Editor’s Note: BenQ India provided IGN India access to Mr Rajiv Singh, Managing Director at BenQ India and South Asia for this interview.
BenQ India is a dominating figure in the display tech market of India. The company has launched multiple gaming monitors and projectors in the country. BenQ has also brought its Zowie division to India, which deals specifically in gaming products and caters to the competitive esports landscape.
We got a chance to converse with Mr Rajiv Singh, the Managing Director for BenQ India and South Asia for more insight around the company via email. We discussed the approach of BenQ in the Indian market and the secret behind the success. As the conversation progressed, we also talked about upcoming products, and focus of BenQ India on gaming and esports segment.
Moulik Mathur: BenQ has a dominating display tech market share in India, and the company has also doubled its revenue from last year. What do you think has been the driving factor for BenQ’s successful run in India?
Rajiv Singh: There are several factors that have contributed to BenQ’s growth in India. All the 3 product categories of LCD Monitors, Projectors, and Interactive Flat Panels, in which the brand is present in, are growing at a double-digit pace. Post-covid the market dynamics as well as consumer preferences have changed rapidly. We have been very agile with our product portfolio and offerings that meet customer needs and expectations.
Continuous research, innovation and improvement of product technologies has played a key role to attract customers and gain market share in India. BenQ’s unique offering of monitors for coders and programmers, immersive gaming and competitive esports along with graphic design and professional photo & video editing monitors have been a rage with the respective consumer segments in India.
Moulik: Could you share some key customer trends from the market? What is the most shared feedback or demand from Indian gamers around BenQ products?
Rajiv: Gaming is a relatively nascent sector here in India when compared to other nations in Southeast Asia. When it comes to the adoption of gaming monitors and display technologies in the Indian context, we see a lot of opportunity.
- Changes after pandemic — Avid gamers used to frequent gaming cafes earlier, but after the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone was confined to their homes. They had enough time on hand to play games, which led them to wanting a better audio-visual immersive experience. In the end, better monitor displays were required as a result. Brands must constantly innovate and develop their offerings in order to meet the growing & discerning demand from Indian gamers.
- Customer demands — Whether it’s refresh rates, response times, or display resolutions, we’re always innovating to offer the best match for the different types of gamers. We also emphasize the advantages of ergonomics, such as the reduction of back discomfort and eye strain—both of which are practically assured if you gaze at a screen for an extended amount of time. The brand should meet all criteria that customers look for when selecting the ideal monitor, which strengthens the market’s high demand for gaming monitors in India.
Talking about trends in immersive gaming, 165hz has become the minimum acceptable refresh rate and the market is moving to 240hz where BenQ has a wide offering of monitors for different genre of gamers. Benq is also the 1st and only brand to have launched 360HZ gaming grade fast TN panel based esports monitor XL2566K. This monitor is rated as the best esports monitor in the market for FPS games like Valorant, etc.
Moulik: How does BenQ India plan on building upon its growth in the display tech market?
Rajiv: The display tech market has experienced significant growth in recent years due to advancements in technology, increasing demand for high-quality visual experiences, and the proliferation of digital devices.
BenQ has ensured that their gaming monitors have evolved rapidly, offering higher resolutions, improved colour accuracy, wider viewing angles, faster refresh rates and enhanced brightness. Innovations such as OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) have revolutionized display capabilities, providing superior image quality and more immersive experiences.
While the gaming industry continues to grow rapidly, we ensure that the portfolio meets the customers demand which is primarily for high-performance displays with low latency, high refresh rates, and adaptive sync technologies.
- The Zowie XL2566K — The Zowie XL2566K featured esports players SkRossi from Global Esports and Deathmaker from VLT as part of its promotion. It’s also the official monitor for VCT 2023. Will there be a similar marketing strategy in place for upcoming Zowie products?
- Zowie — Zowie is a brand dedicated to the development of professional E-Sports hardware. We strive to continually develop products that allow gamers to play at the peak of their abilities. As part of this process, we are continually monitoring and implementing feedback from the community into our products in order to make them into the ultimate performance tools. Whenever we launch new products under our Zowie brand, we will definitely invite professional athletes to talk, discuss and celebrate our products. After all, we are the preferred monitor for champions.
Moulik: So far, BenQ and its Zowie division have been developing products targeting the PC gaming audience. Are there any upcoming products for console gamers in India?
