Sony upbeat on 50% growth this fiscal

Sony India Private Limited, the 100 per cent subsidiary of Sony Corporation, expects a 50 per cent growth in turnover to cross Rs 1,200 crore as compared to Rs 800 crore earned last year.

The company expects the Sony World outlets to contribute around 35 to 40 per cent and Sony Exclusive showrooms around eight per cent to 10 per cent of the total turnover. The growth is mainly expected to come from the handycam sector which saw a 300 per cent growth during April to July period over the corresponding period last year.

"The other sectors that the company expects to grow are the DVD and the colour television categories which saw a 64 per cent increase during April-July this year as compared to the sales in corresponding period last year," said Mohit Parashar, general manager (AV/IT division) of Sony India Private Limited.

Speaking to media persons after inaugurating the second Sony World in the city, Parashar said: "The sales between April and July registered a growth of 51 per cent across all the product range. This trend is likely to continue throughout the year and that is why the company is going in for the expansion of stores across the country."

The company plans to increase the number of Sony World showrooms across the country to around 50 from the existing 42 by November.

"Apart from increasing the number of Sony World outlets, the company also plans to increase the number of Sony Exclusive outlets to around 90 from the present 60 during the same period. These are smaller versions of similar stores. Though we do not have plans to open Sony World in other cities in Andhra Pradesh, we would be opening four Sony Exclusive stores in the state in the next three months," he said.

The company at present has only one Sony Exclusive store in Vijayawada. "We will open a store each in Visakhapatnam, Kurnool, Nellore and Kakinada by November," Parashar said.

Sony India has a 10 per cent marketshare across all its product range. In Hyderabad, it has a 12 per cent marketshare in the colour television category and a 50 per cent share in the audio category.

The company is also planing to increase the service touch points across the country to 180 from the present 110 during the current financial year across the country.