No plan to set up manufacturing base in India: Sony

Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony would not re-start its manufacturing activity in India and will continue to import its products from Thailand, Japan, China, Malaysia and Taiwan, a company official said today.

"At present, Sony India has no plan to set up a manufacturing base in the country as the economics do not work out," senior general manager (sales) Sunil Nayyar told reporters here.

He said it is cheaper for Sony to import products from other countries rather than manufacturing them in India.

The other issue is the quality of sourced components available in India which are yet to meet the standards required by Sony, he said.

Initially, Sony had a manufacturing base in India, but later it stopped all production activity.

Despite not having a production base in India, Nayyar said the company is providing job opportunities to more than 3,000 people in marketing, sales and allied fields.

Launching the new Bravia EX series of flat panel TVs here, Nayyar said the company is eyeing to garner 30 per cent of the market in this category by the end of the current fiscal. At present, it is 27 per cent.

"We will be the leader in this segment," he said. The company clocked a turnover of Rs 6,300 crore last fiscal, he said, adding that the target turnover is Rs 8,000 crore this fiscal.

Nayyar said the company is eyeing a business of Rs 340 crore during the upcoming Durga Puja festival.