Can Micromax, Lava make the Windows phone cool in India?

While everyone’s focus in the Microsoft-Nokia deal has been on the tax troubles faced by the Finnish phone manufacturer, it hasn’t been win-win for Microsoft either. Acquiring Nokia has meant that the software giant has lost the largest producer of mobile phones that operate on Windows Phone OS and the only other producers of Microsoft tablets. [caption id=“attachment_1297869” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] That could explain today’s Times of India  story stating Microsoft is in talks with Indian phone companies to convince them to create Window Phone devices. According to the article, Microsoft is in talks with Lava, Micromax and possibly Karbonn to choose the Window’s 8.1 OS over the hugely popular Android operating system. “We will come out with a WP device next year. The plan is to launch with Windows Phone 8.1,”  said Vishal Sehgal, co-founder and director of Xolo, a separate entity created by Lava for premium phones. Neither Micromax nor Karbonn sources unequivocally confirmed talks with Microsoft. Understandably, Microsoft has been approaching local phone companies since they have captured a larger Indian market share ( over 50 percent as opposed to Nokia’s paltry 5 percent). Perhaps one of the ways Microsoft can win over these potential partners is by offering the Windows Phone license for free, like Google does with its Android OS for mobiles which is why it is so popular.