The Silicon Review ^Asia

Lava International is in advanced talks with one of the top Indian telcos to make co-branded smartphones, which will be subsidized by the operator, pulling the cost sharply down for the 4G device. It has already started making Nokia branded smartphones and is in talks with Motorola for similar tie-ups, people familiar with the matter said.

Lava has reached an advanced level of talks with one of the telcos. Phones will be co-branded but will be subsidized by the telco. The firm is in talks with all three telecom operators for design and manufacturing of smartphones.Lava also has plans to partner with companies that can share supply chains. It is already making smartphones for Nokia [HMD Global]. It is looking to combine forces on the supply chain front.

It is believed that Bharti Airtel is to be also talking to handset vendors to develop and sell low cost 4G smartphones under the carrier subsidy model. Airtel officially has said it is exploring its device options.Lava wants to work with important companies that are from outside of the ecosystem in India so that their supply chain can be combined.