|
: If you thought that very few would want a digital camera after acquiring a cell phone with camera, think again. The market for digicams is Rs 749 crore and growing, at an astounding rate of 26% in value and 45% in volume, according to IDC, India. “Thanks to mobile phone cameras, photography is no longer a special occasion activity,” says a marketing executive with a mobile handset company. “Mobile phones have made camera technology less intimidating.”
Last year, one million units of digicams were sold in India, against the 120 million across the world, with China and India accounting for the bulk of shipments, logging year on year growth of 25% and 50% respectively.
“The rapid transition from analogue to digital makes India one of the fastest growing digicam markets in the world, albeit growing from a smaller base, in comparison to China,” says Alok Bhardwaj, senior vice-president, Canon India, the category leader.
“Analogues,” according to Bhardwaj “are completely over, except in the rural markets. We pulled out of the analogue business last year.” The only active player at the moment, according to market reports, is Kodak that offers combo deals (“One camera with two films free”) mainly to ensure the survival of its film business. “Globally, except for Indonesia and Malaysia, analogues are not on the radar screen of any player,” maintains Bhardwaj. “A big driver for the digital market in India,” according to Prashant Singh, head of marketing for Nikon, is the 30%-40% fall in prices across product categories in the past four-five years.
The entry-level digicams can now be bought for as low as Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, with Canon, Sony and Kodak as the biggest players in the segment. The next is the “authentic” category in the price band of Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000, where Canon and Nikon are the principal players. Next comes the lifestyle category of sleeker, better-looking products available at Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000, where both Canon and Sony are pitted neck to neck, followed by the professional digital SLR category priced Rs 40,000 and above, where the key players are again, Canon and Nikon.
Nikon has two models in this segment—D-60 and D-80— both targeted at wedding photographers and media professionals. Although a late entrant into this market —almost 14 years after Sony, Canon and Kodak have firmly established themselves—Japanese major Nikon is positioned strongly in the...
More from BrandWagon
| Single Page Format | 1 - 2 - 3 - Next |
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
 |
 |
 |
About Us | Contact Us | Advertisers | Site Map | Make us your homepage | Work for Us | RSS | Subscribe | Electronic Edition | Privacy Policy© 2009: The Indian Express Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world
