Seiji Hamanishi, Assistant Director, Imaging Communications Products Group, Canon India, talked to Pupul Dutta about the
company’s plan to lead in imaging
What’s Canon’s goal in the imaging segment?
My mission is to make Canon the market leader in the Indian imaging space. Globally, we are the leading company in this space, both in DSLRs as well as digital cameras. Last year, we sold 4.5 lakh compact cameras and we intend to double our sales this year. We are hoping to bag the runner up slot by the end of this year in the compact camera division.
Currently, Sony is the leader followed by Nikon with Canon being third. Becoming the leader would entail a close to 50% market share.
What are the trends in the DSLR market?
Just five years back, 99% of the customers who purchased DSLRs were professional photographers. Nowadays, even ordinary customers have begun to buy DSLRs. This is primarily because of the fact that photography as a culture is picking up in the country and it is also an art. Since, paintings are expensive, photography is easier and more cost-effective. People are able to express themselves by capturing vivid pictures. There has been a shift among the masses from conventional art forms to photography.
Once a DSLR is bought, there is no additional development cost and amateur photographers can go on shooting free of charge. The only cost is the camera itself. Our DSLR range starts from Rs 29,000 and goes on to Rs 3-4 lakhs.
Tell us about the memory limits of Canon cameras.
We bundle an 8 GB card with our DSLRs and specialty camera kits. Most of our cameras come bundled with SanDisk memory cards. Most cameras are extendable to higher capacities. Our R&D team foresees the future and products are developed accordingly and designed to accommodate expansions based on upcoming technologies.
What are the measures that you are taking in order to become the market leader?
India has the highest growth rate as compared to any other country in the world. 70% of our sales come from small independent shops other than the national retail chains like Chroma etc. Indians prefer small shops where they are given the freedom to discuss, review and finally select a product rather than collecting it from a supermarket with little or no discussions and comparisons.
In a price sensitive market like India, how do you plan to sell more DSLRs?
Canon offers an affordable range of compact cameras. Sometimes, people don’t care about the specifications and are fixated on the price. Compact cameras have been designed for impulse shooting.
As far as DSLRs are concerned, it is more of a matter of pride to purchase one. Before buying a DSLR, people do research, read reviews and then invest in one. Selling DSLRs is like cultivating a crop wherein you have to sow the seeds today to reap the benefits tomorrow.
What are the technology trends that you expect in future?
Wi-Fi is the latest thing in the camera business. People now want one device that not only clicks pictures but also helps them upload the same to social networking sites or to e-mail them to friends.
Camera companies now have to compete with smartphones given the quality of cameras that most phone manufacturers are offering. Since, social networking plays an important role in every sphere of life today, we have ensured that our customers are enabled with this tool for the easy sharing of pictures.
