MVNO MVNE MNO Mobile & Telecoms industry intelligence Telecoms Jobs, News and Business
Mobile phone manufacturing in Bangladesh
The country’s manufacturing and processing giant, Pran-RFL Group, made a foray into mobile phone manufacturing to buy a share of the expanding market for digital handsets in Bangladesh.
The group has set up a 30,000 square feet manufacturing plant in Palash, Narsingdi. At its peak, the production is 3.5 lakh of multipurpose phones and 1 lakh of smartphones per month.
Pran-RFL manufactures all of its essential products. Entering for the first time, into the sector of information technology market and establishing their mobile phone manufacturing plant.
The group initially invested around 30 crore Tk and more than 500 people who were recruited at the beginning stages.
RFL Electronics, a sister group of RFL, runs the mobile phone company under the Proton brand.
The group also has plans to manufacture mobile phone accessories, laptops, tablets, closed-circuit television, and smart home appliances.
They are numeric apparel market entries that are involved at a time or more companies in a mission to invest in this segment and want it assembled or manufactured in Bangladesh.
The local production combined with the help by Government the enormous tax advantages of the government in the course of exercise 2017-2018.
Backed by, the sales of mobile phones are growing fast in an economy forecast by Fitch Ratings to accelerate to 7.2 per cent in the current fiscal year. Since then 14 factories have opened and employing around 17000 people.
The Current Bangladesh annual market stands at Tk 11,000 crore and Tk 12,000 crore. At least one forth is the accessories market according to local experts.
The demand for mobile phones was 4.10 crores in 2020-2021, 63% was satisfied by local manufacturers. In six months 1.85 crore of product manufactured locally of what 65% was Smartphones. According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) showed.
Association of importers of mobile phones in Bangladesh reported 17% in value and 8% in volume in the past 5 years. Thank to local manufacturing, the prices are have dropped more than 35%.
More recently, there was a VAT exemption of 5% from the sale ended, even though the current global crisis has had a negative impact on local industry.
The majority locals in Bangladesh do not have the capacity to purchase portable phones from foreign markets.
To respond to the demand of people from all over the world, RFL wants to sell portable phones at affordable prices, declared Kamal. Pran-RFL is a large company and they are entrees in the manufacture of mobile phones, a statement from Shyam Sunder Sikder, president of BTRC.
With more companies entering the market it creates more competition and locals obtaining the products at a more competitive price.
Allowing local companies to exporter product will all to source foreign currencies for local use.
In fact, local brands have start shipping smartphones to foreigners. The Walton Group exports smartphones to the United States and Symphony to Nepal.
Walton manufactures computers, laptops, printers, tabs and mobile phones. Brands such as Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi are holding a significant market share.
Pran-RFL is the biggest household products and food processor manufacturer in Bangladesh
They already have a presence in the following areas of agro-processing, plastics, light engineering, furniture, electronics, bicycle, packaging, and readymade garment.
Pran-RFL has Factories in 25 locations across the country and exports to 145 countries. 2021-22, they shipped goods worth around $532 million.
Pran-RFL is the biggest employer in Bangladesh, creating jobs for about 150,000 people directly.
The Pran-RFL group face fierce competition from local and International companies.
Local Manufacturing in Bangladesh is supporting the local market for more affordable mobile phones and exported globally with more employment opportunity for locals.
find out more about proton mobile phones
By A W Moghul
immediate access