Things have not been going well for HTC as it continues to hemorrhage money quarter after quarter. Its decision to sell off its Pixel division to Google didn't do anything to staunch the bleeding; it's just more blood to run through the sieve. Now, HTC is considering a bold strategy, according to a new report. The smartphone maker may simply license its name to other smartphone manufacturers.

HTC is allegedly in talks with Micromax, Lava, and Karbonn about licensing its name for new phones in India. That's one of the largest growth markets for smartphones, but HTC was unable to compete and pulled out of India last year. Currently, it sells a few older models on Amazon and Flipkart, but no one is buying. Local manufacturers move a ton of units, and budget-oriented Chinese firms like Xiaomi and OnePlus have picked up huge market shares.

Talks are reportedly in the advanced stages, with the possibility that Lava and Karbonn could team up to share the license. Partnering with a third-party could help HTC scrape together a little profit from India in the form of royalties. However, this is yet another sign that the company is struggling to build compelling devices. We've seen other OEMs go down this path, and it's hard to come back. In a few years, HTC could exist just to license its name to TCL.

Source: Economic Times