New Delhi, Apr 26 (IANS): Domestic smartphone maker Lava has been ranked first by the Indian retailers on trustworthiness as well as timely payouts while Samsung stood second, a report said on Thursday.

According to CyberMedia Research's (CMR) "Retail Sentiment Index 2018", the three key parameters for channel partners were sell-out schemes, timely payout and transparency in dealings.

"Despite the stiff competition from Chinese mobile handset brands, Lava has held its ground in offline retail channels, scoring exceptionally well, alongside Samsung," Satya Mohanty, Head-User Research Practice at CMR said in a statement.

"Our survey findings affirm that Lava has been ranked first by retailers on trustworthiness as well as timely payouts," he added.

The CMR "Retail Sentiment Index 2018" survey was conducted in 10 major Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati, among others.

"What our survey illustrates is that Offline has to be a strategic long-term move and not merely a knee-jerk tactical one. When brands plan and invest in their channel partners, it pays off for them," said Prabhu Ram, Head- Industry Intelligence Group (IIG) at CMR.

"Brands such as Samsung and Lava have consistently focused on Offline as a key priority for them, with a long-term strategy, centred around trust, timely payouts and transparency in dealings," added Satya.