MUMBAI: Nokia has tied up with an Indian vendor, HCL Infosystems, to offer mobile value-added services such as navigation, music and other entertainment to Indian consumers, say reports.

The services are likely to be offered under the Ovi brand that Nokia uses for its online services, the report quotes a Nokia India spokeswoman as saying.

HCL and Nokia are setting up a joint venture, subject to customary regulatory approvals, that is expected to take off later this year, the two companies said Wednesday.

HCL already distributes Nokia's mobile phones in India, and the joint venture extends the relationship.
Nokia may also look at other partners to offer the services to consumers.

The company also has a program to offer services and content targeted at rural customers in India. The channels for the services are different, the spokeswoman added.

India added 10.81 million mobile subscribers in December, taking the total number of mobile subscribers to 347 million, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said on Wednesday. The country added 10.35 million new subscribers in November, the report adds.