Sony to launch Bravia starting at Rs 15,000 to tap smaller towns

New Delhi: Electronics major Sony India plansto launch small screen Bravia brand TV sets with pricestarting from Rs 15,000 to tap demand in small cities andtowns across the country.

The company is expecting Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities toboost volume, while sales of high-end products in the big

metro markets will push its revenue margins. It is alsotargeting 20 per cent increase in revenue this fiscal.

"There is huge growth potential hidden in the smallercities ... For big metro, we are focusing on value strategy.

We are trying to sell high-end products in metros. We want toapproach right customers with right products," Sony India

Managing Director Kenichiro Hibi told PTI.

[caption id="attachment_884539" align="alignright" width="380"] Reuters[/caption]

He added that the company would launch a new range ofaffordable and compact TV sets by the end of this year.

More from Business

"We will launch affordable television sets for tier IIand III cities this year and keep prices around Rs 15,000," he

said.

Sony Bravia today launched two new products in itshigh-end 4k technology series priced at Rs 3.04 lakh and Rs

4.04 lakh, targeting customers in the metros.

Bravia contributes 35 per cent to Sony India sales, atpresent.

Sony India, which imports 100 per cent of its productsfrom Malaysia, is aiming to sell 13 lakh television sets in

the current fiscal as against 11 lakh sold in previousfinancial year, an increase of 18 per cent.

Sony India has also increased its marketing budget by66 per cent to Rs 250 crore in 2013-14 from Rs 150 crore a

year ago.Hibi said it expects Sony India's contribution to Sony'sglobal revenue to go up in the coming future. At present, SonyIndia is the fourth largest for Sony globally, and contributes10 per cent to global sales. Its top three markets are the US,China and Japan.

"We are aiming to become third soon, which will nothappen this year. But we will get to that position in the

coming future. There is a slowdown, but India is still growing as compared to other countries," Hibi said.

The company will add 1,000 more sales channel countersthis year to its distribution network of 6000 sales counters.

"We have to utilise the distributors to reach smallertowns. Our directions are to go more further and deeper

to reach those tier 2 market as they have big potentials," headded.

PTI