HARMAN Grows Presence in India with Launch of Two Dozen Consumer Audio Products

HARMAN International announced new initiatives for consumers in India by launching an extensive, new line-up of over two dozen audio products and by opening three new consumer service centers in the country. HARMAN’s Global Brand Ambassador, Grammy and Academy award winner, renowned musician and singer, A.R. Rahman participated in a special launch ceremony in New Delhi today.

HARMAN also announced that its popular JBL and Harman Kardon audio products will now be available through 350 of Samsung’s key brand stores across India by the end of 2017. HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics in March 2017. Together, HARMAN and Samsung will now offer Indian consumers an entire range of innovative electronics that create a ‘Connected Ecosystem.’

“Samsung is India’s biggest consumer electronics company and the most trusted brand. We listen to our consumers and develop meaningful innovations that help make their lives better. This synergy with HARMAN allows us to offer richer experiences and a comprehensive portfolio of smart, connected and cutting-edge audio products. Our consumers can now enjoy a connected lifestyle at home and on the move,” said Asim Warsi, Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India.

The products launched today include a variety of audio portables, headphones, home and multimedia, and car aftermarket products from HARMAN’s JBL, Harman Kardon and Infinity brands. Consumers in India will now have wider choice, with products starting from Rs. 1,119 and going up to Rs. 39,990.

Products launched today include:

• JBL Flip 4: The next generation of JBL’s popular Flip series and the winner of the 2017 CES Innovation Award.
• JBL Pulse 3: Waterproof Bluetooth speaker with an outstanding 360° sound and electrifying light show.
• Harman Kardon Traveler: Beautifully crafted, portable travel speaker, designed for on-the-go professionals.
• Harman Kardon OMNI+ series: Next Generation of Wi-Fi HD Home audio systems with advanced streaming capabilities.
• JBL Cinema SB450: Successor of JBL’s popular home cinema line up, a 2.1 sound bar with a wireless subwoofer designed to complement ultra HD video devices.
• Infinity Kappa Perfect 600: New automotive speaker system combined with superior technology and a compact design.

Additionally, HARMAN showcased its latest audio innovations launched at the trade show IFA in Berlin, last month. The IFA line up, which includes JBL LINK series, JBL Boombox, JBL Jr. and JBL Free will be available in India starting first quarter of 2018. The IFA lineup includes:

• JBL LINK series: First voice-activated speaker series that bring together JBL’s Signature Sound with Google Assistant.
• Harman Kardon Allure: First and only high-end speaker in the market with Amazon Alexa, Harman Kardon Allure combines far-field voice recognition technology with refined 360 degree sound and a sleek design.
• JBL Boombox: Powerful portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers exceptional sound and hard hitting bass and keeps the music experience going for up to 24 hours.
• JBL Jr.: JBL’s first line of kids’ headphones that perfectly blend youngster’s entertainment needs with parents’ safety and quality expectations.
• JBL Free: The perfect, truly wireless music companion for the everyday active lifestyle for calls, music, and exercise.

Speaking on the occasion, HARMAN’s ambassador, A.R. Rahman said, “My association with HARMAN is marked by a common vision to offer incredible sound to all music lovers. HARMAN creates products that bring out the real sound envisioned by a musician. The new range of products is designed to offer Indian consumers an unparalleled listening experience.”

The company also detailed its plans to grow its R&D capabilities in India. Last year, HARMAN opened a new center of competence (CoC) for its consumer audio division in Bengaluru. “Our India CoC team works in tandem with HARMAN’s other CoCs in China, Europe and the U.S. and is focused on developing robust and scalable software solutions for the consumer and car audio products. Our Bengaluru team is playing a crucial role in driving innovation and differentiation at the software development stage to make HARMAN’s audio solutions smarter and more connected,” said Pradeep Chaudhry, Country Manager, HARMAN India.

New Consumer Service Centers

To strengthen HARMAN’s consumer service experience, the company has opened three new service centers this year. With these additions, HARMAN now has service centers in key metros including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

Product Availability

The new product line up will be immediately available through select Samsung brand stores, other large format retail partners and through various online channels including the company’s own e-commerce platform – www.harmanaudio.in.

The car aftermarket products from JBL and Infinity will be available through HARMAN’s extensive channel network of over 2,000 partners across India.

The IFA line up, which includes JBL LINK series, JBL Boombox, JBL Jr. and JBL Free will be available in India starting first quarter of 2018.