"India is listed as one of the top 10 manufacturers of the world in 2010," the international yearbook of industrial statistics 2011, published by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) said.

India along with other leading developing economies such as Brazil and China showed strong performance in economic growth in 2010 and the manufacturing value added of all these countries grew by over 10% last year, the agency said.

The share of these three countries in world manufacturing output reached 32% compared to 20% 10 years ago, the report, released in Vienna.

World manufacturing value added, or MVA, rose 5.3% in 2010, as per the agency's estimate.
The MVA of industrialised countries was up 3.4% in 2010.

India topped developing countries (excluding China) in production of textiles, chemical products, basic metals, general machinery and equipment, and electrical machinery.

It overtook Brazil in the production of motor vehicles and now ranks second among developing countries after Mexico.

However, its Asian competitors Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines are ahead in the production of electronic goods such as computers and office equipment, radio, television and other communication equipment.

Speaking after inaugurating a centre of excellence for the company here, Howard Stringer, chairman, president and chief executive officer, said: “India will be among the top five markets for Sony in a few years. Sony in India is growing at 50 per cent per annum in terms of revenue and we intend to keep this pace of growth going.”

He said the key to this growth would be from three-dimensional (3D) technology-based products. Sony is targeting annual sales of about $12 billion from 3D-related products by the end of financial year 2012-13 across the world. “3D is an important technology, it captures the reality around us. It is not about special effects,” said Stringer

As for India, he said Sony would be trying to push more of 3D products. “We launched 3D LCDs last year in India. More 3D-capable products will be launched by us, one after the other, in the next two years. By 2012, we are targeting 30 per cent of our revenues to come from 3D products in India.”

The CEO said 3D television was growing faster than high-definition colour TV and the Japanese giant is the only company that generated the entire spectrum of 3D products.

Koreans ahead
Sony had slipped in the Indian market earlier, after Korean giants LG and Samsung. In the flat panel TV market, Samsung was the leader with 31.4 per cent, followed by Sony at 30.8 per cent and LG at close to 25 per cent, between January and December 2010. The two Korean companies have a combined yearly turnover of a little over Rs 32,000 crore, far bigger than Sony’s comparative Rs 5,700 crore.

For Samsung, India will become one of its top three markets in the globe in the next two to three years; the aim is to hit a turnover of $10 billion by 2013, a trebling over 2009-10. LG India is aiming at becoming the number two market in the world for the Korean company by 2015 with a $10 billion, overtaking Korea. About 12 per cent of

LG’s total revenues would then come from India, up from six per cent now. Experts say the big difference has been that both Samsung and LG have invested heavily in India to put up manufacturing facilities, which Sony has not.

Key products from Sony India’s stable include Cybershot cameras, Bravia television sets, VIAO laptops, Sony Handycams, Walkmans and Hi-fi music systems. The company, said Stringer, would soon launch VIAO personal computers in the country. Also in the offing are 4K high-definition cameras for the Indian market, Stringer said.