Salary hikes low at handset companies

Some smartphone brands had put a section of underperforming employees under performance-improvement plans, many of whom eventually left the companies, industry experts said. Apart from the slowdown in demand and sales, the smartphone segment is dominated by Chinese firms that have been under the scanner of late and engaged in legal battles with Indian authorities. As a result, some of them have scaled back on their above-the-line marketing (comprising big TV campaigns) expenses.