Samsung India targets 40% HDD volume growth in Q2

Samsung India Electronics Ltd (SIEL) is targeting a 40 percent growth in its hard disk drives (HDD) sales in QII, 2004 over
its sales in the corresponding period last year. The company has already achieved a growth of
39 percent in the first quarter, with its market share currently standing at 49 percent. Samsung's HDD market share at the end of Q4, 2003 stood at 47
percent.

According to the company, it provides a three year warranty for HDDs, with an average turnaround time of less than two
days for service. It plans to further expand the service infrastructure for HDD in smaller cities. It is
also planning to introduce 2.5" laptop drives in India in the coming month. 

Stated Samsung India VP Vivek Prakash, "To meet the increased demand that we expect from the second quarter onwards,
we have got strong commitments from our manufacturing facility in Korea. In Q1 we faced certain periods of
demand outstripping supply due to a higher than anticipated demand for Samsung
HDD, however with an increased allocation for the India market the supply shall be steady from May onwards."

According to the press release, the Q2 expectation of the company on HDD demand increase is linked with the strong PC
demand that the country is experiencing and an expansion in the sales network that Samsung will be
doing in the current quarter. Linked with its performance in the HDD business so far and its plans in the coming month, the company expects to
achieve a 50 percent jump in HDD Volumes this Year over 2003. 

CYBERMEDIA NEWS

New Delhi