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Xenitis Infotech Pvt Ltd, the Kolkata-based desktop manufacturers, on Tuesday launched its low-cost laptop range branded 'Xuva' aiming to take on the multi-national brands dominating the Indian market.
Xenitis, the first PC maker to break the Rs 10,000 barrier, would offer eight ranges of laptops in the price range of Rs 29,000-59,000 targeting the low-end customer segments.
''We will focus on the fast growing segment of low-cost laptops and target individual, small and the medium business sector and suburban markets, which are witnessing faster growth in laptop consumption,'' company chairman Santanu Ghosh said in Kolkata.
The company, which would manufacture the products from its newly set up plant at Chinsurah in Hoogly district, expects to sell about 10,000 laptops out of a total sale of 150,000 - 200,000 pieces sold in the Indian market per quarter.
The lowest range of laptops, priced at Rs 29,000 would have features like Celeron mobile processor with 40 GB hard disk, DVD combo drive, inbuilt modem and Lan card and a 15'' screen.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajesh Gupta, director-sales (channels) of Intel (South Asia), said the laptop market was expected to record huge growth worldwide in the coming years.
''Our projection is that by 2008, one out of every three computer sold will be a laptop. The laptop segment is witnessing 100 per cent year-on year growth in India,'' he said.
In view of the emerging trend in the PC market, Intel has intensified its research on the mobile technology and also introduced a new technology for using mobile CPUs on desktops in India.
Launching the products, state IT minister Manab Mukherjee drew the instance of cellular phones overtaking the landline phones in India and said ''Laptops may also overtake the desktops in future.''
Exuding confidence in the company's ability to become the largest player in the hardware market in the long-run, Ghosh said Xenitis was expected to record a turnover of Rs 650 crore (Rs 6.5 billion) in 2005-6 as compared to Rs 178 crore (Rs 1.78 billion) registered last fiscal.
It was also targeting to increase its share in the organised PC market in India from 12.5 per cent last fiscal to 17.5 per cent by 2006-07.
Ghosh said the company has decided to foray into the motorcycle market and has soft-launched its television channel 'Kolkata TV', which would go on air in February, 2006.
The motorcycle plant, to be located at Chinsurah, would commence production by May, 2006 and roll out 30,000-40,000 units per month, priced in the range of Rs 30,000-50,000.
The company would also launch its low-priced home theatre models branded 'Xtreme' by February next year.