MUMBAI: Consumer electronics major Samsung has announced the launch of three new, premium, advanced series of LCD TVs - Mosel Blaque, Bordeaux Art, Sonoma Trenz - in the Indian market.

The company also announced that Flat Panel TVs would be the growth drivers for its Audio Video business in the country.

Samsung is aiming at a 50 percent market share in the Flat Panel category this year. It has also strengthened its Plasma TV offering by launching four new models, classified under C9 and Q9 series, in the Indian market today.

States Samsung India Dy. managing director R. Zutshi, "Based on our innovative product offerings in the Flat TV and Flat Panel categories, our attractive pricing and our efforts in the direction of enhancing awareness on these categories, we expect to play a leadership role in fuelling the transition from Curved TVs to Flat and Flat Panel TVs in India."

Samsung India, which commenced manufacturing Flat Panel TVs at its Noida facility in India in June last year, is planning to augment its LCD manufacturing capacity, by commencing the production of LCD TVs at its Chennai facility from August this Year. The LCD TV manufacturing capacity of the Chennai facility will be 0.2 million units per annum." Flat Panel TVs should contribute 11 percent by volume to our total TV sales this year and we expect this contribution to grow to at least 30percent by the Year 2009", states Samsung India director sales Pradeep Tognatta. The Flat Panel television market in India is expected to touch 0.4 million units this year.

Samsung also announced the launch of four new, premium HD Plasma televisions in the Indian market. The new, Samsung premium Plasma televisions which are available in C9 and Q9 series boast a combination of filterbright, super black panel and optimal light filter to provide sharp contrast and pure clarity in any lighting conditions.

"We plan to enhance visibility and create awareness for our Flat Panels by setting up LCD Displays at our multibrand counters; Samsung Brand Shops and over 150 Samsung Dream Home RoadShows that we plan to carry out all over the country", states Zutshi. The Company also plans to tap new, emerging retail formats for its Flat Panel and Digital Media business. In addition to the Flat Panel displays being launched today, the Company also plans to aggressively launch new UltraSlim TM televisions, Digital Still Cameras, Digital Audio players and Digital camcorders in the Indian market in the month of May.