Micromax, Madrid, and the 1.25 millionth international trade mark

• Author: Catherine Jewell
• Position: Communications Division, WIPO

Micromax Informatics Limited is one of a growing number of Indian companies that are taking advantage of the Madrid System to support their ambitions for commercial expansion into global markets. Members of the company’s management team explain the origins of their brand and why the Madrid System is an important part of their business strategy.

The Micromax mark

The trademark Micromax was born of a vision to democratize technology in India. “From the outset we wanted to make connective devices – smartphones, tablets, and more recently LED televisions – available at affordable prices for mass consumption,” explains company CEO Vineet Taneja.

“When we were forming the company, we were looking for a name that would connect with users in a meaningful way,” says cofounder Sumeet Kumar. “Our aim has always been to give more and more value to users by getting the maximum out of micro things. That is what Micromax means – deriving the maximum value from micro things.”

Understanding the market

The “micro” in Micromax, however, is not confined to using high performance micro-electronics. It also involves a “microscopic” understanding of what consumers want. “We pay close attention to understanding consumers. We try to solve some of the problems they face and to derive the maximum benefit in terms of the usability and reliability of the technologies we deliver,” notes Mr. Kumar.

The company’s marathon phone battery is a case in point. Recognizing that intermittent power supplies are a big problem for phone users in India – many have to travel long distances to charge their phones – Micromax produced the marathon phone battery which lasts up to a month on a single charge.

Similarly, responding to the high demand for internet access among young users, the company launched its Canvas range of large-screen mobile phones. “In India, mobile phones, especially smart phones, are the first and only device that the consumer has to connect with the Internet,” explains Mr. Taneja. “We have actually been able to grab a big share of the market by enabling young consumers who do not have a laptop to connect to the Internet with their phones.”

Micromax’s Unite series of phones is another example of how the company delivers innovations that are relevant to its customers. Unite supports 21 different languages spoken in India and “is the first device in the country to help consumers use their local language to connect to the internet,” Mr. Taneja explains.

Reinforcing...