canon: India is the most important market with immense potential in the world, says Canon India CEO
In an exclusive chat with The Times of India, Yamazaki says that the culture of photography has gotten bigger as almost everyone has a camera in the pocket. “From our point of view, we see it as a welcome move,” he says. There has been impact, he agrees, but certain products have seen an increase in sales. “The mid to higher range of our cameras have seen an uptick in sales,” he says. And it’s not just about photography but videography that has seen a big jump, says Yamazaki. The industry, as per Yamazaki, has seen a transformation but he believes that as people get more habitual about clicking photos or shooting more videos, it has worked in favour of Canon.
Another trend that has come up is smartphone makers tying with lens makers like Leica, Carl Zeiss. Yamazaki says that it’s not something that has been on Canon’s agenda as of now.
Kazutada Kobayashi, President & COO, Canon Marketing Asia, believes that “India is maybe I would say the most important in Asia and maybe in the world.” He believes that the sheer number of people in the country plays a factor. “The disposable incomes in India is also showing quite a rapid growth, outside of metropolitan areas, which bodes well,” he added. It is something that Yamazaki agrees. “India is unlike any other market and an important one for us,” he says.
Demand has become stable post-Covid
Canon’s second pillar of business in India is its printing division. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Yamazaki says that there was “an explosion” of demand for home printers whereas the office printers had obviously dropped. “Now the demand has become stable but the equipment interest has grown in terms of how a printer can help them,” he says.
The last three years have been challenging for all companies and Canon is no different. The company has launched its Live Office in Mumbai. “Live Office will showcase our entire portfolio of products and services as well as empower both customers and partners. We look forward to setting foot in this new direction and channelise how best we can continue delivering and delighting,” he says.
Sustainability has become more than a buzzword for companies across the world. Yamazaki says that Canon is focusing on building products that consume less energy. Also, Canon is making printers that ensure less paper is used. For example, there are printers — in offices — that will require an ID to print anything rather than people giving random printouts.
