India’s $753m BPL group, one of the country’s largest consumer electronics and telecoms equipment firm, has decided to enter the domestic home PC market by April 1999. The new multimedia product is currently being manufactured at the group’s unit near Bangalore. BPL had earlier planned on a technology tie-up with foreign home PC makers like Compaq Computer Co. but that did not come through. The investments planned by the group for the PC venture are estimated to be $2.5m. The group strategy will be aimed at marketing the home PCs to its existing customer base. The group is also exploring the possibilities of entering into OEM contracts with PC makers for digital monitors.
