Dickson Poon, regional manager for South Asia at Toshiba Singapore talked to Nepali Times last week about the market in Nepal.
Nepali Times: How important is the Nepal market?
Dickson Poon: We don't think Nepal is a small country, and we have launched our products targeting the mass market here. We have all kinds of mini as well as large and high performance products catering to all kinds of users. We have launched L510 series as well as M900 and M500 models.
How did you see business prospect in Nepal?
As I see it, the economy of the country is not in bad shape and is picking up. This is expected to get better. We found a good business partner here in Nepal so we are optimistic.
What is Toshiba's market share globally and in the region?
We have almost a quarter share of the notebook market globally. It is one of the popular brands around. We hope it will fare well in Nepal. We have targeted the mass cutting down the price without compromising on quality, reliability, performance and service. The products are available for fair price through an authorised distributor.
Money management
Laxmi Bank and Beed Invest signed a Memorandum of Understanding last week to introduce portfolio management into their range of services. Under this agreement the two will develop financial and investment products for the customers of Laxmi Bank keen on investing in the stock market.
Best accounts
Himalayan Bank Limited was awarded the 'Best Presented Accounts Award 2008' by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal. The evaluation of annual report was done according to the criteria set by South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA). Now the Himalayan Bank will also be nominated in 'SAFA Best Presented Accounts Award 2008'.
Prosperous
Chaudhary Group (CG) last week launched a corporate social responsibility project 'Educated Nepali, prosperous Nepal and energetic Nepali, prosperous Nepal' to support the education and sports system in Nawalparasi. The conglomerate of 50 industries and social units, CG has been sustaining social and health service sectors and the development of Nepali literature.
Local hero
Morang Auto Works, the sole distributor of Yamaha Motorcycle in Nepal announced its 'Alba Ratna' - the person the company thinks has made the most generous contribution to society this month. The local hero, Tulsi Ram Ghimire from Butwal, was chosen by a selection committee from Kantipur Publications and was awarded a cash prize of Rs 50,000.
NEW PRODUCTS
GOING GREEN: Avco International launched Yo Byke, an electric two wheeler, last week. Considered to be an economical option in an era of ballooning petrol prices, the bike operates via a rechargeable battery. Currently Avco International is marketing the model YOspeed with a year's warranty. These bikes have also bagged the award of 'Overdrive Automotive Product of the Year 2007.'
WHITENER: Sujal Dairy launched Alpine Dairy whitener for the first time in Nepal. Using local milk from cows and buffaloes, Alpine is said to make the perfect tea and coffee. The product is available in 900gm and 450gm packs.
NOTEBOOK: HP announced the launch of its new brand of notebook PC, the HP ProBook series on 30 July. Designed for small business owners, this series is advertised as functional, stylish, and reasonably priced.
"We want smiles"
Kajuhi Takamatsu is the head of Export Business Marketing at Sony's Singapore branch. He talked to Nepali Times last week. 
Nepali Times: What do you think of the market for digital cameras in Nepal?
Kajuhi Takamatsu: Because of the growing demand for digital cameras here, Sony is doing well. With 60 per cent of the local market, Sony is the biggest supplier of digital cameras in Nepal as well as Asia. Last year, we sold 11,000 units in Nepal and expect a 15 per cent increase in sales this year. Here, we target youth and families. Outside Kathmandu, our cameras sell well in Pokhara, Butwal, Dharan and Biratnagar.
What are the special functions of I-Auto?
It is user-friendly and the pictures are clear and sharp. Because it has 3200 ISO and an inbuilt SImOS sensor, it takes good pictures at night as well. It also has a 'smile feature'? a sensor that takes pictures after it detects smile of the person whose picture is being taken. It can even tell a fake smile from a genuine one. It has a backlight so anti-light doesn't ruin its pictures.
What do you expect from the Nepali market?
We expect the I-Auto to be received as well as the Sony Smile camera was last year. We've introduced these models not only to expose Nepalis to new technologies but also to bring a smile to their faces.
