TCL plans to give popular TV brands "tough competition"; focuses on budget for masses [Interview]

The Indian television market, much like the smartphone market, is booming at a rapid pace. With major players stepping up their game to deliver state-of-the-art technologies integrated into home entertainment systems, the competition is getting tougher. 

Samsung, Xiaomi and LG are fighting for the top positions, but the market is more competitive as you step down the ladder. The presence of brands like OnePlus, Realme, TCL, and more is keeping the competition alive.

TCL has expressed ambitious plans to expand its presence in India this year. Its plans are not only to scale up the TV range but also focus on other product lineups, such as ACs, washing machines and soundbars. 

TCL has delivered some interesting TVs, ranging from Mini LED QLED to video calling QLED 4K models, all while keeping the prices in check. Speaking to International Business Times about TCL's products (beyond TVs as well) and its plans for this year, company spokesperson Rimo Bose divulged details about the upcoming products, their sales, demand and more from an Indian perspective. 

Below are the excerpts from our interview:

IBT: How many product lines do you have?

Rimo Bose: TCL has a wide range of offerings in the entertainment and consumer electronics segment. Its primary product lineup includes smart TVs, ACs, washing machines, and soundbars. The best thing about TCL's product lineup is that these products are equipped with the latest technology and modern innovations and are budget-friendly.

IBT: What is the range of your product line?

We have smart TVs ranging from 32-inches to 75-inches that caters to the requirement consumers from every segment. In the AC category too we have a range of inverter ACs, convertible cooling ACs, Smart ACs and more that fulfill the demands of consumers form various price segment.

IBT: What are the products that will launch this year?

TCL plans to launch a new range of Mini LED Smart TVs. We also plan to launch the latest chipset from 32-inch to Mini LED. Apart from TVs. TCL also plans to extend its range of washing machines, air conditioners and soundbar.

IBT: How are your products different from other products mentioned in the market?

Our products feature cutting edge technology and are designed to meet the requirements of the Indian consumers. While the TCL Smart TVs feature user-friendly interface the range of air conditioners are crafted to suit the temperature of the Indian subcontinent. The washing machines also feature technology like Hot Water Wash.

IBT: How many sales have you done in the last financial year?

TCL is proud to say that we have sold around 6.7 lakh units of LED TVs and we wish to achieve more numbers in the coming years. We also wish to see similar or even better performance across verticals.

IBT: Have the demand for large TVs increased in lockdown?

Certainly yes, we have seen a rise in the demand for big screen televisions during the lockdown. As most of the people were avoiding going out to theaters for movies they wanted a similar cinematic experience at home. At TCL, we quickly understood this requirement of the consumers and came up with smart TVs that deliver really good cinematic experience at home.

IBT: What is your market share in India?

We currently own 6% of the total market share and we plan to increase these numbers and give other brands in the market a tough competition.

IBT: How compliant are you with "Make in India" initiative?

We are proud to announce that TCL is working to promote the Make in India initiative and as a part of this initiative TCL has set up its own factory in Tirupati.