams will come true,’ written in English. The inside panel and battery were taped over with Freedom 251 branding, and the Indian flag was printed across the back panel. In the week I used it, the phone held up pretty well, maintaining a solid 3G connection and functioning about as well as I could expect a $60 smartphone to. <br/><br/><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/18/11260488/india-ringing-bells-4-dollar-smartphone-controversy" target="_blank">http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/18/11260488/india-ringing-bells-4-dollar-smartphone-controversy</a></p> Excerpts from China's Outward…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2015-04-12:1119293:Comment:1019532015-04-12T05:19:17.777ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>Excerpts from China's Outward Foreign Investment: A Political Perspective</span><br></br><span>By Xiaofei Li</span><br></br><br></br><span>Haeir has 8 industrial complexes, two of which are foreign-one in the United States, and one in Pakistan.</span><br></br><br></br><br></br><span>Haier does localization in Pakistan: For Pakistani market, Haier especially designed a washer that can hold 15 long gowns at one time, which is suitable for daily life in Pakistan. …</span><br></br><br></br></p>
<p><span>Excerpts from China's Outward Foreign Investment: A Political Perspective</span><br/><span>By Xiaofei Li</span><br/><br/><span>Haeir has 8 industrial complexes, two of which are foreign-one in the United States, and one in Pakistan.</span><br/><br/><br/><span>Haier does localization in Pakistan: For Pakistani market, Haier especially designed a washer that can hold 15 long gowns at one time, which is suitable for daily life in Pakistan. </span><br/><br/><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=xVK8edumB2AC&pg=PA218&lpg=PA218&dq=haier+pakistan+manufacturing&source=bl&ots=9OZiXNj5Fi&sig=aLyuvy62cRX5ihd9POsOHQxaHz4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bv0pVcPnH463ogTGhYC4CQ&ved=0CB0Q6AEwADgU#v=snippet&q=Pakistan&f=true" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=xVK8edumB2AC&pg=PA218&lpg=PA218&dq=haier+pakistan+manufacturing&source=bl&ots=9OZiXNj5Fi&sig=aLyuvy62cRX5ihd9POsOHQxaHz4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bv0pVcPnH463ogTGhYC4CQ&ved=0CB0Q6AEwADgU#v=snippet&q=Pakistan&f=true</a><span> </span><br/><br/></p>