35% of Transcend memories are fake

This is the startling figure that
Transcend's Indian distributor, Mediaman Group, quotes to highlight the
dominance of the fake memory business menace. While Mediaman is accepting this
as an acceptable business loss, other distributors like Sri Durga Computech and
Bytes World are embarking on an awareness drive to tackle this problem head on.

“We had hoped that the
introduction of VAT would help to curb the fake business, but unfortunately
these spurious products still sell well. The need of the hour is for the
government to regularize the implementation of taxes. Along with representatives
from Transcend Information Inc and Bytes World, we are working to increase
awareness amongst the end-users about this issue,” Sanath Babu of Durga said.

“As part of the campaign, we are
working to educate the end-user to buy memory products only through authorized
Transcend dealers. Most importantly they have to look for the Transcend
tamper-proof packing before they buy the memory modules. In addition, we would
be sending mailers and increase advertisements in order to make sure that the
end users know where and what to buy from whom,” said Hitesh Shah, Director,
Bytes World.

But Dushyant Mehta of Mediaman, who
had undertaken a similar drive a year ago, says that it is very difficult to
eradicate the fake market. “At times it is difficult for a distributor like us
to identify the fakes from the genuine as they look so similar,” he noted.
Besides, he points out that the Transcend memory business is so big that he
would rather concentrate on selling the genuine products, to tracing and
fighting the fakes.

Mediaman had recently organized a
seven-city road show to showcase Transcend's latest range of on the go
products, which includes flash cards and lifestyle devices which are portable
hard disk drives, card readers, MP3 players and a combination of both. This
range is targeted at premium buyers who are willing to pay 20% more than
contemporary brands, to get better quality. Transcend is aiming at reaching out
to this audience through retail outlets.

Transcend has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan and China.
However, Jeff Liu, Sales Manager for Transcend Information has not ruled out
setting up a manufacturing base in India, once the governmental policies become
friendlier.

VINITA BHATIA, SUBBALAKSMI BM