Widex targets digital hearing aid market in India

Kolkata, Nov 27 (UNI) Widex Aps, the 300 million dollar digital hearing aid producer, is aiming at the growing digital hearing aid market in India.

The demand for digital hearing aid is increasing rapidly.

Statistics show that 30 per cent people above 60 years age have hearing loss and 7-10 per cent of population required hearing aids, Widex India's managing director T S Anand told reporters here today.

The most alarming was the increasing hearing loss among children owing to noise pollution, Mr Anand claimed.

Widex India, currently selling 20,000 pieces of hearing aids, expects the sales to go up to 1,50,000 pieces in next 2-3 years and to 3,00,000 pieces by 2010.

Widex having 50 per cent market share of the digital hearing aid market would import the products from its plant at Denmark. "We have no plans to set up manufacturing base in India since the products require specialised treatment, which are available in Denmark," he said.

With 16 company owned dispensing centres, Widex is planning to set up a computerised shell manufacturing facility with an investment of Rs 10 crore, Mr Anand said. The facility would likely be set up at Delhi or Chandigarh.

"We will produce 1500 to 2000 specialised hearing aid shells in the facility every month. The products will also be exported to South East Asia," he said.

The company today unveiled the advanced hearing aid "Inteo" here.

Widex's products are priced between Rs 12000 to Rs 120000.

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