Nokia rebuts IDC's report on sales decline

Nokia and IDC yesterday clashed over the technology research company's figures. The bone of contention was an IDC a report that said Nokia's hold over India's Rs30,000 crore-a-year handset market was rapidly weakening.

IDC, whose data is keenly followed across the world, said Nokia's share of the Indian handset market, the company's second biggest after China, fell to 36.3 per cent at the end of June from 54 per cent at the end of 2009, providing the Finland-based firm's critics additional proof of its failure to keep pace with rapidly changing customer preferences.

According to the report, sprightly domestic handset makers led by Micromax, Spice, Karbon and Lava have eaten into Nokia's share of the market doubling their share to 33 per cent during the last six months.

Analysts say Nokia is struggling to compete at the top end against rivals such as Apple's iPhone and BlackBerry devices.
Nokia has contested IDC's findings, saying the numbers were flawed.

According to Nokia India managing director, D Shivakumar who spoke to The Economic Times, the figures were way off the mark and not correct.

''Nokia continues to do well in India across all segments,'' the company said in a statement which questioned IDC's figures. It further said that the so-called 'shipments' cited by IDC ''were not equivalent to actual sales and market shares''.