Indian online retailer Flipkart has partnered with local telco Karbonn to launch four entry-level Android smartphones, priced as low as 2,699 Rupees (£26).

The lower-end handsets run Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean), with data connectivity through the EDGE protocol, while the more expensive devices – both of which cost less than the equivalent of £45 – are powered by Android 4.4 (KitKat) and come with 3G capability.

“It is our continuous endeavour to make technology available easily and at affordable prices to the greater masses of India. In this digital age, we believe every Indian should have access to a smartphone,” said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, SVP of retail at Flipkart. “These Karbonn phones that have been made exclusively for Flipkart customers are a step in that direction.”

India is one of the markets currently being eyed up by many Western tech companies as an potential area of major expansion. While the low smartphone adoption rates have so far led to a focus on feature phones – Facebook this morning unveiled an expanded new series of advertising tools for emerging markets aimed at lower-end devices – the increasing availability of entry-level priced smartphones could open up a host of opportunities that havent previously been available to marketers.