I recently had the opportunity to speak with Arijeet Talapatra, the dynamic CEO of itel India, a brand that has built an unshakable reputation in India’s budget smartphone and feature phone segments. With a mission to make “technology for all” a reality, itel has become a trusted name in Indian households, connecting more than 110 million (11 crore) consumers through its range of feature phones, smartphones, smart gadgets, and televisions.
Under Talapatra’s leadership, the brand has achieved remarkable success, from maintaining its No. 1 position in India’s feature phone market with over 31% market share, to becoming one of the leading players in the sub-Rs 10,000 smartphone category with 22% market share (as per Counterpoint 2025). itel’s strength lies in combining affordability, reliability, and durability with localized innovation that caters to the real needs of Bharat.
Our discussion spanned several themes, from itel’s guiding philosophy and product durability to its AI initiatives, large-scale manufacturing, and plans to create a connected ecosystem of smart products.
Below is the complete interview, divided into thematic sections for clarity.
8Expanding scale and sustaining leadership across Bharat
itel’s success story is deeply rooted in scale and customer trust. With over 130,000 retailers, 1,000+ distributors, and 1,000 service centers, the brand has created one of the strongest distribution and after-sales networks in India.
“Sustainable scale comes from delivering consistent value,” Talapatra said. “Exceptional customer service is the cornerstone of customer trust, turning every interaction into an opportunity to build lasting relationships.”
He also emphasized the importance of after-sales support. “itel has established a robust service network with more than 1,000 service centers across India, ensuring unrestricted access to after-sales support for our customers. We are very confident about our product quality, which is why we provide an industry-first free screen replacement offer within 100 days,” he said.
“This no-questions-asked guarantee provides peace of mind and strengthens customer confidence in our brand. Strong customer service is the cornerstone of loyalty, and the high brand trust itel enjoys today is proof of that,” he added.
