Plasma, LCD TV sales seen doubling next year
Colour television (CTV) makers expect Indian consumers to switch over to top-end plasma projection and liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions at a rapid rate. The industry expects the nascent segment sales to more than double in 2005 at 35,000 units compared with 15,000 units this year.
Leading players in the segment such as LG, Samsung and Sony are lining up a slew of launches next year to tap the new urban affluent pockets. With an average price of Rs 1,25,000, the flat panel TV market is estimated at around Rs 450 crore.
According to the industry body, Consumer Electronics and Television Manufacturers Association, companies would be more aggressively marketing the high-end TVs to bolster wafer-thin margins in the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs.
“It is a segment which is poised for a more than 100 per cent growth over five years. As internationally companies shift focus to manufacturing flat panels, prices will also keep coming down, fuelling demand in India,” said Ravinder Zutshi, vice-president (sales), Samsung India. more...
