In an interaction with Mobility Magazine, Mr. Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO, Super Plastronics – SPPL (a proud brand licensee of Blaupunkt) shares the market trend in the TV segment and the Blaupunkt’s brand strategy.
What is the market share of Blaupunkt in India in smart TV segment?
Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL) is a home-grown consumer durable company. We have expanded our portfolio with a new licensing agreement with German consumer electronics major Blaupunkt. This tie-up marks our foray into the premium segment of televisions. As per the licensing contract, Blaupunkt’s manufacturing, branding, designing, packaging, and retailing supply chain in India will be managed by us. As of now, we have 3% market share in India’s Smart TV Segment. We are trying to increase this share in the near future.
Which growth factors are set to push up this segment?
There has been a lack of quality premium sound smart TV in the affordable category in the Indian market; we have also seen a huge demand for smart speakers in India. To fill the gaps, we decided to bring Blaupunkt TVs to India which have the legacy of providing both, sound, technology and smart features, in one. All the models, from 32-in to 50-in, are doing well in the market and the consumers have given 4.7 ratings on Flipkart since the launch. The second biggest factor is Blaupunkt is a completely Make-in-India brand having end-to-end production in the country. We always have MSLs and other required backend support ready.
Please brief us about the prices of 32-inch HD Ready Cybersound Android TV and 42-inch FHD Android TV.
The 32-inch version is available at Rs 14,999, powered by Android 9 is bezel-less and comes with 40W speaker output, Edge-free sound technology, 2 speakers, and 1 GB RAM and 8 GB ROM to offer a smooth viewing experience. The 42-inch FHD Android TV is priced at Rs 21,999, powered by Android 9 and includes an Ultra-Thin Bezel, 40W speaker output, Edge-free sound technology, 2 speakers, 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM. They are the most affordable premium TVs in this price segment.
What benefits you see in Make in India?
As you know, last year GOI banned CBU on TV, which was really encouraging for the manufacturing industry. Today, our ecosystem has moved towards backward integration in raw materials. I think the next 3-5 years are crucial. Apart from hardware there are a lot of new developments happening in software. This gives Manufacturers like us a chance to develop products according to the needs of the Indian consumers.
How do you foresee the Indian market?
During the Covid-19 lockdown, the need for home entertainment drastically increased, and as a result, the adoption of TVs, particularly the smart TVs, has also increased. Brands are trying to capitalize on the situation by offering high-specialization smart TVs at very competitive prices. In India, there are still 200 million CRT TV sets in households that will be replaced; the smart TV market is expanding by 65% YOY. In the next 5 years, India will be the third-largest smart TV market in the world.
Narrate the future technologies that you like to bring across and your future plans.
We are a technology-focused industry. The biggest disruption is happening in AI technology, thru which just with your voice command, you will be able to control your TV. Voice will be the new UI of your smart TV, which will control all your smart devices through IOT. With the help of IoT and enabled by AI, gadgets will soon begin recognizing the viewer’s moods depending on the day and week. It will help them offer exactly what they need to see on the TV.
