New Delhi-based Jindal Photo Limited, which has marketing and technical tie-up with Fujifilm Photo Film Company of Japan, will launch its Crystal 20 camera this September across the country. The company has drawn up plans to expand its operations and push its range of Fuji Photo products.
In parallel, it will increase the number of Digital Mini Labs to 350 through franchisee mode by the end of current fiscal.
Talking to Business Standard, Amber Paintal, head of advertising at Jindal Photo, said, "Film processing has opened a vast range of business opportunities that can now be explored and keeping this in mind, the company has decided to increase the Fujifilm Digital Labs across India".
The company has already located facilities and locations across the country. The mini labs have received excellent response already, he claimed.
Jindal said the chain would cover all major centres across the country and this would significantly expand its presence in the film and photograph processing market.
About the new camera, Paintal said, "The company will introduce the new camera to give tough competition to the competition."
The product would target volume sales in the camera market.
The Crystal 20 camera would cost Rs 395 and offer features, which no other company had been providing at such a low cost, he claimed.
Jindal Photo will market the new low-end camera through its marketing and technical tie-up with Fujifilm and its will be distributed across the country through its existing distribution network.
About consolidation of the current market in colour roll film and colour paper, Paintal pointed out, "Jindal Photo is marketing photo-finishing equipment in the country and has set up Fuji Image Service, a specialised outlet for Fuji products".
To consolidate its footprint in the photo-related products and chemicals market, the company has signed a technical collaboration with Fuji Hunt Photographic Chemicals Pte Limited of Singapore, a subsidiary of Fuji Japan, to manufacture photo chemicals.
Talking about Jindal's existing range of products, Paintal said the company now offered customers a range of products and services for still photography, photo finishing and digital imaging, servicing both the amateur and professional segments. Its top-end product was the Frontier 350 Digital Minilab, an integrated system that combined Fujifilm's image-enhancement and digital processing technologies.
Equipped to automatically handle a wide range of film sizes, the Frontier 350's one-channel Fujifilm patented laser print system had an inbuilt automated system that determined film size and type for every process.
On digital cameras, Paintal said the entry of digital cameras had been mainly through the grey market and its impact on the use of colour film was negligible.
The company did not expect sales to fall in the current market for films.
About the uses of camera and rolls, Paintal said the burn rate in India was still less than a roll per year but film sales were picking up as people, especially in the weekends, were using cameras more.
"In fact, in education institutions, extra-curricular activities are gaining in importance, such as cultural functions and plays, and this was leading to increased use of photography."
Paintal claimed Jindal had more than 40 per cent market-share. Its products included colour paper and colour films, mini-labs and cameras sold under the leading brand name of Fujifilm, medical x-ray films, colour positive films, industrial X-ray films and black-and-white photo paper.
The company sold its products through an extensive distribution network comprising over 150 dealers and over 600 Fuji Image Service Centres throughout the country.
