Growth expectations for India high; it will surpass other markets

For German audio firm Sennheiser, which marks 80 years of existence, India has climbed from the 10th spot to the fifth. ANDREAS SENNHEISER, co-chief executive officer of the company, in an interaction with Udisha Srivastav in Gurugram, discusses India operations, upcoming products, plans for 2025, and the impact of selling the consumer side of the business. Edited excerpts:

- ANDREAS SENNHEISER

Sennheiser completes 80 years this year. How important has India been in Sennheiser's journey? I think pushing the boundaries of audio for 80 years is a story of creating legacy products and new applications, like the first wireless microphone in 1958 and the first headphones in 1968. What made us strong was the ability to adapt and innovate.

India is one of our most dynamic markets. It has seen consistent growth—except for the pandemic year. Overall, it has been a growth story.

India is now our fifth-largest market, moving up from the top 10. Looking ahead, much depends on how other markets perform, but my growth expectations for India are higher than for any other country. We have to remain highly focused and fast. I believe India will eventually surpass other markets one by one.

India is one of the largest consumer markets in the world. How do you see it from an audio tech perspective?

The two areas we're focusing on are business communication and professional audio production and reproduction. We sold the consumer business a few years ago, so while Sennheiser products still exist, they are no longer under our ownership.