Alcatel Re-enters Indian Smartphone Market with Affordable V3 Lineup, Bets on 'Make in India'

Alcatel, the French brand owned by China’s TCL Technology, has launched its V3 smartphone lineup in India after a long hiatus. The brand is being reintroduced by NxtCell India, a company just over a year old, co-founded by Madhav Sheth—former chief of Realme India and founder of HTech, the licensee for rival brand Honor.

NxtCell holds exclusive brand authorization from TCL operate the Alcatel brand in India and select international markets. TCL itself operates the French label under a trademark licence from Nokia. Nokia acquired Alcatel-Lucent in 2016 and now owns the brand. Alcatel previously sold cordless mobile phones in India in the 1990s but ceased operations in the late 2000s due to what NxtCell’s Chief Business Officer, Ansh Rathi, called “disruptions in the supply chain.”

Now, the brand is making a comeback with three smartphones—the V3 Ultra, V3 Pro, and V3 Classic—each priced in the mid-range segment. The company is betting on Alcatel's patented NXTPAPER display technology and stylus support, typically found in premium models.

“We are making the stylus mainstream,” said Rathi, adding that it is a dedicated hardware feature designed for the phone’s layered screen. “The screen has four different modes, with a dedicated button to switch between them. The first is the normal mode. The key difference is that this screen is specially designed for paper-like readability.”

All three V3 smartphones run on the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset and feature TCL’s NXTPAPER display, offering four viewing modes: Regular, Ink Paper, Colour Paper, and Max Ink. Unlike many mid-range phones focused on cameras or battery life, Alcatel is highlighting its distinctive matte-finish screen, which can be switched to a Kindle-like monochrome mode with a simple slide for a paper-like reading experience.

Heavy Emphasis on 'Make in India'

NxtCell is heavily relying on its "Make in India" identity to stand out in a market dominated by Chinese brands like Vivo and Xiaomi, while consumers increasingly move towards premium devices from Samsung and Apple.

NxtCell India has partnered with Padget Electronics, a subsidiary of Dixon Technologies, to locally manufacture Alcatel-branded devices. The production facility has a capacity of 1.2 million smartphones annually. The company has committed an initial investment of $30 million (around Rs 260 crore) to support Alcatel's re-entry into the Indian market.

“In alignment with the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, Alcatel devices will be manufactured in India from day one,” the company stated.

“India is slowly gaining confidence in local manufacturing. That’s what we are doing as well. We are localising materials like batteries, chargers, and cables—everything we can do in India, we are doing and promoting,” said Atul Vivek, Chief Business Officer at NxtCell India, to Outlook Business.

However, he added that majority of components are still have to be sourced from China, as they are not currently manufactured in India.

V3 Lineup: Specs, Features and Pricing

The Alcatel V3 series is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor and will be available via Flipkart starting 2 June 2025. It will also be offered through Flipkart’s quick-commerce platform, FK Minutes.

The Alcatel V3 Ultra, priced from Rs 19,999, comes in Hyper Blue, Champagne Gold, and Ocean Grey. It features a 6.78-inch Full HD+ NXTPAPER display with a 120Hz refresh rate and stylus support. It offers a 108MP triple rear camera setup and a 32MP selfie camera, backed by a 5,010mAh battery with 33W fast charging.

The Alcatel V3 Pro, starting at Rs 17,999, features a 6.7-inch 120Hz display and is available in Matcha Green and Metallic Grey. It offers 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, a 50MP dual camera system, and a 5,200mAh battery with 18W charging.

The Alcatel V3 Classic, priced from Rs 12,999, is available in Halo White and Cosmic Grey. It features a NXTVISION display, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, a 50MP main camera, and a 5,200mAh battery.

The V3 Ultra and V3 Pro run on Android 15, while the V3 Classic ships with Android 14. All three devices come with IP54-rated protection against dust and water splashes.