Priya to launch Rs 17,000 PC kit

Srikanth R P / Mumbai

Priya group, a well known Mumbai based distributor, is all set to create a flutter in the PC segment with its offering of a PC kit for Rs 17,000. The kit would offer the group’s Krypton range of products (cabinets, CD drives and motherboards) with options of processors from Via (733 Mhz) and AMD Duron 1.2 Ghz (for an additional Rs 1,500). Other standard features include a 40 GB HDD, 15-inch monitor (Philips), a 56 Kbps internal modem, 128 MB RAM and a 52X CD-ROM drive. While the Via-based system would be offered as the basic system, the AMD-based system would be scaled up for catering to the needs of different customers. The operating system for running the PCs would be Linux.

Said Rajeev Jain, general manager, Priya, “Over 90 percent of the PC buying segment in India today only needs a basic system, which is appropriate for running office applications or sending e-mails. With this service offering, we believe we can offer a real value proposition to the end customer. Moreover, as all the individual components are tested to work with each other, customers can be assured that all the products are fully compatible with each other.” The new offering is a natural progression for the Mumbai-based channel player as it is a distributor of every computer component that goes into a PC, and knows the pulse of the market and the changing trends in buying. And if one looks at the dynamics of the Indian PC segment, there is clearly a distinct gap between a branded PC and an assembled one. While most people buy assembled PCs because of the price factor, there is also a separate class, which favours the branded PC brigade because of trust in the brand itself. This is the gap that Priya is looking at bridging by combining the strengths of its brand and the channel’s strength in volumes.

To create its own value proposition, the company is going one step ahead and offering the customer a choice of upgrading his PC. Say a customer wants to replace his old CD-ROM drive with a CD Writer, he can just refer to a list given by Priya, which mentions the pricing of each product based on factors like the brand, year of purchase and the condition of the product. This strategy, Jain believes could help it differentiate itself from other players. Priya has also identified close to 300 system partners who would be given the responsibility of providing after sales support for supporting the PCs.