Leading mobile handset maker Nokia has registered nearly 15 per cent decline in revenue at Rs 14,100 crore (Rs 141 billion) in 2009-10 over Rs 16,567 crore (Rs 165.67 billion) in the previous fiscal mainly due to low prices and fierce competition from smaller players.
According to a study by Voice & Data, a publication of Cyber Media group, the telecom equipment and devices industry grew at 18.6 per cent last year, marginally lower than the 20 per cent in 2008-09.
Nokia, a Finish telecom giant, however, maintained top position in terms of total revenue followed by a Chinese equipment vendor Huawei at Rs 11,000 crore (Rs 110 billion) irrespective of security concerns from the Chinese vendors.
"The presence of emerging regional players and Chinese companies coupled with erosion in average selling price have affected Nokia's leadership position," the study said. Huawei's revenue grew at a whopping 76.3 per cent in 2009-10 and occupied the top slot in the category of equipment suppliers.
Huawei was followed by Nokia-Siemens Networks with revenue of Rs 10,824 crore (Rs 108.24 billion) registering a growth of nearly 10 per cent. Sweedish vendor Ericsson, once a market leader, grew marginally at 4.9 per cent with revenues of Rs 10,820 crore (Rs 108.20 billion) in 2009-10 compared to Rs 10,310 crore (Rs 103.10 billion) in the previous fiscal.
The overall telecom equipment and devices revenue stood at Rs 136,833 crore (Rs 1368.33 billion) during the period under consideration, as against Rs 115,382 crore (Rs 1153.82 billion) in 2008-09.
The Voice&Data100 annual survey by Asia's largest speciality publishing house CyberMedia, on telecom equipment is based on the revenue of telecom vendors in the enterprise equipment, carrier equipment and phone segments.
The Voice&Data100 annual survey on telecom equipment is based on the revenue of telecom vendors in the enterprise equipment, carrier equipment and phone segments. "The telecom equipment segment growth is impressive in the backdrop of the recession-hit economy at large, and the fact that the 3G rollout did not happen last year," said Ibrahim Ahmad, group editor, Voice&Data.
The telecom segment will continue to see robust growth in the current fiscal in the wake of upcoming 3G and Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) launches and 2G expansion by new operators, the survey added.
ITI and Tech Mahindra were the new entrants in the V&D Top10 list of telecom equipment vendors in FY 2009-10.
ITI entered the top 10 ranking with its spectacular 172 per cent growth with revenues touching Rs 4,732 crore (Rs 47.32 billion).
