Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. is a global visual and audio technologies company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Ushio Inc., Japan. Christie revolutionized the movie industry with the launch of digital cinema projection, and since 1929 has embraced innovation and broken many technology barriers. Our technology, paired with the support of professional services to design, deploy and maintain installations, inspires exceptional experiences. Christie solutions are used around the world, from the largest mega-events to the smallest boardrooms, and include advanced RGB pure laser projection, SDVoE technology, content management, image processing, LED displays, and Christie CounterAct far-UVC disinfection solution with patented Care222 technology. In an interaction with NCN, Mr. Rishubh Nayar, Director of Sales for India, Enterprise, Christie, shares about their product range and brand plans for India.
How big is the projectors market and what are the latest trends in this segment?
As COVID-19 restrictions ease and business and economic activities resume, the projector market in India is experiencing an upward trend. Market research firm, Technavio, projects that the global projector market will increase by US$1.15 billion from 2021 to 2026. This growth is driven by the adoption of projectors in various market segments to enhance audience and visitor experiences, including projection mapping, museums, and experience centers. Additionally, there are consistent applications that utilize projection technology to achieve better outcomes, such as in education, training, hospitality, corporate, and live events, where we have established a significant presence.
Please give details how your brand fared in the projector segment in India in 2022. What is your share in India’s projector market?
The year 2022 was a record year for Christie in India. According to UK-based Futuresource Consulting, we were the top-grossing brand for unit sales in India in above 6,000 lumens DLP segment. This achievement was largely due to three factors: the successful deployment of our 1DLP and 3DLP laser projectors in various projects across India, as well as the confidence instilled by the India market to use Christie solutions. Christie projectors and software serve a range of applications, including the Smritivan Earthquake Museum in Gujarat, where close to 100 1DLP projectors were installed to enhance the visitor experience. As a leader in the high-brightness projection segment in India, we are committed to maintaining our position in the fiscal year 2023 and beyond.
What projectors have you launched recently and what is special about them?
Christie has a long history of innovation in projection technology, and continues to lead the market with cutting-edge products. The highly-advanced Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projector is a prime example, boasting the title of the world’s lightest and brightest laser projector with 50,000 lumens. This 3DLP projector delivers vibrant, true-to-life colors and operates at an impressively low noise level of 55 dBA at full brightness. Designed for large-venue applications, the Griffyn 4K50-RGB is versatile enough to work on almost any surface, whether on the ground or in the air. In January 2023, we launched the 4K22-HS laser projector, a 1DLP laser projector that offers 22,500 lumens and 4K UHD resolution, along with BoldColor+ technology for deeper blacks and more realistic onscreen visuals. From the smallest meeting rooms to the largest attractions and projection mapping installations, Christie has a projector that can fit any budget and application.
What are your target segments for projectors (home, education, corporate, etc.)? Which is your main focus segment and why?
Our main focus segment is in experiential installations, which include projection mapping, museums, experience centers, and cultural development. Additionally, we are prioritizing market segments that have experienced notable growth in the recent years, such as education, corporate, houses of worship, and government. Despite the pandemic’s widespread impact, it is noteworthy that government procurement projects have not been affected, and their numbers have even increased over the past two years. This trend underscores the importance of our emphasis on government projects as a key area of growth for our business.
What are your brand’s USPs for projectors and how do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
We have an expansive range of projection systems and integrated solutions that empower our customers to create brilliant shared experiences and solve AV challenges, regardless of their requirements and budget. We also pride ourselves on the technologies that we have created, in particular our 4K RGB pure laser technology featuring advanced Christie TruLife+ and CineLife+ electronics that support a video-processing pipeline of up to 1.2 Gigapixels per second, 4K DLP at 120Hz performance that delivers ultra-realistic visuals, and electronic color convergence (ECC) that allow users to easily adjust color convergence via remote control for picture-perfect color alignment. RGB pure laser projectors are quickly becoming the standard for mainstream cinema and applications that demand color accuracy. With bright, detailed visuals and vibrant colors, RGB pure laser is opening an entirely new realm of possibilities that greatly improve the audience experience.
What is your supply channel structure for the projector business? How do you educate and motivate your partners?
In India, we have a well-defined sales structure with channel partners that strive to provide the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions for our customers. Our distributors and value-added partners cater to various market segments, and we carefully select partners based on the vertical markets they serve or specialize in, such as government, corporate, education, experiential, and more. We are proud to have maintained long-lasting partnerships with a significant proportion of our channel partners, who continue to work closely with us to deliver optimal results for our customers. Additionally, we conduct regular training sessions to keep our partners updated with the latest technologies and impart knowledge transfer.
What new projectors do you plan to launch in FY2023-24?
As an industry pioneer and innovator, Christie continues to lead the way in advancing laser illumination technology by offering the widest range of leading-edge laser projectors in the industry. We will continue to launch new 1DLP and 3DLP laser projectors equipped with our proprietary technologies that deliver the best visual experiences for various applications. As a global leader, we take our responsibility seriously and will continue to integrate ESG practices into our manufacturing process. We are committed to complying with the international laws and regulations, including sustainability practices that help us manage our environmental impact and conserve energy and resources.
Where do you want your brand to be in the next 2 years?
We will continue to be customer-focused, future-striving, innovative and creative, putting our advanced technologies into the hands of customers to create breathtaking shared experiences. We also look forward to further strengthen our leadership position in the high-brightness projection segment in the Indian market. At the same time, we recognize the importance of prioritizing sustainability and ESG practices to manage our environmental impact, conserve energy and resources and make a difference in the communities we serve. We are committed to upholding these values and principles in all aspects of our business, and we will continue to improve our sustainability practices.
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