We recently had a chance to chat with Anand Dubey, CEO, Indkal Technologies about the future of the brand in India, the brand’s licencing model and how Indkal aims to capture the vibrant and tech-savvy gadget shopper. Read our detailed interaction below.
Q. For those unaware, can you shed light on Indkal and the consumer electronics categories it caters to?
Indkal is a new-age Indian start-up that specialises in consumer electronics and appliance product development and distribution.
It has a large infrastructure for large-scale manufacturing, distribution and after-sales servicing of cutting-edge and innovative products in categories like smart televisions, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. Indkal makes products that are designed for Indian customers.
Q. Can you shed light on the brand licensing model? How is Indkal leveraging the Acer brand by offering TVs and now smartphones using a popular computing brand image?
Trademark licensing leverages the capability and expertise of a domestic company like Indkal which specializes in the Indian market in product development and allows a major brand to extend the same values, promise of quality and innovation to the brand in more product categories.
Q. Will Indkal follow a brand licencing model with other popular brand names or will they launch consumer electronics under their own brand?
Indkal already has the trademark license of two major brands. First is Acer, which is among the leaders in computing and the other is Black+Decker which is an American brand and a leader in durables and appliances with a heritage of close to 100 years of innovation.
Q. Can you shed light on the product categories you will focus on in the future? What can we expect from Indkal in the next 12 months?
The idea is now to consolidate a full line-up of televisions, appliances and Smartphones. For now, this is where we want to strengthen our position in the next 2 years
Q. How do you see the TV market shaping up in 2024? Do you foresee higher demand for larger screens or better technology?
Yes definitely, the market has seen a positive turn and we can see consumerism returning full fledgedly. That is being seen in televisions, in which the demand for smart televisions is growing steadily. What is most promising is that consumption is starting to shift towards larger-sized screens which means customers in India are demanding superior experience from their TVs. That works in our favour as we are among the leaders in innovation in TVs, something we highlighted this year by launching India’s first Android 14-based Google TVs.
Q. The smartphone market in India is very competitive. How will the devices launched under the Acer brand distinguish themselves from the crowd? How do you plan to take on existing players who already have an established user base in India?
I think in smartphones, Indian customers have been shouting for strong Indian representation. The lack of innovation has rendered the market completely deprived of any strong play from India. With our capability to innovate and technology that is at par with the best brands in the world, what Indian customers will get are world-class products that not only compete with the top brands but also have superior value offerings, combined with the brand strength of Acer and one of the strongest after-sales service infrastructure, we are confident we have the winning formula for this huge market.
