Lava plans to turn up the heat on Chinese brands, aims to ramp up headcount

Expansion of distribution network, venturing into new markets, supplementing production capacity, and ramping up workforce are all on the cards

Indian handsets brand Lava is all set to make a comeback in 2021, after it bagged approval under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme last year.

The Noida-based company, which was cornered by a few aggressive brands from China about five years ago, is now looking to beat rivals on their terms.

Once a major player in the country’s budding smartphone market, Lava was the casualty of a highly-competitive pricing game that Chinese brands had initiated post their entry in 2014. In its comeback attempt, the local player has now decided to grab a slice from them by offering devices at a cheaper