Losing inches: Slim is in, flat is out

12,000-18,000 25,000-27,000 32,000 onwards Plasma ------40,000 onwards  Sunil Mehta, director, sales and manufacturing, Videocon, said, "We are targeting sales of 500,000 slim TVs (21-inch) and 100,000 slim TVs (29-inch) this year."  Although Mehta remains bullish about LCDs, it is the slim TVs where he sees potential. "The Indian consumer is extremely price conscious yet demanding when it comes to styling. A slim TV is as close as one can get to an LCD TV without paying a bomb." TCL sells slim CRT TVs starting at Rs 7,000.  "We are trying to get the CRT buyer to move to slim TVs and competitive pricing is the only way to do it," admits Sudhanshu Bhandari, deputy marketing manager, TCL India.  TCL has priced a 21-inch slim CRT at Rs 7,000, a 21-inch CRT at Rs 6,000 while a 22-inch LCD TV is priced at Rs 18,000. LCD makers have also introduced smaller 22-inch LCD TVs to battle cheaper slim TVs and CRTs.  LG and Samsung have launched smaller LCD and plasma TVs that are priced as low as Rs 18,000. Amitabh Tiwari, business group head (consumer electronics and kitchen appliances), LG, notes, "Slim CRTs have challenged the flat-panel market and we will be aggressive in promoting our ultra slim CRT television this year."  Slim CRTs are less than 16-inch thick while flat panels sport one-inch thickness. LG and Samsung are also focusing on the 32-inch super slim flat TVs, priced at around Rs 35,000.  "It tackles the most noticeable weakness of traditional CRT TVs, which is body thickness,