Canon charts roadmap for India, launches 24 new products

Canon India has unveiled its roadmap for the country along with the launch of 24 new digital imaging products. It announced that it is on course to grow its India revenues by 35 percent in 2003. 

Canon plans its shipment growth to be 1,70,000 in 2003-04 as compared to 1,05,000 of last year. The major drivers of the growth would be BJ printers, image scanners, all-in-ones (AIO), projectors and digital cameras. 

It is planning to expanding its channel base by appointing 300 more dealers taking the tally to 600 and intends to have 25 percent market share by the end of 2005. Some of the new initiatives that the company will undertake take include opening of photo studios and in this regard the company is planning to have alliance with computer vendors as well as with a photo software vendor. 

According to the company, its marketshare in the inkjet printer category has grown from 3% to 16% and in the flatbed laser MFD segment from 12% to 23.6%. 

Detailing the company's business strategy for 2003, Alok Bharadwaj, Director and GM, CIID and Volume products, Canon, says, "Canon has identified a three-pronged strategy to grow its revenues and achieve its ambition of being the country's leading digital imaging company by 2005. As part of this endeavor, we will focus on building a strong presence in the Indian photo printing market which consists of over 1,00,000 photo studios and has a high growth potential." 

Canon will also penetrate the commercial 'corporate' market segment with its cost efficient product that delivers a higher value.

Canon has introduced a camera direct printer in the sub-Rs 10,000 category, printers that deliver a two pico-litre quality output and scanners that scans four times faster than the prevailing industry standard.

The company has also strengthened its channel network and has established a base of five distributors, 200 corporate dealers, 78 city wholesalers, 13 retail stations and 1800 IT resellers across the country. The company's turnover moved from Rs 151

crore to Rs 202 crore with the growth of 33 percent growth this year.

The company launched six BJ printers (i450, i550, i850, i950, i6100 and i70), five DigiCams (PS S50, IXUS 400, PS A70, PS A60 and A300), three scanners (3000, 3000F and 5000F), a projector (LV5200), one AIOs (MPC190), one Laser Fax (L240), two Laser MFDs (iR1210 and iR1270), one BJ Fax (B120), a consumable twin pack (BCI-21) and three high-end laser MFDs (iR 1610, iR 2010 and iRC 3200).

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