Jolla, the Finnish smartphone startup, has expanded availability of its device to India.

The Sailfish-powered Jolla smartphone (pictured) is being offered via the Snapdeal e-commerce site on an exclusive basis, priced at INR16,499 in India ($270).

Snapdeal has more than 25 million customers, allowing Jolla to be exposed to a wide audience.

With an interface that is purely gesture-based, the Jolla device is compatible with Android apps — something that will be of particularl benefit in emerging markets, where Android is predominant. It also supports live multitasking, showing which apps are running on a single screen.

The smartphone also features ‘The Other Half’ technology, in which smart covers provide customised profiles, functions, colours, fonts, sounds and apps via NFC.

Citing the lack of choice in the OS space, Jolla co-founder and CMO Sami Pienimaki said the Jolla smartphone, “with its open and independent Sailfish OS, is bringing excitement and freedom back to the smartphone industry”.

Snapdeal’s senior VP of electronics and home Tony Navin added that the distinctive Sailfish OS user experience and Android app compatibility offers “a great alternative for smartphone users looking for something new and different”.

When the Snapdeal partnership was announced in July, Pienimaki said: “In particular we have found it very encouraging how much there is interest and trust for mobile heritage coming from Finland, and what kind of development opportunities there are to start, to develop, for example, local applications for India.”

Hong Kong last month became the first non-European market in which the Jolla device was launched (in partnership with 3 Hong Kong).

The first devices were made available late last year, initially in its home market in partnership with operator DNA, and direct from its web store.

The company also has a partnership with Mobile Invest to offer the device in Kazakhstan.