Cricket, festive season good for growth but challenges remain

Homegrown TV manufacturers on Monday said that while the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup that starts from October 5 and the festive season are set to boost consumer electronics sales, challenges like ongoing supply chain issues may leave some buyers disappointed.

Looking back at past festive seasons, when big events like festivals and sports tournaments happen together, it drives up consumer electronics sales in the country.

“We're estimating an impressive 35-40 per cent surge in sales of big-screen TVs. People are excited because they can watch the matches in high quality (FHD and 4K). This World Cup is going to be a huge deal in India, especially because some matches will be free on streaming platforms,” Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO of Blaupunkt TV, Germany-based electronics brand, told IANS. But it's not all smooth sailing as “there are some challenges we're keeping an eye on,” he mentioned.

"Things like supply chain issues and how people's preferences might change could affect what products are available and what people want to buy," added Marwah, who heads Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL) that also manufactures other popular brands like Thomson.

Some smartphone companies are also in the TV business now in the country but there have been some service problems at their end. According to Videotex, a smart TV manufacturer for Realme, Toshiba, Lloyd, Vise, BPL, Hyundai and over 15 leading brands of India, they have observed a substantial surge in the demand for smart TVs.