The Hindu Business Line : Jindal Photo targets amateur enthusiasts

Ms Aishwarya Rai, Fuji Brand Ambassador, Mr Rathi B. Pal, Managing Director, Jindal Photo Films Ltd, and Mr Freddy Driver, Senior Manager Marketing, at the launch of Fujicolor Crystal X-TRA 400 in Bangalore on Friday.

BANGALORE, Dec. 6

THE large, untapped numbers of amateur photo enthusiasts are the new focus of photo products major Jindal Photo Films Ltd (JPFL).

It is pegging its hopes on this segment to raise its market share to 50 per cent in the Rs 900-crore photo films category.

"We hope to reach a turnover of Rs 500 crore during 2002-03, up from Rs 400 crore last year," said Mr Rathi B. Pal, Managing Director of the New Delhi-based JPFL.

Its latest offer in high-speed 35-mm colour films, the Fujicolor Crystal X-TRA 400, is also targeted at the Indian amateurs, a shift from positioning high-speed films for professionals and advanced amateur photographers, Mr Bal said.

Jindal Photo is on an aggressive promotion drive with a budget of $4 million for this year.

The film uses Japanese major Fuji's patented 4th Colour Layer technology and offers ease and resolution to the user, he said at the launch of the product here today. The film is priced Rs 130 a roll.

JPFL is the Indian technical and marketing partner of the $ 19-billion Fuji Photo Film and markets products under the Fuji brand name.

For Fuji, a Fortune 500 company which gave high-speed films to the world, India is a fast-paced market growing at the rate of over five per cent a year, just after China, said Fuji India General Manager, Mr Kentaro Shiota. India is about half the size of the Chinese market and has a demand for 90 million rolls a year. Like the rest of the world, 400 ASA film speed will be the trend in India, he said. Both countries are well above the global growth rate of around two per cent and offer exciting opportunities to photo majors, he said.

In spite of the increasing popularity of digital photo products, Mr Shiota said he did not see a dip in colour photo films' usage in the coming years.

Jindal Photo has increased the number of specialised Fuji product outlets called Fuji Image Service from 475 to 700 in two years. These market colour roll films, colour paper, photo-finishing equipment, and a range of digital ID systems, cameras and digitised photo processing equipment among others. As an extension, it also launched 47 Fuji Digital Imaging centres and 300 Fuji picture plazas across the country.

Aishwarya and Fuji

IT was one delight of photographers pitching for another.

Aishwarya Rai, one of the most photographed faces in the country, on Friday unveiled the latest product from Jindal Photo Films, the Fujicolor Crystal X-TRA 400.

Ms Rai, whom JPFL has signed on as brand ambassador for Fuji films for two years, mouthed the campaign theme: "Those who are shot the most love to be shot on Fujifilm."

Suddenly it was also the right scene to switch subtly from launching photo films to promoting a certain special film, a family affair at that. "Coming soon, actually in January, is what they call my home production, Dil ka Rishta. It is actually a co-production of my brother, Aditya Rai, and has been scripted by my mother. Naturally, as the title goes, it means a lot and I feel very protective about it," Ms Rai gushed.

And what about her Hollywood plans? Yes, they are very much on, "but that does not mean I am packing up my bags here. My agents will be making all the announcements soon."

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Jindal Photo targets amateur enthusiasts