A research and development (R&D) centre is to be opened by Olive Telecommunications, a Gurgaon-based manufacturer of mobile handsets, netbooks and modems; in Delhi.

Meanwhile, a hybrid mobile phone, Olive FrvrOn, which is capable of running on AAA batteries when the primary Lithium Ion battery drains out, has also been unveiled by the company. Having a 5 inch colour display, polyphonic ringtones, stereo headset, built-in FM radio and speaker, FrvrOn has been priced at Rs1,699.

In December 2009, Olive came out with its plans to pump $100 million in its Indian operations, which include marketing, sales and R&D. The company is also mulling to sell three million devices in India by 2010 fiscal year along with taking its services to Indonesia and Russia in the coming months. By 2011, the company is hopeful to achieve a market share of 5 pct.

Currently working with 24 network operators across the globe; Olive Telecommunications has a product portfolio across WCDMA, CDMA, GSM and EV-DO handsets, mobile computing devices, advanced data modems and devices for wireless broadband.