Samsung India bets on Indian market

Venkatachari Jagannathan
16 November 2007

It has two research and development (R&D) centres in the country, one in Noida for hardware for colour televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners, and the other at Bangalore for software development for LCD TVs, plasma panels, and digital media products.

Currently the Bangalore centre employs 700 while the Noida centre employs 300 people but this is being increased to 2500 and 1000 respectively, says H B Lee, president and CEO, Samsung South West Asia Regional Head Quarters.

"These numbers indicate that 10 per cent of our R&D workforce will be in India and this is a significant number for us."

The R & D centres have been responsible for the company making specific innovations for the Indian market like the silver nano technology in washing machines, or stabiliser- free refrigerators and refrigerators which maintain cool temperatures despite power cuts.

"Today our products are priced at a 6-per cent premium or over others and we remain the fastest growing company in consumer durables, says Ravinder Zutshi, deputy managing director Samsung India.

The company which has been growing at a CAGR of 20 to 27 per cent for the last six - seven years, is securing its future with a new facility at Sriperumbudur off Chennai, where it inaugurated its second plant on Tuesday 13 November (See: Samsung starts Flat TV, LCD production at second manufacturing unit at Sriperumbudur)