TCL to import camera SKDs

ne May 01, 2006Chinese hardware manufacturer TCL Electronics will import semi-knocked down (SKD) kits of its digital cameras into India and assembling them in India. The company is considering setting up of a facility for assembly in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Nick Ma, general manager (IT), TCL India Holdings, the wholly owned Indian subsidiary of the Chinese giant, told newsmen last Friday that the company will introduce an entire range of digital cameras for the Indian market in the current financial year.

Announcing the launch of TFT monitors and digital cameras, Ma said TCL India Holdings will cover the four states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the three quarters of the current financial year.

"By the year end, we will have established a presence in these states. We already have a strong distribution network in these states and the new products will retail through this network," Ma said, adding that the company will look at entering the Kolkata market next.

TCL currently sells its range of television sets in India and has a 6 per cent market share with 600,000 pieces sold in the year 2005.

TCL Technologies China has become the world's fifth largest television maker after its acquisition of the Thomson. Worldwide, the company sells one million television sets and another million IT products including monitors, Ma said.

TCL India has appointed Pune based DSK Infotech as the distributor for the Maharashtra market (other than Mumbai) for the TFT monitors and digital cameras.

"We will have one master distributor and four sub-distributors in each of the states we intend going to," Ma said.

The company will introduce three models each in the TFT monitors category during the year and will price it aggressively against the prices of the player which is the smallest in the segment.

Currently there are three players including LG Electronics, Samsung and Benq in the TFT market. "We will price our products about Rs 300 -500 lower than the lowest," Ma said.