Samsung is introducing India to its smart TVs and a number of other new flat panel products in a bid to capture a greater share of a sector expected to hit 5 million units this year.
The Korean consumer electronics giant currently has a 30% market share of India's flat panel business, which currently registers 3,800,000 unit sales. Samsung sells around 40 models of LCD, LED and plasma television in India, it said during a press forum in Bangkok on Sunday (18 March).
"The market for smart TVs is currently just 3% of the total flat panel sales in India. It is expected to grow to nearly 5% in 2012. The growth will depend on internet penetration and availability of applications," Raj Kumar Rishi, vice president, Samsung India AV Business told reporters.
Samsung's new range of 18 internet-enabled, or smart TVs will cost between INR 45,000 and INR 2.65 lakh when they are introduced in India over the next few months. It will include Samsung's new ES8000 LED smart TV, featuring an ultra-slim bezel, a built in camera with microphone for Skype communications, voice control, gesture-based control and face recognition.
Samsung is also to introduce India to the latest Galaxy Tab smart phone - the Galaxy Tab 2 310. Featuring a 7-inch screen, 1Ghz dual-core processor and Android 4.0, it still retains support for 3G and voice calls using a standard SIM slot. It is expected to be priced at INR 23,300.
B D Park, president and chief executive of Samsung Electronics, South West Asia and managing director of the Samsung India Company, promised to "push the boundaries of innovation and consumer experience" with the company's new products.
