While Igo will take on the 2.5 millon units large lower-end of thetelevision market, Candy is expected to more than double in size to become aRs 500 crore brand over the next two years. The strategy is aimed at furtherbroadbasing the product offering of the company, which has largely dominatedthe top-end of the television market, across multiple market segments.

Said Mirc Electronics chairman, GL Mirchandani: ``We intend to have ourproducts across all market segments. In order to achieve this, we plan tospin off the existing sub-brands under the Onida name into individual brandsaddressing the premium, mid and the bottom ends of the market in a morefocussed way.'' Besides segregating brand identities in the mass media, thecompany is planning to have separate distribution channels for the threebrands too.

Where Onida will continue to address the top end of the television market,Igo will take on the demand for low-priced televisions and Candy will bepositioned between the two, Mirchandani indicated.

With the launch of Onida Igo early last year, Mirc Electronics had alreadystarted wooing the value-oriented consumer. As a separate brand, Igo willsee the introduction of more basic, stripped down models addressingconsumers in the rural and semi-urban markets.``Substantial volumes exist inthe 14 inch and 20 inch segments in the lower end of the market,''Mirchandani said. The company estimates the total market to be in the regionof two million to 2.5 million units.

Launched in the 14 inch segment as the country's first coloured cabinet TV,Candy has recently been extended into the 20 inch category. Says MircElectronics executive vice-president G Sundar,``The decision is based on theremarkable performance of the Candy sub-brand. Consumer research tells usthat there is place for Candy in large screen sizes and as a separate brandtoo.'' The company has been selling an average of 10,000 sets of the Candyper month since April last year.

Priced at Rs 12,990, the 20 inch Candy has already sold 6,000 sets in thefirst month of its launch. The company is planning to sell 2,50,000 sets ofthe Candy over the next one year. Where the 14 inch model has found a nichein consumer bedrooms, with the 20 inch Candy, the company is attempting tobring colour out into consumer living rooms. Mirc will launch three colourvariants of its 20 inch Candy to begin with. Another three colours will beintroduced in a few months time.

The company is currently working on an ad campaign to support the launch ofthe 20 inch `Candy'. The company plans to position the product on the`bigger candy for bigger kids' platform.

In February this year the company had launched the Candy duet, a 14 inch TVwith two coloured cabinets. The company will also launch an `e-mail TV'under the Candy name in the last quarter of this year, says Sundar.Meanwhile, competition in the segment is expected to intensify with playerslike LG launching televisions with coloured cabinets. Among the firstplayers to launch the net enabled TV -- The Web Cruiser -- in the market, Mirc hasbeen at the forefront of specific product introductions. The company hasbettered its performance in the last two years over the past with a revampedadvertising and marketing strategy and a brand new product portfolio.

The company has made a successful foray in the international market and iscurrently a leading brand in the Gulf market. Mirc plans to enter the UKmarket with its 14 inch television model soon.