Micromax - which sells over one million cell phones a month in India - is about to start selling some of them in Brazil.

The company is setting up a partnership with Nagem, a Brazilian distributor and electronics retailer with 26 stores in the northeastern state of Pernambuco, in order to sell low-priced handsets as early as next week, daily Valor Economico reported.

Micromax will focus on the "affordable" segment in Brazil and its phones will retail for R$150 to R$500 ($94-314). The company's most sophisticated handset in Brazil will be called Bling and will allow internet and Twitter access, the paper said.

Micromax is the first Indian company to tap Brazil's insatiable appetite for cell phones. In fact, Brazil now has more cell phone activations than people. The company is joining other Asian cell phone producers such as China's TCT Mobile and Longcheer, which also export to Brazil.

According to Valor data, Brazilians spent $571m in imported mobile phones between January and July, a 103 per cent increase over the same period of 2010. Citing figures from Brazil's government, they noted the number of imported headsets sold in the country jumped to 8.2m in the first seven months of the year, from 3.2m in 2010.

See also:
China and India in Brazil: a difference of approach - FT Tilt
Brazil's love affair with cell phones - FT Tilt
Korea boosts Brazil investments by...700 pct - FT Tilt