Sony to phase out CRT TVs, focus more on LCDs

Shifting its focus to LCDs, Japanese electronic major Sony plans to phase out cathode ray tube (CRT TVs) and would invest Rs 60 crore as promotional expense for its new range 'Bravia' in 2009-10 which was launched today.     

The company has already stopped production of CRT TVs and is in the process of exhausting the stock with dealers.     

"On last Diwali, we took the decision to stop production of CRT TVs and now, as Sony is focusing more on LCD screens, it will soon completely exit the CRT segment," Sony India Managing Director Masaru Tamagawa told reporters here today.      

When asked about investments, Tamagawa said the company will invest Rs 60 crore in the current fiscal as marketing expense for 'Bravia' range. The new range of LCDs in India is priced in the range of Rs 16,000 to 2.99 lakhs.      

The company is targeting a sales volume of 4.5 lakh units in the current fiscal, an increase of more than 60 per cent as compared to 2.80 lakh units in the last fiscal.      

"LCD accounted for 21 per cent of our television sales in 2008-09 fiscal, and it is expected that in the current fiscal it would account for 57 per cent of our total sales in India. Soon it would completely replace CRT segment," he said.      

The company, however, declined to provide any details about the revenue projections and its earning in the last fiscal. It  merely said  Bravia range accounts for 30 per cent of its total earning in India.