The Indian printing industry is growing at a great pace and latest tech innovations driving the market growth. With its with smart printing solutions, Canon is undisputed market leader in India and consistently bringing cutting-edge products. In the recent conversation with DT, Mr. C Sukumaran, Senior Director- Consumer Systems Products and Imaging Communication Business, Canon India shared about the market growth, product offerings, channel partners, and a lot more.
DT: Please share Overall Performance in Year 2022.
C Sukumaran: Aided by our full line up strategy, we are proud to have maintained market leadership in the DILC segment with 50% market share and No. 1 share in the DILC global market for 19 consecutive years from 2003. We have also focused our energies into launching products and market activations in line with industry trends to engage audiences in unique ways. This has resulted in us witnessing double digit growth across emerging segments including Education and Vlogging and an astounding four times more growth in the mirrorless segment compared to 2019. On the printing side, ever since the onset of the pandemic, we have witnessed a massive surge in home printing and photo printing.
DT: Please share target revenue or growth target to achieve by end of 2022-23.
C Sukumaran: In the last five years, we have observed expansion in the professional segment fostered especially by the growth of wedding photography in Tier-II, III and IV areas. With more and more people viewing photography as a lucrative career option, we expect to target 2X++ growth in the mirrorless segment this year as compared to 2021. We also see a lot of potential in professional imaging devices in the film industry and we look forward to strengthening our foothold further in the booming cinema segment. We look forward to empowering cinematographers with the latest technological innovations and expect 4x more growth in the cinema segment. In the printing segment, we have experienced a significant rise in demand for our inkjet printers in the home segment with ‘Work from Home’ and ‘Learn from Home’ culture.
DT: What features/vision makes your brand better than others?
C Sukumaran: From an innovation standpoint, we have introduced ground-breaking technology in the past few years which has completely transformed the imaging industry. Whether it was the launch of the EOS VR System with incredible 180°VR content or our entry into the APS-C Sensor market to make mirrorless cameras more economical. The PIXMA G Series has been gaining good response in the market and is widely accepted at home as well as office segments because of its lower running cost and higher return on investment. We have strengthened our retail presence by unveiling Version 4 of our flagship Image Square stores and opening more than 300 Canon PIXMA concept stores and more than 1500+ OIC signature stores nationwide. We continue to bolster our presence in the industry by increasing touchpoints.
DT: How do you take care of channel margins & profitability?
C Sukumaran: We have consistently nurtured the channel partner program which has led to its tremendous growth of a strong network of 140+ distributors and 4500+ channel partners. This year we have expanded our partner ecosystem further with a special emphasis on micro-distribution and regional outreach.
Their profitability too remains of key importance to us and we ensure the same as we are constantly on the lookout for new business opportunities to help them expand their product portfolios into emerging segments. Along with this, we set up exhaustive training sessions so that they can understand the latest industry trends. For instance, we have helped our partners set up Google Business Profiles accounts starting with our Canon PIXMA Zones. This helps them have a digital identity and consumers can seamlessly discover their products and services.
DT: Please share few sales tips for the channel community.
C Sukumaran: With many businesses now adopting a hybrid work model, it is essential for channel partners and retailers to maintain constant customer connect adopting an “omnichannel” approach which combines both online and offline platforms. Along with this, it is essential for partners to constantly upskill their employees across locations to stay on top of industry trends as well make the most of new business avenues.
