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Videocon unit for hi-tech products

Our Bureau

HYDERABAD, July 30

VIDEOCON International Ltd (VIL), the Rs 4,500-crore white goods and brown goods major, would dedicate its proposed Hyderabad unit for developing technology intensive products, according to the VIL President, Mr P.N. Dhoot.

The Hyderabad unit proposes to manufacture computer peripherals, Internet controlled TVs, colour TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, air-conditioners and DVD players.

Stating that the VCD compatible CTV product manufacturing line would be shifted from Aurangabad to Hyderabad, Mr Dhoot said all the high-technology products would now onwards be developed and tested at Hyderabad unit, which is slated to take off by Febru ary, 2002.

Videocon is currently availing support from its Silicon Valley-based technology partner, Telecrutz, for developing technology intensive white and brown goods. VIL expects to grab around 30 per cent of the existing CTV market once it launched Internet TVs . The company would target education, payment and utility service providers for Internet TVs, he said.

Mr Dhoot spoke to reporters here on Monday after the foundation stone was laid by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, for Videocon's new manufacturing facility, coming up at a capital outlay of Rs 150 crore in 25 acres of land of the Hardware Park at Mamidipally village near here.

Earlier, the VIL Chairman, Mr Venugopal N Dhoot, said the Hyderabad unit would take Videocon's total capacity of CTVs to 2.5 million units, refrigerators to 1.5 million units and washing machines to one million units.

Mr Chandrababu Naidu said the Andhra Pradesh Government was committed to developing world class infrastructure such as international airport, high quality and reliable power, water, logistics for movement of components and finished goods for attracting m ore investments into the State.

The Government would also concentrate on de-bottlenecking by way of simplification of regulations pertaining to customs, central excise, airport clearances, single window clearances and self-certification, he said.

Stating that Hardware Park was the first step towards providing facilities for hardware companies to locate their units in the State, Mr Naidu said the close proximity of the Hardware Park to the new international airport would be convenient to hardware units coming up here.

Pic.: FUTURE PERFECT: The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, holds the remote keyboard of an Internet television set at the stone-laying ceremony of a Videocon unit at Mamidipally Hardware Park near Hyderabad on Monday. Mr Venugopal N. Dhoot (second from left), Chairman, Videocon International Ltd, announced on the occasion that the company would donate Internet TV sets to 100 schools in the State.

Picture by A. Roy Chowdhury