The Hindu : National : ‘Panasonic to focus on Indian market’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007
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National

‘Panasonic to focus on Indian market’

Deepa H. Ramakrishnan

Hidenori Asou

PUDUCHERRY: Electronics major Panasonic plans to focus on the growing Indian market and the “22 million households that earn more than one million rupees per year. This is only seven per cent of the total households in the country,” Hidenori Asou, chairman, Panasonic Sales and Services India Pvt. Ltd., said on Monday.

Speaking to The-Hindu after inaugurating a Panasonic Brandshop here, Mr. Hidenori said the company had formed a special division in Japan to focus on the Indian market.

“We have set a sales target of $350 million for the current financial year, and are planning to double that by 2009-2010.”

On setting up more manufacturing facilities in India, he said Panasonic already had a couple of plants and was studying whether to import products or manufacture them here.

More investment

The company was planning more investment in the form of brandshops and service centres.

“By the end of the current financial year, we will have 25 brandshops all over the country and by 2010 we hope to make that number 100. The staff in these shops is being trained by us so that they communicate in a better manner with the customers.”

More sales centres

Panasonic also will have more after sales centres to help the customers in installing products.

“We are creating a service line-up and presently have around 80 centres all over the country, which would be gradually increased to 200.”

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