BANGALORE, June 18: BPL Ltd has posted a turnover of Rs 1,290.60 crore (Rs 1,180.38 crore) for the year 1996-97 - a growth of 9.3 per cent. The operating profit stood at Rs 97.80 crore (Rs 87.07 crore), a growth of 12.32 per cent. The company maintained dividend at 30 per cent. Profit after tax registered a marginal rise to Rs 48.47 crore against Rs 47.33 crore in the previous year, said Ajit G Nambiar, vice chairman and managing director of the company. The colour television market was virtually stagnant, even as domestic sales of BPL colour TVs increased by 10.6 per cent, he added. ``By consolidating the production of colour TVs at its Old Madras Road plant, the company is aiming to retain its position in the domestic market in the coming years. The Uptron factory, which is expected to go on stream by next month to produce colour picture tubes, will help the company to concentrate on its core business,'' Nambiar said.

He announced on Tuesday the company's intention to revamp the central marketing organisation (CMO) and streamline its marketing activities at domestic as well as international levels.

The company has also completed the implementation of its Rs 120-crore Alkaline battery project in Dobaspet, Karnataka, on schedule. The plant, which has a capacity of five million units a month, has already produced and exported over seven million batteries to Japan. In a market that remained at the same level of 1.8 million colour TVs last year, BPL has increased its domestic sales of colour TVs from 473,256 (market share 26.3 per cent) last year to 523,572 (market share 29 per cent) representing a growth of 10.6 per cent in volume.

The black and white television segment of the company has seen an increase from 337,613 units to 456,282 units, representing a growth of 35 per cent. Total television sales by BPL crossed a million units at 10,18,710. A study conducted by Gallup USA found BPL to be among the top three brands in the country, according to the company.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.