IMAGING technologies manufacturer Canon India is investing around Rs 140 crore in marketing and advertising this year. Though printers market is expected to be flat this year, the company said it would not dip below last year's level.

“We have an investment plan of Rs 140 crore by the end of this calendar year, of which we have already in vested some amount. We are aiming to achieve sales of Rs 1,650 crore against Rs 1,257 crore last year,“ Alok Bharadwaj, senior VP , Canon India told Financial Chronicle.

He said the company is also planning to expand its exclusive brand retail store `Canon Image Square' from 30 in 25 cities to 300 in 100 major cities and towns by 2013. It plans to close this year with 95 such stores.

“We want to reach smaller cities through such stores and the focus is towards tierII and III cities,“ Bharadwaj said, adding that the compa ny is growing at 40 per cent year-on-year from selling cameras and would grow at same level this year as well.

In the digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, Canon India is growing 100 per cent year-on-year, he added.

Bharadwaj said there are around 32 lakh digital cameras and 1.6 lakh DSLRs sold in India annually.

On the printers sales also, Bharadwaj said it would remain flat this year, especially towards enterprise sales due to impact of macroeconomic conditions, as small and medium enterprises have deferred their capital expenditure. The company has market share of 33 per cent in laser printers.

According to research firm Gartner, combined serial inkjet and page printer, copier and multifunction product (MFP) market in India totaled 666,859 units in the second quarter of 2011 marking 0.8 per cent decline from the second quarter of 2010.