Content consumption and home entertainment they have become inseparable from our lives over the past year. To reach the masses and find growth in this space, Sony will expand its Dolby sound bar range in India with more offerings in the mid-range and high-end segments. In a conversation with TechRadar India, Ashim Mathur, Senior Regional Manager, Emerging Markets, Dolby Laboratories and Mani Balan, Product Manager, Audio Business at Sony India, shed light on how the two brands have worked together in the past to "Revolutionize the audio experience for your consumers” and talked about his future projects, including affordable soundbars, smart speakers, TWS, the Indian home entertainment market and more. Sony is targeting 50% growth in the soundbar segment, with 100% growth specifically in the premium soundbar segment. It expects to achieve this growth in India by expanding its portfolio with new mid-range and high-end offerings, as well as enhancing its reach in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets with entry-level products. With the pandemic confining people to their homes and home entertainment on the rise, Balan believes that Indians now understand the importance of good sound in a comprehensive entertainment experience. “The fact that an immersive cinematic experience cannot be achieved without the right audio complement is now infiltrating the mind of the consumer. Pandemic-induced situations, such as the absence of theater visits for a year and the release of new movies on OTT platforms, were the main drivers of this achievement. The segment has grown steadily by 20% in recent years, but there is a transition from 5.1-channel speaker systems to modern soundbars with less wiring. A survey conducted by Dolby with Wakefield Research found that 94% of consumers in India are willing to pay more for a premium subscription to improve video and audio quality, while 96% of them will upgrade their entertainment equipment to the next 6 months. Mathur explained. Balan confirmed: "Due to foreclosure, the demand for audio and video products has increased dramatically in 2020. With restrictions on outdoor entertainment activities like movie theaters and shopping malls, people have invested in good sound bars and TVs to enhance their movie experience." “Along with our high-end offerings, we are also focusing on the mid-range to bring the technology to the masses. The fact that our Dolby Atmos soundbars are available below Rs 30.000 is a reflection of this,” says Sony's Balan. However, since India is a price sensitive market, both companies had to find unique solutions to make consumers emphasize the importance of good audio. Dolby has created instructional videos to demonstrate Dolby technology to customers. Through a newly built Dolby brand store on Amazon India and Flipkart, Dolby aims to further promote education and awareness of Dolby experiences on Sony soundbars. In offline stores, Sony has created special soundbar areas where consumers can experience Dolby Atmos before making a purchase decision. Further expanding on the content, service and device story, the two brands collaborated on the first tripartite engagement of its kind with different OTT platforms for cross-amplification and to create education and awareness about Dolby-compatible content that can be enjoy better with a Sony Soundbar.