Exclusive: BenQ To Begin Local Manufacturing In India In 2022

BenQ, the leading brand in the monitors and projector system has seen a massive increase in sales in the year 2021 in India. The company is now planning to further expand its footprint in India and to do so, the brand has a lot of new plans for the country.

Rajeev Singh, Managing Director, BenQ India has shared the responses to some of the questions that we shared with him. Here are some of the highlights and the company's plan for India for the coming days. The brand has confirmed that it will set up a D2C (direct to customer) site and will also begin the local manufacturing of Interactive Panels within 2022.

How did BenQ perform this year, in terms of sales?

2021 has been a year of quantum growth for BenQ in India with overall revenue growing by 44% over the previous year. Especially in the LCDM segment, BenQ saw a plunging growth of 30%. Demand for this category is largely attributed to the shift that we are observing in consumer preference from smaller to bigger screens, which can be for entertainment, gaming, graphic designing, or photo editing.

There is greater demand for big screens that are versatile, offer multiple interactive features, that offer viewing back by True 4K technology as opposed to obsolete technologies like HD & 2K. We are currently the No. 1 27 inch monitor brand which also happens to be the fastest-growing segment in the monitor category.

Also, in 2021 our B2C Projector business grew by a whopping 100%. Owing to the pandemic, the Home projector segment has also constantly been increasing at a rate of 20% year on year. The home projector segment has seen the entrants of 2 new form factors of the projector.

Firstly the 4K Ultra short throw laser projector which is positioned as a TV replacement for your living room and the rise of wireless portable projectors for the Millenials. Projectors with True 4K display, wireless portable projectors, and 4K Laser TV have been key contributors to this growth. While demand primarily for projectors used for education purposes is coming back gradually, the trend is only going to increase in the coming months.

Prior to the pandemic, having a digital classroom was a choice. However, with Covid hitting and education moving to an online and virtual format it became mandatory for the educational institutes to have a setup through which education could be imparted. That is where the Interactive Flat Panel went to become a must-have instead of good-to-have. Owing to these reasons, this category saw a 200% jump in sales volume.

Apart from groundbreaking success on the existing product lines, BenQ also launched some iconic technologies last year like the VC Camera as a part of Hybrid solutions, with display tech with WIT lamp that facilitated eye care and germ protection.

Given BenQ has been in the industry for more than 20 years, what are some of the drastic changes it has witnessed in display technology?

The technological evolution with respect to display screens has been revolutionary and rapid ever since the traditional TV screen was introduced. While initially, only a few had access to screens (at home), today a consumer is exposed to at least two-three screens at one given point of time through TVs, smartphones/watches, and others.

Display technology for TV has evolved over a course of time, they have not only reduced in size from the big bulky Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) of yesteryear to the ultra-slim Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) TVs of today but are also technologically enabled with features like touch panels, VR, IoT, and the likes.

Also with various media platforms generating new content every day there has been a demand in making the viewing experience better. Including the transition from small to big screens, rich ultra-wide displays, immersive gaming on curved monitors. Consequently, while its core function still remains as a delivery platform for video content, technological advancements have changed the format as well as the viewing habits of its audience.

While the overall market size of the monitor segment has remained the same, there is an increase in demand for bigger-sized monitor screens. The trend of advanced digital experiences by the consumer is a reason for the surge.

Especially in the past 2 years, the pandemic has influenced people's inclination towards buying a good monitor/ screen that would include a variety of features specific to their utilities. Apart from screen size and USB Type C power delivery, customers now also consider eye care protection technology, height adjustment as per the height to restrain neck strain, and other health features like embedded eye-care-related concerns.

Projectors with DLP technology have become the dominant technology in the display tech segment because it is durable, long-lasting, has better color reproduction, and is dustproof. Over the years projectors have also experienced the major transformation from Lamp as a light source to Laser to now a solid-state LED & now 4LED.

