Huawei Goes to India: Can the Dragon and the Elephant Marry?

Huawei is not yet a major player in India’s competitive smartphone market. The company has a low-end brand, called the “Honor” brand in India, and they expect that the Indian smartphone market will use Huawei brand for high-end devices. Both brands had a combined market share of 3.4 percent in 2018. Huawei, by the end of 2018, has chartered out a three-year plan for the Indian market through its dual-brand strategy, backed by investments of over $100 million starting from 2019 with an expansion of local manufacturing activities. Will this global telecom giant become a major player in India? The current chapter explores the issue in light of the Sino-India relationship and the alleged security issues related to Huawei.