BenQ ramps up distribution network, mulls over mobile, notebooks debut

Benq India has announced a tie-up with five distributors for each of its product groups. So while eSys will be responsible for display, Godrej will cater to projectors and plasma. Ingram Micro has been appointed for input devices, Jupiter for media, and Tech Pacific for storage and imaging products. To maximize its distribution strength, BenQ has appointed Accel-ICIM as its new authorized service partner, which will increase its geographical reach to 28 cities in the country. 

The company is undertaking a 20-city roadshow where customers will be able to see its product offerings. It is also planning meets to rally reseller support and participation in the company's distribution network. This road show is one of the many promotions that BenQ will announce from time to time. The company has set aside a total investment of $ 2 million for such schemes for 2003. 

Plans are afoot to introduce BenQ's own brand of mobile phones and Joybook notebooks. The company has five phone models in GSM and four in CDMA. It is still not clear which models will be introduced in the country. Says Ashish Bakshi, Country Head - India Operations, BenQ, "The BenQ mobiles are currently sold in Taiwan and it has been a huge success. So introducing them in India is just a thought as the cellular industry here is witnessing significant growth."

According to a recent survey conducted by Voice&Data, the cellular services for 2002-03 is pegged at Rs 8,303 crore, registering a growth rate of 50% as against last year. Also, the size of the GSM handset market for the same period was Rs 1,795 crore, representing a growth of 78%, while the year-old CDMA handset market was sized at Rs 559 crore. 

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