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Bindu D. Menon

New Delhi, Dec. 3 Buoyed by the growth of the LCD markets in India, Swedish luxury electronics maker Lava Electronics is looking to set up shop in India. The company is scouting for alliance partners to take its venture forward.

“Besides opening mono brand retail outlets by mid 2009, we are also looking to set up an assembly line in India. We are drawing a blueprint to broaden our horizons and talks are on with several prospective partners in India for the same,” Mr Christian Svantesson, Managing Director, told Business Line on the sidelines of Franchise India 2008.

He said if sales volume picks up in India then Lava would mull setting up an assembly line soon.

“Sales of 5,000-10,000 units in the first year should be a modest target. And if we are able to achieve this we might just look at that,” he said.

The company has assembly lines in Sweden, Germany, and Korea and will set up another unit in US.

“Lava aims to combine the Scandinavian concept of quality and cool Nordic design with high-technology products manufactured around the world. Our portfolio of products includes a range of audio, video and multimedia for car and home appliances,” Mr Svantesson said.

He said Lava has several hotels as its clientele in India. “Our products are priced 30-50 per cent higher as compared to Korean and Japanese competitors. Unlike our competitors, we use lots of metal sheets and components besides focusing on the aesthetics.”

Mr Svantesson said the company will be opening 30-40 exclusive stores by 2010. The €60-million firm has a presence in Europe, Hong Kong, Australia and entered the US recently.

In India, it will be investing close to Rs 4 crore in marketing activities.

In India, Lava’s target clients include institutions such as hotels and the hospitality industry, including luxury yachts and buses.

Currently, business-to-business contributes to as much as 60 per cent of the company’s turnover.

More Stories on : Outlook | Consumer Electronics

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