HELSINKISTOCKHOLM, Jan 26 Reuters Nokia on Thursday beat quarterly operating profit expectations and forecast higher 2023 sales as the Finnish telecom equipment maker said it had been able to gain market share, benefitting from 5G rollout in countries such as India.

We are taking market share now, Chief Executive Pekka Lundmark told Reuters, adding the growth was broadbased and calling India the highlight of this story.

Nokia shares opened up 5.8 in Helsinki.

Lundmark said Nokia saw another year of growth ahead in 2023, in sharp contrast with its main rival Ericsson.

Ericsson had reported lower than expected fourthquarter core earnings and said it expected a fall in margin in its Networks business to persist through the first half of 2023, citing weak sales of 5G equipment in markets such as the United States.

I guess the reason is that we have a more optimistic view on the size of the Indian market, Lundmark said, when asked about Nokia39;s better outlook than its rival39;s.

He added Nokia had also managed to diversify its customer base from network service providers to industrial customers who set up their own private 5G networks at power plants, utilities and mines among others.

We estimate that the world economy is only 30 digitalized compared to what the full potential is and that is exactly what we are seeing in the enterprise business, Lundmark said.

Nokia39;s fourthquarter comparable operating profit rose to 1.15 billion euros 1.26 billion from 908…