HP to debut digi-cams in India

By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 17 September 2003, 19:30 IST
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BANGALORE: Its entry-level camera is priced at $199 and ranges up to $599. The price point for India is still not tabbed and the company is learnt to be in negotiations with government officials to work out a "affordable" tag. "The duty in India is high, so we have not been able to fix a price yet. Our company is in discussion with government officials regarding the duty structure for digital cameras. In any case, we are preparing ourselves for a mid October launch," said Margaret Ong, Vice President, Digital Imaging and Personal Printing, Asia Pacific/Japan, HP Far East. HP claims to have rolled out its first digital camera as early as 1998 in the North America. However the company is bullish about the Asia Pacific market and a lot of projections supplement this statement. Between 2003 and 2006, the Asia Pacific market for Digital Camera is forecast to be the fastest growing region in the world at 19 percent CAGR as against 13 of North American market. According to IDC, the number of Camera Phones is projected to double year-on-year from 2003 and Asia Pacific will be the highest contributor. "Adoption of Camera Phones and the photography psychology is the primary driver for digital imaging. Desire to complete photo related activities in the entertainment center as well as PC and sharing these pictures are some of the customer trends for buying digital photography," added Ong. Some of the marketing efforts that HP plans to adopt grow the digital photography market in Asia Pacific include, improving the digital imaging experience at home and in-store, build awareness, foster strategic alliances to build enablers and promote scanning solutions to small business. Watch out for "HP Digital Studios" propping up in metros soon.