Pioneer India to expand product portfolio, enhance IoT connectivity to automotives

Pioneer India, a subsidiary of Pioneer Corporation of Japan, is seeking to expand its product portfolio covering connected devices and Internet of Things to add to the convenience and comfort of people on the move.

Gaurav Kulshrestha, Marketing Head and Product Manager, Pioneer India, said: “The car infotainment market in the country is changing with people looking at innovative solutions that add to ease-of-operation and convenience. To cater to this demand, as a leading player in this infotainment, speakers and car audio-visual solutions and DJ products, we are planning to add more products, including connected devices and Internet of Things, all leading to comfort and convenience.

“As a leading audio solutions provider, we are engaged with both automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and play a major role in the after-market. The market has been hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but there is latent demand,” he said.

“The first two quarters of the current financial year may see a slow off-take of automotive sales and also the audio systems. But we believe after the festival season and during the third quarter of this fiscal (October-December), the business for audios will be back by 80-100 per cent,” he told BusinessLine.

“Pioneer had launched a detachable, multi-purpose Tabletcombo, an advanced in-car entertainment system for those who enjoy quality entertainment on the go. Now, we are in the process of finalising plans for the launch of another innovative product/solution.”

The tablet has high-end safety features and a plethora of navigation and entertainment apps ready to download. It is a first-of-its-kind multi-purpose tablet which can be used both inside and outside the vehicle, making it more versatile in its use, the company claimed. It has certified access to genuine Android OS and comes with pre-installed apps such as Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail and Pioneer’s Smart Sync app.

Apart from audio systems, Pioneer is looking at more after-market cars, wanting to upgrade to not just audio systems but also universal rear-view camera with Pioneer optional parking sensors. The audio range is priced between ₹5,000 and ₹40,000, with the latest tablet priced at about ₹40,000.

The entire focus is on safety and comfort, offering solutions for audio and video, music, navigation, messaging and phone calls. The latest focus is on helping people order and collect things from a car, Kulshreshtha said.

Sourcing

“We are witness to a number of regulatory changes with regards to exports and imports, which are seeking to be aligned with the Make in India initiative. We are currently sourcing from Vietnam and Thailand and have no immediate plans for local manufacturing.”