New Delhi. There was a time when mobile phone in India meant Nokia. The shop shelves were filled with the same colors – blue and black, and in their hands were gleaming strong, reliable, long battery phones. ‘Connecting People’ was not just a tagline, but the mobile experience of crores of Indians. But the company which brought mobile phones to every home and which did not see any challenge in the market, almost disappeared within a few years. This is the story of Nokia’s unprecedented rise and equally rapid fall.
Beginning of Nokia: India’s trusted brand
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, India was beginning a mobile revolution. The market was small, the network weak and phones expensive. It was during this period that Nokia made its strategy:
Simple phone + strong hardware + long battery + reliable service = winning the hearts of India.
Nokia soon realized that in India the phone is not a luxury but a necessity of the future. Therefore, the company launched models with cheap, durable and easy user-interface. Network support in rural areas, dust and heat resistant hardware, and full battery phones made Nokia stand out from the crowd.
Nokia 3310: Why became India’s mobile
If mobile history is written in India, the name of Nokia 3310 will be in gold letters. This phone was not just a device but it was an icon.
Nokia’s dominance due to 3310
- Unbreakable phone: This phone kept working even after falling. People used to say jokingly – 3310 will not fall, it will make others fall!
- Amazing battery backup: charge once, run comfortably for two days.
- Simple Interface: Everyone’s favorite, from the Snake game to the simple menus.
- Strong Network: Excellent signal reception.
Apart from 3310, models like 1100, 6600, 2100 made Nokia popular in every class of India. Between 2005–2010, Nokia’s market share reached more than 60 percent, a figure that no company can touch today.
How Samsung and Android changed the game
Nokia’s real challenge began when the world started seeing mobiles as “smartphones”. Touchscreens, apps, the Internet, and operating systems—this was the future. But Nokia was late in understanding this change.
Not adopting Android – the biggest mistake
In 2008–2009, Google launched the Android OS, which was open-source and available to every brand. It was fast, modern, app-friendly and constantly updated. But Nokia refused to adopt Android. The company remained stuck on its old operating system Symbian, which was not able to meet the demand of new technology.
Samsung’s aggressive entry
Samsung grabbed the opportunity and started launching Android phones in India with low prices, big screens and new features. Big display, improvement in camera, trend of touchscreen, continuous new models etc. rapidly attracted the youth.
The app ecosystem changed everything
Nokia’s Ovi Store app could not be launched in the market. On the other hand, Android was flooded with thousands of apps. People wanted social media, gaming, internet, everything and Android was providing all this easily. Nokia remained strong only in hardware, but the world had shifted to software.
Nokia’s last attempt and Microsoft’s deal
In 2011, Nokia tried to correct its big mistake and left Symbian and adopted Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS. But by then it was too late, people had become accustomed to the freedom of Android and the premium quality of the iPhone. Finally, in 2014, Nokia’s mobile business was sold to Microsoft and this almost spelled the end of Nokia’s mobile empire.
Reasons for disappearing from the Indian market
- Not adopting Android in time
- Stick to Symbian OS
- Understanding the smartphone trend late
- Lagging behind in the app ecosystem
- Aggressive strategy of brands like Samsung, Micromax, later Xiaomi
- Internal management mistakes
Where is Nokia today?
Nokia now makes smartphones with a new company HMD Global. Some models are still available in the Indian market today. However, Nokia was never able to regain its old shine. Still, the name of Nokia holds a place in the hearts of crores of people of India which hardly any other brand can take. The rise and fall of Nokia shows that even the biggest player in the technology world can be left behind by one wrong decision.
