India’s home projector market is continuously gaining momentum, and the leading name in the BenQ -Projector segment – has once again raised the bar with its two new Flagship 4K Model: W5850 and W4100I’s launch. W5850 is priced at Rs 7,00,000, and W4100i will be available for Rs 4,00,000. The two projector will start from May 2025 through AVSI partners across India across India. Both these projector have been packed with Benq’s cinematiccolor technology (100% DCI-P3) and HDR-PRO for outstanding accuracy. The Gadgets 360 had a word with Rajiv Singh, Managing Director of Benquue India and South Asia on emerging trends in the strategy of the Indian market and overall company. Some reactions have been edited and reduced to understanding ease.
How do you see the smart projector market growing in India in the next 5 years? And what will be your contribution in this development?
For smart projector, in the market, there is only a home projector segment that is currently growing. Data projector and B2B projector markets are stable. However, the home projector segment is growing rapidly. The reason behind this is that the pattern of consumption of people has changed, and with this, there have been major changes in projector technology. Earlier, the house had several limitations for the use of projector, including a dark large room requirement, a white launch screen, short lamp life and complex installation.
The traditional negative of the projector who were there while using them at home are no longer. Due to progress in technology, all these boundaries have been removed. Now the life cycle of the projector is also increasing a lot; It has been about 30 thousand hours. In such a situation, if you use the projector for 5 hours per day, your projector will last for 10 to 15 years.
Currently, most people, especially the high-net-world individual (HNI), prefer to see materials at home instead of going into multiplexes. These people are spending money to make their home multiplexes.
We are the leading players in the Projector Market in India, and our overall market share is close to 50%. Our market share in the 4K projector segment is around 42–43%, and that the portable projector segment is about 51%. We guess that the home entertainment projector market will continue to grow at a rate of 20-25% year-on-year. At this rate, the market can be almost doubled over the next three to four years.
India is still a price sensitive market for many players. How has Benq plan to balance strength with premium innovations here?
I believe that India is not a value-sensitive market, but a price-operated. Indian customers only prioritize value at price. We are also a value-oriented brand, and the value we provide within our price range is the best in the market-why we are the leader of the market. Our products are not cheap, but the value we provide at our price points is unmatched by any other competitive brand. When it comes to strength, we offer a wide range of products that meet different price points, making sure that customers can choose according to the value they want.
With the rise of 4K and laser projection, what is further in terms of image quality and performance? And how are you integrating AI in the projector?
The new feature you are seeing in picture quality is 100% DCI-P3, which is found in professional-grade cinema. We have implemented this 100% DCI-P3 in our new projector, W5850 and W4100i, so now you can enjoy the quality of professional-grade cinema color at home. A few years ago, it was impossible to experience such image quality and color at home, but we have made it possible.
Benq W5850 (left) and w4100i (right)
The next big thing you see in commercial cinema is. 2020. This is a new standard upgradation for commercial theaters. We launched a laser TV projector some time ago, which meets 95% of REC. 2020 standard.
For AI in the projector, we have started integrating AI into our new projectors. You will experience it in W5850 and W4100i. AI takes your picture performance to the next level. Through AI, the projector automatically reads the lighting position and adjusts the image quality in real time, enhancing the brightness and color according to the environment. Additionally, you can enjoy AI cinema mode in our new projectors.
How is the position of Benq in the Indian projector market compared to local and global contestants?
This segment has global competition, but we are proud to be a market leader and perform very well. In our company, we believe in establishing trends instead of following them. For example, with our W5850 and W4100i Projector, we introduced AI cinema-building state-of-the-art technology at the forefront. We always try to be the first person to give advanced innovation in the projector segment for our consumers.
Which area in India is the largest market for Benquue in India, and where are you looking at the most sales?
In India, we are looking at the highest demand of projector from south and west regions. There is clearly strong demand in the south and west compared to the north and east. The main reason is that people in these areas are more emotional about films and materials. They enjoy viewing materials on the big screen. Mumbai, being the center of Bollywood, is an important market for us. The size of homes in Mumbai may be relatively small, but the passion for cinema keeps that demand appropriate. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, people are very excited about films, and with being more vast in homes, we are also looking at good demand from these areas.
