Japanese tech player Panasonic expects India to contribute at least 5% to revenues from its rugged devices segment on the back of demand from new verticals such as retail, telecom and healthcare.
“India market contribution is currently not quite big in this segment. We expect at least 5% revenues from India in 2-3 years,” Eriko Okuda, head of Mobile Solutions Business Division, Panasonic Corporation said. Ms. Okuda added that she expected India, where the company is market leader with 65% share, to continue growing at double digit annually for the next two to three years. “This is a very niche segment. Last year, in value terms we did business worth ₹80 crore. We expect to touch ₹100 crore by the end of this fiscal,” she said.
The growth in India is driven by the government sector, which accounts for 35-40% of the business here.
Good demand
“In terms of vertical, we are seeing good demand in defence, police and manufacturing. There are certain verticals such as retail, telecommunication and healthcare, where we are looking at expanding presence. We see opportunities in the smart cities project as well,” Gunjan Sachdev, business head, Toughbook and Toughpad division, Panasonic India, said.
Panasonic sells about 10 such products in India, with prices starting from ₹85,000.
On Friday, the company will unveil on Friday a 12-inch two-in-one detachable rugged laptop — Toughbook CF-33, with a price tag of about ₹2.7 lakh. “It will be ideal for entities such as police, emergency services, government agencies, defence and field service workers,” Mr. Sachdev said.
He added that with the introduction of new products the company aimed to increase its share to 80%.
