Client electronics main Sony India is “fairly optimistic” about its audio enterprise within the nation and expects over 20 % progress for the subsequent few years, persevering with the general good traction from its vary of private audio and residential leisure merchandise, an organization official mentioned. The corporate expects “sturdy” festive season gross sales this 12 months for the section as it’s inspired by the momentum constructed within the first quarter, Gyanendra Singh, Head of Audio Advertising and marketing at Sony India informed PTI.
Sony India had witnessed a surge in demand for each private audio merchandise like earphones and headphones and residential leisure gadgets like soundbars within the final two years when folks shifted to work-from-home mode and averted cinema halls and different locations for leisure amid the pandemic.
Although now places of work are resuming partly, Sony India expects utilisation of its audio gadgets to proceed amid the hybrid work tradition.
It additionally expects the development of consumption of flicks and different content material at house via OTT platforms on bigger TV screens to remain.
“We’re fairly optimistic about each brief and mid-term outlook and anticipate the audio section to develop robustly at an upward tempo of 20 % within the subsequent few years,” Singh informed PTI.
Audio merchandise, which embrace private audio gadgets like earphones and headphones and residential leisure merchandise like soundbars, are an important element of Sony’s total enterprise in India, contributing practically 15 to twenty % of its total gross sales, he added.
“We’re experiencing that customers are shifting in direction of merchandise with options which are useful for his or her make money working from home, be taught from house actions and merchandise that improve their consumption of leisure at house.
“We anticipate this affect to proceed organically sooner or later as nicely because of elevated consciousness in regards to the significance and utility of high-quality private audio merchandise within the hybrid module,” he added.
Singh additionally mentioned he’s “pleasantly shocked” to see the traction of audio merchandise at each ends of the value spectrum. The expansion is secular in nature and isn’t solely coming from the developed metro markets however smaller Tier II and III cities as nicely, he added.
Requested in regards to the progress sample, Singh mentioned although high-end merchandise’ demand remains to be extra metro-centric, smaller aspirational cities are pushing for extra numbers.
Sony India, which has greater than 75 % market share within the premium headphones section (above Rs 10,000), would proceed to strengthen its place within the section.
“We are going to proceed to strengthen our place by fuelling progressive merchandise with superior applied sciences. Equally, in Really Wi-fi Sequence above Rs 10,000, we have now doubled our market share over the earlier 12 months and we’re excited in regards to the future prospects,” he mentioned.
Earlier this month, Sony India launched LinkBuds, strengthening its presence within the wi-fi earphones section. Priced at Rs 19,990, these open-ring design wi-fi earphones include a number of superior options.