The Hindu Business Line : Nikon hopes to click in South

Chennai, Nov. 4 Nikon sees much potential in South India, which contributes almost 30 per cent of its revenues. To get closer to its customers in the region, the company will open a branch office and service centre in Bangalore next year, said Mr Hiroshi Takashina, Division General Manager (Imaging Division), Nikon India Pvt Ltd.

Speaking to Business Line here, Mr Takashina said the West contributed 33 per cent and the North 25 per cent. There is much potential in the South for the company’s business, especially in the higher-end/sophisticated DSLR camera segment, because “people are educated and there is a strong interest in photography,” he explained.

The company’s DSLR cameras are priced between Rs 38,000 and Rs 5.25 lakh, while its compact cameras are priced between Rs 7,950 and Rs 28,950.

Mr Takashina said Nikon is eyeing market share of 45 per cent this year in the DSLR segment. Last year, in a market of 12,000 units, its share stood at 35 per cent, he said, adding that total demand this year is expected to rise to 17,000 units. The company hopes to increase its share in the compact camera segment from 6 per cent to 10 per cent this year. Last year, the market size was estimated at one million units.

Nikon entered the Indian market in 2007. Considering that it has three branch offices-cum-service centres in place (in Gurgaon, Mumbai and Kolkata), along with 15 other authorised service centres, and that it has changed its distribution system to having State-wide dealers rather than two national and two other distributors, the company can say it’s in the second stage of its India expansion, said Mr Takashina.

On the retail front, Mr Takashina said Nikon believed in letting people have a comparative touch-and-feel experience and so sold its products at multi-brand outlets. It has created some zones, though, in some stores to set its products apart from the rest, he added.

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