German camera maker Leica enters Indian market, takes on Canon and Nikon

Germany-based camera maker Leica on Thursday announced its foray into the Indian market. The company will initially focus on metro cities as a part of its objective to open destination centres with its range of cameras. First batch of Leica devices to launch in India includes the popular S, SL, Q, M, V-Lux and D-Lux series.

The company, which will compete with the likes of larger players such as Nikon and Canon, which have substantial market share in India, today opened its first partner store in the capital.

Leica Camera AG will showcase the global range and pricing for its products to be sold in the country.

"We will be targeting prospects which fall into category of photographers and artists who mostly live in metro cities. So, the first step of development would be to open destination centres," Leica Camera AG Managing Director, Asia Pacific Region, Sunil Kaul told PTI.

He, however, did not specify the number of stores the company will open in India. The company is also planning to collaborate with India's top-notch designing and photography institutes to organise informational workshops to create brand awareness.

Kaul said the photography industry in India is booming and the company will be building a community around the brand by connecting with its target consumers and institutions. The company makes DSLR, SLR, compact and film cameras and instant cameras, among others.

Asked why the company took so long to enter India, he said: "With the new factory, new processes and a little bit of supply chain management, we have been able to improve the efficiencies of our deliveries now."

Headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany, the company is a premium segment manufacturer of cameras and sports optics products and also has a production site in Portugal.

It operates branch offices in countries including the US, the UK, China, Japan, France, Australia and Singapore.