Philips leads in DVD market

The DVD market in India is witnessing an explosion and Philips is leading the charge in this segment.

This market grew at an astonishing pace touching a total of 8 lakh units during 2004 from a lakh units during 2003. Philips alone accounted for sales of five lakh units in 2004 from 40,000 units in 2003 and is targetting to double the volume during 2005.

Said Suresh Sukumaran, senior GM, Consumer Electronics, Philips India: "Our pricing strategy has been a huge hit in the Indian market. We are now offering DVDs around Rs 4,000 and targeting the VCR market. Our message is simple and clear "" 'Why go in for a VCP when you can buy a DVD player which plays both video cassettes and DVD. This is paying off and we intend to double our volumes in the next year."

Philips is followed by Onida, LG, Samsung and Sony in this growing market.

Philips is also planning to increase its colour TV market over the next one year.

"We have close to 7 per cent market share in the 80 lakh CTV market, selling close to 5.5 lakh units during 2004 from 3 lakh units in 2003. We intend to double this volume during 2005 backed by growth in flat screen models which have become more affordable," Sukumaran added.

The company has recently entered into a outsourcing pact with one of BPL's manufacturing units in Bangalore to cater to the Southern markets.

"BPL had idle capacity and our production unit at Pune was running at full capacity. To cater to the growing demand of CTVs in the Southern market, we are using their unit," he added.

The company also announced the launch of its plasma and LCD TVs equipped with Pixel Plus 2 and Ambilight technologies which will enrich TV watching experience with a host of features.

"Pixel Plus 2 creates sharper, more detailed pictures with a greater impression of depth than any other image enhancement technology. Ambilight technology enhances the TV and the viewing atmosphere itself by projecting background lighting built into the back of the TV onto the wall behind the set. This provides a soft glow around the TV set and ensures it does not stand out in stark relief against a wall and enables the eye to see pictures clearly and without strain on the eyes," Sukumaran highlighted.

This latest product is available in screen sizes of 32 inches, 42 inches and 50 inches and is pricing between Rs 1.9 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. Philips is hoping to a total of 4,000 of these units over the next one year.