Google to Bring ‘Android Nation’ Stores to India This Year, Starting With New Delhi

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) is partnering up with one Indian telco to give a big boost in visibility to its mobile OS, Android. The move will see Spice Global (SGX: M09) opening up official Android Nation stores across India. The first Android Nation store in the country will be opened in New Delhi later this year at Select Citywalk. The Economic Times reports that Google has been scouting for a 1,200-1,500 sq ft location for this store.

India becomes only the second nation after Indonesia to get Android Nation stores. A my colleague noted last December, Indonesia now has two of them in the capital (one is pictured above).

The Android Nation store is not only a shop – selling Android device from brands such as HTC, Samsung, Huawei, and Sony – but also a geek playground where people are free to touch and try all the phones and tablets on display. The idea is to give Android a boost in visibility to compete with official or reseller stores that showcase Apple’s iPhone and iPad, or Nokia stores that promote Windows Phone.

Spice Global will also sell Android devices in the Middle East, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Africa.

One new phone-maker appearing in the Indian Android Nation store will be Chinese brand Coolpad, which outsells Apple in China. The devices will be Spice-CoolPad co-branded.

The Android Nation outlets – it’s not clear which other cities will get them – will also help Spice convert 2G users into 3G subscribers in India.

(Source: Economic Times; via Watblog)