Sony’s mobile division will boost its Indian dealer network by 5000 stores this fiscal year – from 3000 to 8000.

The plan comes after rival Taiwanese company HTC announced its plan to expand its network by 3000 stores across India within the next nine months.

From a 27 per cent growth in the last fiscal, Sony expects an even healthier growth this year at 30 per cent, says Sony India MD Kenichiro Hibi. And he says smartphones will be its big revenue drivers.

“The mobile business has been growing very fast for us, and even the Bravia TV range has moved up,” said Hibi.

He says despite India’s slowing economic growth, consumers haven’t stopped from spending on consumer goods like smartphones.

Sony and HTC are facing competition from tech giants Apple and Samsung as well as local companies like Micromax.