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Hey there!
Its always good to see India progressing in the IT World and the whole world is noticing its interests and trends.
I was wondering if India ever made any good car audio gear, including component speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers.
India loves music and it has always reflected in their culture and tradition so I would be happy if anyone can shed a light in this important topic.
It can be past products, current market products or future brand marketing.

Thank you in advance, brothers and sisters!

In the late 60s, 70s and through to about the early 80s India had a thriving audio industry.

In the late 60s and through the 70s there were several audio manufacturers like Cosmic, Arphi, Sonodyne, Norge (Eastern Electronics), Bush (the same Mulchandani who later sold Akai TVs), Ahuja, Nova Audio, Bolton, Capital (the one in Delhi), Salora, Dhawni, Dhakshin.. and these are just the names that remain in what's left of my senile memory.

I was personal friends with many of the owners. Then came TV and the 1982 Asian Games when coloured TVs were made available in India. That killed the audio market. A few of these manufacturers survived but only as a pale shadow of what they were in the booming 70s.

Later came brands like Peerless, Pandam, Telome, Skyking, and Pulz (R&S electronics). These found various niches. Peerless was started in the SEEPZ (Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone) primarily as an export loudspeaker manufacturer, Telome and Pandam some small "Bose-cube" styled audio systems mostly for commercial establishments that wanted background music, Pulz sold amps and some very basic speakers to a few bars and Doordharshan, etc.

India is hardly an audio market. It cannot support even a single audio brand over an extended period of time. Several brands that tried (from the early 90s) have fallen to the wayside and if the exist today are very local with little national presence. Brands like Torvin, Corson (Acoustic Portrait using drivers from VifaSpeak's Thailand factory), Cadence, Audire, Lyrita, Rethm, and Lithos are either marginal players or have died.

Car Audio is a whole different kettle of fish. It requires larger scale production to amortise the cost of the dies and moulds required to make car audio amplifiers and head units. There were some feeble attempts in the late 70s and through to about 1990 by various companies to build these products in India but once the Indian economy opened up to imports these companies closed for good.

The last car stereo system component that I owned that was "Made in India" was in my 1988 Contessa. I had built a 4 x 35W rms car audio amplifier and assembled 3 x 10" Dhwani woofers into a large transmission line cabinet that occupied more than 80% of the Contessa's trunk.

Today almost everything in car audio is imported. Sad but that's the way it is. If China can make your iPhone why not the Sony or Pioneer head unit?

Not exactly an ICE or exclusive 'audio' brand, but any idea where i-Ball products are made? This Indian brand has been around for a long time.

Plus one to you SmartCat Sir. Ahuja, the name we all have been so used to with regards to public address systems. Always curious to know as how are they still surviving in this fierce market. Their designs are dated and still manage to find takers.

Would love Navin Sir to throw some light on this.

I don't know about their audio products but I saw an iBall mobile that was made in China or maybe it was Taiwan.

Ahuja has a niche. In the 70s they got into PA systems for political rallys and religious festivals. Their products are cheap, hardy and cater to the boom-tizz sound most Indians identify with music.

The famous guitar amplifier company, Marshall, once contracted Ahuja to make some combo guitar amps. Marshall. However the products made were of such poor quality that Marshall has since cancelled that agreement. Marshall still makes their cheaper line of products (MG, MA, ..) in Vietnam and China but nothing in India. I think all amps above the "Class 5" are made in the UK and the rest in various OEMs in the Far East.

For the record the MA100C that I heard was made in Vietnam and to be honest I did not care for the sound either. So if the Ahujas were worse I can only image how mad they were. I believe this product is called the Haze series so I would avoid them like the plague.

Talking of Indian Guitar amplifiers, there is a local brand called Calor (made in Vashi, near Mumbai made by Mohammed Ansar). The 2 times I have heard the sound, I did not care much for them, and I dsn't care if he got Eshaan Noorani to endorse them. These were 18W EL84 Push pull models. I am told that he has made a 5W Single Ended EL84 model that is more listenable. I will reserve my judgement till I hear them. The EL84 is a sweet tube so to make them sound "average" must mean that the problem may well be with the output transformer. Tube amps are notoriously "iron sensitive".

After reading and listening to audio equipment for something like 45 years I have found that I cannot trust most magazines or professional reviewers. I only trust what I have on either side of my own head and I am not trying to be arrogant. At 56 life had whipped any arrogance I had (when I was young) out of me.

There is one I am aware of. They are doing business in all audio / video (still in CRT) including car (rather now days truck/bus/auto/e-rikshaw).

Santosh or Sontosh I forgot the exact spelling.

There are present in the market since late 70s I guess (not sure, may even older brand) & even still you can find their cheap products in local Kolkata / WB market.

Yes, they had or I guess still have single din or even double din ICE unit along with speakers/woofers/amps too.

But unfortunately I never saw any serious guy installing their setup. Old Amby taxis use it often, it's even common in those 107/207 or 407. Sometimes they can be found in local buses (private route) of Kolkata.

I guess names can be different but every metro city must have such obscure domestic player serving to the needs of these Taxis/bus/trucks or such.

I think Sonodyne is the only one of the old lot still making audio equipment. They made pretty decent home audio stuff in the early 80's, but I have no idea about the quality now.

Harman makes automotive audio products in India, they have factory and R&D centre based in India.

Read : https://www.harman.com/india/harman-...ne-maharashtra

Disclaimer: Harman was my ex-employer.


iBall and similar brands Whitelabel cheap Chinese products and sell in India.

From the original oldies of the 70s.

Ahuja still does. The quality is "iffy".
Norge (Eastern Electronics) was in operation till 2015 when Shyam Bajaj (the owner passed away).
Peerless was operating till a year or so ago, I heard Damodar passed away and it closed.
Pulz still makes some stuff. Ram runs it now. Rui left several years ago (over a decade) after a falling out with Ram


Thanks. Did not know this plant eventually did fructify.

Norge Audio is still active. I picked up an amplifier from them in 2016 which is still going strong.

I knew Laxman and his daughter were doing something for Norge. Is it still in operation? I would have assumed they closed after Shyam passed.

Weren't there brands like 'Nelco' (if I am not mistaken, it was a TATA company), Murphy, Rallis and something like 'Tele-rad' - all of whom made transistors, radios etc.?

I can see myTVS has got good range of car audio products. Not sure whether they are manufacturing these or just rebranding some Chinese products. They got products under various price range. Personally yet to test. Did anyone got experience with myTVS products?


https://www.mytvsaccessories.com/car-audios

India based audio... I can list a lot, as we are part of an elite audio group.

1. Norge Audio
2. Sonodyne,
3. Torvin,
4. Audiqs
5. Eight Audio etc...

and a lot of DIYers who can make speakers which blows out of water all high end ones.

Even Philips made radios and even a turntable in India.

Yes there are a small group of DIYers. About 7-8 years ago I made this. Scroll to the bottom of the page.

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.ph...528#msg1146528