Opera Mini browser tocome preloaded onhandsets made by sevenIndian manufacturers

Mobile browser company, Opera, has
announced a tie-up with seven Indian
handset makers, namely Celkon,
Karbonn, Lava, Intex, HCL, Zen and
Fly to preinstall the Opera Mini mobile
web browser on their Android devices.
While it will be the only third-part
browser on all Android devices made
by Celkon, Karbonn, Lava, and Intex,
the browser will be offered on select
devices made by Zen and Fly and on
HCL's ME tablets.
"The number of Indians accessing the
web from mobile devices is growing at
a much faster rate than those using a
computer. This unique environment
has made it essential for handset
manufacturers to ensure their
upcoming mobile devices are web
enabled and are ready to deliver the
best browsing experience," said Lars
Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software
"We are extremely pleased to work
with these Indian mobile OEMs who
have chosen Opera Mini for their
devices based on Android, a very
promising mobile OS for smartphones.
A combination of affordable Android
devices and smart applications such as
Opera Mini will ensure that users enjoy
a seamless browsing experience and
encourage newbies to get on board the
web express," added Boilesen.
Opera also revealed that Opera Mini
users on smartphones in India
increased by 136 percent, making 19
percent of the total number of Opera
Mini users. Opera Mini users on
Android increased by 62 percent,
comprising 12 percent of the total
number of Opera Mini users.
The Norway based company also
informed that Samsung tops the list of
Android devices used to access the
web via Opera Mini with a 31 percent
market share, followed by Sony at 23
percent and Micromax at 15 percent.
The top 10 mobile devices used to
access the web through the browser
cost less than Rs. 10,000 with the
exception of the Samsung Galaxy S2,
informed Opera.