Additionally, Laser Projection TVs have been launched which are positioned to replace big bulky TV screens. Laser TVs are now fully equipped with inbuilt speakers, an in-built android system that enables easy viewing at home. The other form factor that has gained popularity is the portable projector which is the most versatile device for both indoor and outdoor use and is touted to be replacing portable speakers.

Initially, display panels were basic screens limited to conference rooms but display panels have become interactive and have multi-utility in both boardrooms and classrooms. With LCDs, inbuilt computing, zero bonding, IR touch, capacitive touch, the whole experience has been raised to another.

This transition in the display technology segment saw a whirlwind transformation in terms of adoption, especially in the past 2 years when the pandemic forced people to resort to technology, whether it was for work, entertainment, education, or socialization, all happening through. It's that when they realized the importance of a screen and how its versatility could transform the entire experience.

Tell me about BenQ's plan for the Indian market, do you plan on investing and building R&D and manufacturing facilities in India?

Our two next steps for India at BenQ are launching a D2C site and beginning local manufacturing of the Interactive Panels within the year 2022. Our positioning is that of a trendsetter in the world of visuality by delivering one of the best, advanced, and futuristic led technology-based display solutions.

BenQ has been dedicated to enabling optimum customer experience with the best of technology. Our key focus area in India is display technology with an emphasis on engaging the viewer in the world of visuality.

What will be the next big change or innovation that might happen in the display industry?

People's dependency on screens enabling visuality at home, for education, work, and entertainment is expected to double in the coming years. With the television offering limited features, we have experienced consumer preference shifting towards smart screens that are not only technologically driven but also enable safe viewing. Few innovations that are set to take the display tech industry by storm are:

We expect a surge in the demand for Ultra-curved OLED big-screen monitors reducing blooming using advanced LED technology, light shaping, and intelligent image processing taking brightness, contrast, and color to a new level. Far beyond HDR. We will gradually embrace the world of Metaverse and AR/VR content is expected to revolutionize our lives.

The sale and demand of curved gaming monitors in 2022 (equipped with Intelligent Game HDRi, AMD FreeSync, Trevolo Audio, Gaming Enhancements modes, RCG, SPG, quick OSD, Scenario mapping, Light Tuner, AI, predictive analysis, Face/Voice Recognition) will increase with the evolving craze for e-gaming.

Demand for professional monitors is expected to surge, with features that include a high level of brightness and uniformity available with mini led backlighting and Oled.

The sale and demand of curved gaming monitors in 2022 (equipped with Intelligent Game HDRi, AMD FreeSync, Trevolo Audio, Gaming Enhancements modes, RCG, SPG, quick OSD, Scenario mapping, Light Tuner, AI, predictive analysis, Face/Voice Recognition) will increase with the evolving craze for e-gaming.

Given there is a lot of demand for smart TVs, can we expect BenQ televisions in the near future?

While TVs have been the 'go-to' formats for home entertainment for years, the current consumer trends reveal that projectors are soon going to replace TVs. Projectors hands down offer a better experience with smart features, are compact, hence more versatile.

The ultra-short throw genre in Laser TV projectors by BenQ allows users to place the projector right adjacent to the wall on which the visuals will be projected- the size can be the size as large as 120 inches (that's significantly more than a 65-inch or 85-inch TV you may have otherwise spent money on).

Additionally as opposed to any other brand the BenQ V7050i Laser TV comes in a package of the projector and the 120 inch ALR screen (a multi-layered screen type, which has a unique zigzag pattern that reduces reflection of ambient light in the room) under one consolidated cost that not only enhances the viewing experience but also enables eye protection

Tell me one reason that differentiates BenQ from the competition?

At BenQ, we are always ahead of the curve in understanding to anticipate consumer problems and hence are able to develop solutions with technologies that are valuable and realistic. Consequently, we have a first movers advantage to all our innovations.

Through constant innovation, we develop ground-breaking technologies that transform the power of perceiving and enjoying visual content. As a result, BenQ is an infrastructure enabler to the consumers as a solution to working from home, learning from home, and entertaining at home.