Sonata to pierce rural market, targets youth with new collection

Bangalore, Oct 6 (UNI) Pushing steel as a fashion among youth, Sonata, a mid range brand from Titan, has come out with a collection of 24 watches under the new title of 'solid steel.' Shifting gears from contemporary styles, Sonata had come out with classy and sporty steel watches to match the style of its brand ambassador, India's latest cricket sensation Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

M R Srinivasan, Titan Vice President, heading the Sonata division told UNI that no one had really promoted steel in a big way in the watch market selling 36 million watches annually in the country.

Sonata had a lion's share of the mid range market of 16 million in the price range of Rs.250 to Rs.1000. Volume wise, it had a 55 per cent share of the Titan having a 14 per cent share of the total market and was growing at two to three per cent a year. The single largest selling volume brand aimed to double its share, Mr Srinivasan said.

The official said Titan had recently conducted a survey in rural India where it found a huge potential. Plans were also ready to enter the rural market in a big way as pilot studies had shown that there was a huge potential among rural consumers. In addition, Sonata would also target the first time watch buyers, whose number was also significant.

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