``We recognise that National Panasonic has to be more aggressive and dynamic in its approach particularly in marketing activity to achieve a substantial market share,'' NPIL managing director S Ozasa told reporters here.

As part of the new marketing initiative, the company has also appointed Gurdeep Singh as the director, sales and marketing, to pioneer its new approach in the Indian subcontinent.

NPIL would phase out production of televisions with round picture tubes and migrate into CTVs based on flat picture tubes, he said adding that the company would adopt competitive market pricing strategy to generate profits and give the customers `value for money.'

Announcing the launch of `Tau' series of digital CTVs, Ozasa said the company would invest about Rs 50 million to ready the production line for the new products.

NPIL will also start marketing of microwave ovens in the Indian market from February 2000, he said.

Ozasa said NPIL expected the digital flat CTVs to form 30 per cent of its sales during the next year as the company had lined up 14 new models in the segment for launch during 2000.

``We plan to introduce 14 more models in the digital flat TV segment of which nine would be locally produced,'' he said.

The 29-inch television in the `Tau' series has been priced at Rs 55,000.

Gurdeep Singh said the company hoped to capture about 7 per cent of the domestic market for washing machines by the end of next year and added that NPIL had invested about Rs 110 crore for setting up fresh manufacturing facilties for washing machines and air conditioners.

Ozasa said eight matsushita group companies in Indiatogether was expected to clock a turnover of Rs 900 crore during 1999-2000 as against Rs 649 crore last year.