Videocon launches first Windows 10-powered Smart LED

This is the first time Videocon & Microsoft have come together.....

In a move aimed at helping it make inroads into the premium market, consumer electronics maker Videocon has tied up with technology giant Microsoft to launch Windows-based Smart television sets. And to start with the electronics-major has come up with Windows 10-powered LED TV cum computers to woo the professionals and students.

This is the first time that the Mumbai-based consumer electronics company has tied up with a global major, analysts tracking the firm said. While, Videocon has been a dominant player in the tier-II and III market in the country, of late the company has started focusing on increasing its share in the tier-I cities in the country. "Since, we adopted the strategy of coming up with technologically advanced products, we have gained significant market share in the metro cities as well," Akshay Dhoot, Head of Technology and Innovation, Videocon said.

 

That effort, under Akshay Dhoot, a member of the second-generation Dhoot family, promoters of Videocon, is expected to stay. The company recently said that it was ramping up its R&D headcount and removing the cap on research & development expenditure for the next three years.

But, the company, now also appears open to tie-ups with technology majors in its bid to trade up as the Microsoft association demonstrates, analysts tracking Videocon said.

The Mumbai-based firm, which currently sells three percent of its LED TVs on Android OS platform, is expecting the new Windows-powered TVs to form 5 percent of their total sales by March, 2016.

More tech-savvy products are in the offing, company officials said. Across categories such as air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators etc.

Some ground has been covered with the recent launch of Liquid Luminous TV sets in response to LG's OLED TVs. Air conditioners that can be controlled by apps on smartphones or ACs that can work in extreme weather conditions are some more products that have seen the light of day in the last 12 months.

While, Dhoot says, Videocon holds some 17 percent market share in television category in India. Industry sources say the company has lagged peers such as Song, Samsung and LG in high-end flat panel TVs and LG and Samsung in home appliances. However, it remains the leader in CRT and entry-level flat-panel TVs, single-door refrigerators and semi-automatic washing machines, deriving bulk of its revenues from these segments.