Rajiv: Our gaming monitors are segmented into two ranges, Mobiuz and Zowie which are the two gaming sub-brands of BenQ. Zowie monitors are solely meant for professional FPS Esports athletes and competitive gameplay. They include Esports grade ultra-fast TN Panels and boast of high refresh rates up to 360Hz and low response times of up to 0.5ms.
- Mobiuz — Our Mobiuz lineup on the other hand, is meant for immersive gaming featuring both flat as well as curved monitors. The refresh rates of Mobiuz monitors start at 144 Hz and this goes up to 240 Hz. The display resolutions vary from Full HD to 4K. However, the key USP of our newer models is that they feature HDMI 2.1 This makes it compatible with next gen consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S and supports up to 4K gaming at 144hz refresh rate.
We are also going to be launching a 48inch OLED monitor soon equipped with HMDI 2.1 that will make console gaming a visual treat for gaming enthusiasts.
Moulik: There have been plenty of monitors launched by BenQ in India since last year, including some catering to gamers. What more products does BenQ India have planned next for gamers in India?
Rajiv: We are soon going to be launching our wireless mice in the country that is targeted towards Esports athletes. It features an asymmetrical ergonomic design with an enhanced receiver to eliminate any latency issues. It also reduces the fatigue of flexor carpi ulnaris muscle that could be common while doing fast clicking actions.
Another product that we have on the horizon is our 48-inch OLED monitor with 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It comes with HDMI 2.1 making it the ultimate companion for console gaming.
Moulik: What is BenQ India’s vision for India’s ever-growing display tech market? What sort of innovations is the company working towards in the display tech market as a whole?
Rajiv: The display tech market has witnessed several notable innovations in recent years, leading to significant advancements in visual experiences.
- OLED Technology — One such being the OLED monitors, OLED technology offers self-emitting pixels that can individually turn on and off, resulting in high contrast ratios, deep blacks, and vibrant colours. OLED displays are flexible and can be made thinner and lighter, allowing for curved and bendable screens.
- HDR technology — HDR technology enhances the dynamic range of displays by increasing contrast, colour accuracy, and brightness. HDR displays provide a more lifelike and immersive visual experience, showcasing a wider range of details in both dark and bright areas.
High-refresh-rate displays, such as 360Hz, offer smoother motion rendering, reducing motion blur and providing a more fluid and responsive visual experience. These displays are particularly sought after in gaming and multimedia applications.
Moulik: BenQ also has a lineup of projectors in the display tech segment. Are any specific products catering to the PC gaming or console gaming community?
Rajiv: Our projector lineup does include a few models that cater to the gaming community. We offer both Full HD as well as 4K models.
- 4K Monitors — In our 4K resolution segment we have 3 different models based on various price points. The TK700 and TK700STI models are entry level 4k gaming projectors while X3000i is a more high-end model. We had recently collaborated with GeekyRanjit as well for this particular model, as he was looking for a suitable gaming projector. All 4k models supports 240Hz refresh rate.
TH575 is a Full HD projector that is available exclusively on Amazon while the similar spec TH585P projector is available for sale in the retail channel as well. TH690ST is a 4LED light source gaming projector that features a refresh rate up to 120Hz.
Moulik: While BenQ has a larger market share, how do you feel the company separates itself from the competition in India in terms of price point and technology?
Rajiv: Investing in research and development has enabled BenQ to stay at the forefront of technology advancements. By continuously improving our display technologies and introducing new products with industry first innovations, BenQ has been able to offer cutting-edge products that differentiates us from our competitors. While BenQ is very much a premium brand in the market at the same time it is known for offering best value for money to its customers.
Moulik: What is the company doing to improve its after-sales support in the market? What are the key changes it has made in the customer support segment in the last 2 years?
Rajiv: We have a very stringent Customer Feedback and Satisfaction Monitoring process. We have implemented system like post-service surveys and feedback forms to collect and analyse customer feedback as well as social media listening tools to gain insights into customer satisfaction levels.
We also provide comprehensive training and development programs to customer support representatives and equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to address customer issues effectively.
We have also Implemented efficient escalation and complaint resolution processes that’s ensures that customer issues are handled promptly and effectively. This involves assigning dedicated escalation points, establishing clear communication channels, and prioritizing urgent cases.
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