Kolkata, January 2, 2010 (Handycam Review): Sony India intends to capture 40 percent of the digital camera market by the next fiscal year a senior company official said here on Thursday.

“We currently lead the digital camera market with a share of 35 percent. Next year we hope to take that to 40 percent,” Sony India, General Manager – Sales, Sunil Nayyar said at the city launch of the company’s new range of compact interchangeable lens models.

Sony Digital Camera

The Alpha NEX series was introduced by top company execs to the city at a media event on Thursday where they said the new models aim to chalk out a brand new market segment.

Pitched at high-end consumers and semi-professional photographers, the two cameras in the series fuse the body and the usability of a compact digital with the image quality of DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras by allowing interchangeable lenses.

The company has priced the the two 14.2 megapixel CMOS sensor models, NEX-3 and NEX-5, at Rs 29,990 and Rs 34,990 respectively.

The camera comes with a 18-55 mm lens as part of the standard issue and Sony is offering two other lenses for photo enthusiasts.

Following its international launch, while the cameras were appreciated for their great noise profile and dynamic range for their price class, inaccurate colour reproduction issues were reported by some reviewers.

Sony currently holds a share of 35 percent in the digicam market in India. Next year the company intends to take it to 40 percent with the Alpha NEX series contributing 15 percent of its total projected camera business revenue of Rs 900 crore by fiscal year 2011-12.

By FY11 Sony intends to sell 40,000 units of the new series and has also laid out a Rs 25 crore marketing budget for it.

“For West Bengal we intend to acquire 45 percent of the total market share by selling at least 4,500 of these models by next year,” Sony India, General Manager – Sales, Sunil Nayyar said.

He said, “This state plays of significant role in our revenue, and is expected to contribute 15 percent of our total income from the digital camera segment.”

India’s digital camera market, pegged at Rs 1,750 crore, is expected to hit Rs 2,250 crore by FY11 thanks to its booming 30 percent growth rate, the company said.