Samsung promotes its premium TVs in India

Visitors check out Samsung Electronics’ so-called lifestyle TV The Frame, which looks like a picture frame, during the company’s QLED TV launch event at the JW Marriott Hotel in New Delhi on Tuesday. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics showed off its premium television lineup in India on Tuesday, betting on the growth potential of that giant country’s premium appliances market.

There is growing demand for premium products in India, home to 1.3 billion people, according to the Korean electronics maker. Premium products are the secret weapons of Korean companies when entering a market as they guarantee high operating margins and enhance brand recognition.

At the forefront of Samsung’s new strategy for India is its latest QLED TV, which uses a film of semiconductor nanocrystals to enhance the TV’s color definition. The newest version applies a metal substance to nanocrystals to produce more realistic and vibrant images, according to the company.

The electronics giant set up booths and tech seminars so Indian customers could see first-hand the new quantum-dot based TVs. Pre-orders for the premium TVs began from Tuesday and will run for three weeks before their official launch in the market.

The company also is promoting products that recognize the poor internet network infrastructure in India. Samsung’s Joy Connect TV enables customers to enjoy videos and pictures saved on mobile devices by connecting them to TVs without the need for an internet connection.

“Samsung’s new product lineup armed with high color definition as well as smart features will offer Indian customers a new TV viewing experience,” said Rajeev Bhutani, Samsung India’s vice president for consumer electronics.

Samsung is the top player in India’s flat-screen TV market with over 30 percent market share, the company said in a statement. In premium TV markets, which include wider-screen and higher definition TVs, the company has an over 50 percent market share.

Local rival LG Electronics is also putting efforts into promoting its premium products.

The company opened a 270 square meter shop dedicated to its premium branded products at Egypt’s largest shopping center, dubbed the Mall of Egypt, located in the country’s capital city of Cairo on April 27. The shop displays premium appliances like OLED TVs and the Twin Wash washing machine.

BY KIM JEE-HEE [kim.jeehee@joongang.co.kr]