MUMBAI: In an announcement that emphasises the impact of the brand in the overseas market, itel, the hi-tech innovative brand for the masses, has been ranked 51stin the list of the ‘Most Admired Brands in Africa’ in 2015. The latest rankings by African Business, Africa’s biggest business magazine, saw itel move up 21 positions to be placed above other leading global brands such as Toshiba, Sharp, BlackBerry and Facebook.

Speaking on the announcement, Sudhir Kumar, CEO, itel Mobile India, said, “itel was established to make quality mobile connectivity solutions accessible to the aspiring consumer base across the world. Being named amongst the ‘Most Admired Brands in Africa’ highlights the difference we have made to the continent’s consumers by bridging the technological gap between the urban and rural geographies. We will be looking to build on that success and consolidate our presence in India by delivering best-in-class features at highly cost-effective prices. Our products have already received an impressive response from the country’s consumers, and we are confident that we will be able to drive the cause of Digital India through our state-of-the-art innovations and feature-driven products.”

The latest achievement underlines itel’s impact within the African region as an enabler that aims to empower every individual with value added and best-in-class mobility-based communication solutions. The brand, which has sold more than 70 million handsets worldwide since its inception, was previously ranked 72nd in the 2014 list of ‘Most Admired Brands in Africa’.