Samsung eyes larger pie in flat TVs

Samsung India plans to take its market share in flat panel televisions to 40 per cent in 2013 from 30 per cent they held last year, a senior executive of the company told Deccan Herald.

Samsung India Vice-President (Consumer Electronics) Mahesh Krishnan said, “The country is moving towards large screens and ultra large screen televisions and Samsung is going to encash this opportunity to drive business in the category.”

Asked if India is ready for ultra high definition (UHD) displays as HD content is rare in the country, Krishnan said that the digitisation drive by the government in almost all cities is enabling consumers to view high definition content on their TVs.

Samsung on Tuesday announced the introduction of 20 new television models across its flagship Smart TV Series 8, 7, 6 as well as LED TV Series 4500 and 5500. Five new Plasma televisions were introduced in Series 8 priced between Rs 35,500-2,09,900.

“These products have given our customers a reason to upgrade and what we are witnessing in India is a dramatic transition from CRT to Flat Panel TVs and now to Smart TVs,” Samsung India Senior Vice-President (Consumer Electronics) S K Kim said.

Samsung also showcased its evolution kit or an attachment that enhances a smart TV with regard to software and hardware update and would be priced close to Rs 17,500.

When asked why a consumer, who already has a smart TV, would buy a newer model instead of upgrading it with a much cheaper evolution kit, Krishnan said that it is more to drive a trend among the Indian consumers to move from traditional TVs to smart TVs. Right now Samsung commands 10 per cent market share in smart TVs and plans to double it to 20 per cent in 2013.

However, annual global LCD TV shipments declined for the first time ever in 2012, down 1 per cent to 203 million, according to the latest findings published in the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Advanced Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.

“Global demand for LCD TVs declined 18 per cent year-on-year in developed regions in 2012, and the growth in emerging markets was not nearly enough to offset this decline in some of the world’s highest volume regions,” Director of Global TV Research for NPD DisplaySearch Paul Gagnon said.