The Z1 handsets are available in India for 5,700 rupees ($92; £60) and, according to the firm, offer faster boot times and longer-lasting battery life than many budget-priced rivals.

Samsung had previously planned to sell Tizen phones in Russia and Japan, but cancelled the launches.

One expert said the Indian move represented a shift away from Android.

"Tizen is Samsung's big software platform bet," said Ben Wood from the telecoms consultancy CCS Insight.

"Until now, its software strategy has been predicated by the decisions Google has made with Android, and it's been able to use that relationship to enormously positive benefit.

"However, it's now finding it increasingly challenging to differentiate what it offers with Android-powered devices versus its rivals. Hence the difficulty it's having standing out from the crowd with its products and the related market share loss that it's suffered.

"By using Tizen, Samsung can make its phones very skinny indeed and there are also battery life advantages versus Android, which we've already seen with its Tizen-powered smartwatches."

Samsung is currently the world's bestselling manufacturer of handsets running Android,

However, the firm was a notable holdout when Google announced its Android One programme for India in September - an effort by the search giant to help manufacturers release low-cost "high quality" phones in the country by setting minimum standards and sourcing several of the hardware components for them.

Bollywood downloads

Samsung's Z1 handsets features:

A 4in (10.2cm) providing 480p resolution

A 3.1 megapixel rear camera and a 0.3 megapixel front one

Four gigabytes of internal memory that can be further expanded via the addition of a microSD card

Support for two Sim cards at once - a popular feature in the country as it helps users obtain the best rates by switching provider when crossing states

The South Korean firm says it can provide up to eight hours of talktime or seven hours of non-stop video playback between charges.

To aid its appeal, the firm is also providing free access to Bollywood songs and movies for three months via tie-ups with local services Hungama, nexGTv and Box TV.

Android One smartphones

(BBC)