On March 20, Taiwanese Smartphone maker HTC announced that it has forged a strategic alliance with Indian mobile operator Reliance, whereby HTC will provide Reliance with Smartphones based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS, The Hindu reported.

Catering to Reliance's high-end CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) users, HTC will supply Smartphones priced around 16,500 Rupees (US$408.7; US$1 = 40.4 Rupees) and 19,500 Rupees (US$483.0), to be marketed by Reliance across India by the end of March, 2008, according to PC World India. Moreover, HTC will also launch value-line Smartphones with a price tag below 10,000 Rupees (US$247.7), which are slated for commercialization within the next six months, India's Sify reported.

Through the alliance, HTC is expected to expand its market presence in India, targeting a shipment volume of one million units by 2009, while Reliance aims to further boost its subscriber base. The number of mobile phone subscribers in India stood at 242.4 million as of the end of January, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.