Smartphone wars: How Micromax, Spice & Karbonn plan to compete with international brands

Hasija sold TV accessories like antennas and trolley and Jain was the distributor for Eagle flask when they started their career.  Hasija and Jain represent a growing breed of Indian entrepreneurs who grab an grab opportunity when it comes by.  Hasija and Jain setup Karbonn Mobiles with an investment of Rs 100 crore. 

"In 1996, when pager and mobile phone revolution first started in Karnataka, I bagged a lucrative contract to become the telecom hardware distributor for Alcatel-Lucent SA, then ended up as a distributor for Nokia, the world's largest handset-maker," says Hasija. 

Both are family men at heart and like to be with family in their free time.  Hasija's appetite for cricket is perhaps the reason Virendra Sehwag & Gautam Gambhir endorse Karbonn today.  To create a "business instilled with values" is Jain's dream and Hasija is backing it up with his huge appetite for risk and subsequent rewards. 

Brand: Lava Mobile Phones

Founder: Shailendra Nath Rai

Turnover: Rs 1,000 crore

Before entering the telecom industry, Rai worked with DCM Textiles, Xerox and LG and then was one of the promoters of Pacetel, an OEM supplier to Bharti, Reliance and ZTE.  He alongwith Hari Om Rai and Sunil Bhalla started Lava Mobiles in 2009 with an investment of Rs 10 crore. 

Rai is a mechanical engineer from Dayalbagh Engineering College, Agra and is an optimistic by nature.  He believes that "motivation only comes through achievement and to succeed it is important to work hard and smart."  A golfing enthusiast, Rai also likes listening to classical music and travel.