Fujifilm India attempts to cash in on 'photo renaissance'

Seeing a photo renaissance here with increasing sales of smart phones with better storage memory that allow users to click photos merrily, Japanese imaging major Fujifilm's Indian subsidiary on Wednesday said it has decided to open eight outlets where people can take prints and buy other accessories.

"We inaugurated the first Wonder Photo Shop in India in Chennai and plans are there to take the number of outlets in India to eight by the end of this year," Fujifilm Inida Pvt Ltds' Executive Vice President L.Centhil Nathan told reporters here.

Each outlet would, at an average, involve an outlay of around Rs 3 crore.

Nathan said people are clicking trillions of pictures with their smart phones and even if small percentage of these are printed, then it is a good business opportunity.

Fujifilm India Managing Director Yasunobu Nishiyama said: "After the advent of smart phones and digital cameras, sales of photo films started declining. But some photographers are still buying the film and there is no plan to stop sales."

He said from the days of taking photos for preservation for the future, it has not progressed to clicking for gifting or for display.

The company is targeting the youth segment for its Wonder Photo Shop for printing as well as for impulse purchases.

According to Nishiyama, the company is targeting double digit growth in the current year.

He said last year Fujifilm India clocked a turnover of Rs 1,100 crore.

--IANS

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