New Delhi, July 8 -- A new homegrown brand has announced its entry into India's cutthroat smartphone market with two sub- Rs.10,000 devices, aiming to 'convert' the nearly 200 million users who still use 'feature' phones on 2G networks.

The highlight of the launch on Tuesday wasn't so much the budget smartphones but the person heading the venture-Madhav Sheth, once wildly popular in India's consumer tech market for solidifying the stature of Chinese electronics brand Realme.

In his new stint as a co-founder, Sheth is betting big on converting users of basic mobile phones with alphanumeric keypads into smartphone users-a market even Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio had to change its stance on.

"We believe that there is great scope to disrup...