From providing image solutions to offering healthcare: How Fujifilm rose to prominence in India

Fujifilm has been a world pioneer in providing imaging solutions across the globe. With over 85 years of rich experience, it has not just been a key player of the global imaging business, but has also helped shaped the industry through their timely and relevant innovations.

Laying the foundation
In the early 2000s, Fujifilm, led by chairman Shigetaka Komori, reacted quickly to the steep decrease in demand for colour film business. He brought some fundamental reforms with the vision to thrive as a leading enterprise. Driven by the simple but profound goal of creating meaningful advancements, Fujifilm reinvented itself as a one-stop solution provider in imaging specialty. The company revamped itself by re-imagining the six businesses — digital imaging, optical devices, highly-functional material, graphic systems, document solutions and healthcare.


Over the years, India has emerged as one of the best performing regions for Fujifilm, with its primary focus on of fering healthcare solutions through AI and IoT. The medical imaging technology business forms the company’s core growth driver in the country, contributing more than 50 per cent to its business. The brand has re-imagined its imaging offerings and businesses in the country by striving to provide Indian consumers with the best products and services in the imaging space. With their six major businesses such as photo imaging, image capturing, medical division, graphic arts division, industrial products and recording media, it is known to be a leading player in the medical imaging and diagnostics equipment industry.

Never Stop campaign
Speaking about the curve, Fujifilm’s managing director, Haruto Iwata, said, “India is one of the fastest growing markets for us and we are eyeing a double-digit growth every year from now. We have marked the growth steadily to make our presence felt across the nation. We are witnessing a promising future for ourselves in the Indian market. Each category that Fujifilm has a presence in, is driven by long-term commitment towards our customers and partners. All our businesses have shown positive results, along with all regions contributing significantly towards our development in the country.” He added, “We have recently launched the Never Stop Campaign in India. The new film, titled ‘Never Stop’, highlights Fujifilm’s longstanding relationship with the Indian consumers and the brand’s constant focus towards revealing new technologies while cementing its position as a market disruptor. The digital film focuses on communicating the company’s diverse array of business operations as well as its corporate mindset committed to take on new challenges with best-in-class technologies in different sectors.”

Innovators of healthcare

Fujifilm has established a rich legacy of innovation and has shaped the healthcare experience for hundreds and mil lions of patients around the world. They have set sights on engineering technologies and breakthroughs that will continue to transform the healthcare landscape in India. The brand has been continuously innovating best-in-class diagnostic imaging and information systems for healthcare facilities.

The company’s clinically proven products and technologies are constantly evolving to help medical profes siona ls per form more efficiently. Keeping in mind the rising requirement for healthcare equipment, Fujifilm has innovated a vast portfolio of products to choose from, which includes mammography machines, endoscopy systems, digital radiography systems, retrofit detectors, mobile X-ray machines, local X-ray machines, IVD, healthcare IT synapse, etc.

Photo imaging
Fujifilm is capitalising photo printing as it brings back photo albums into the lives of consumers. The brand is recognised as one of the world’s best in photo printing. Wedding photos, in particular, are a big bet in India and currently, smaller photo studios are meeting this demand. The photographic imaging core is still a big part of the company’s narrative in India. When Fujifilm made its first foray in the country in 2007, the wedding album business had tremendous scope. The company still has its lens trained on the opportunity of photographic films, but with a contemporary and refined twist.

Growing mirrorless
The imaging major Fujifilm is also looking at seizing opportunities in the fast-growing mirrorless camera segment. Over the years, the X series has continued to break new ground, improving and expanding the photography experience with each new camera. Fujifilm’s range of X and GFX series cameras not only cater to wedding photography but also to street, lifestyle and travel photography amongst other genres. The GFX range of cameras is best for commercial and fashion photography.

Graphic arts
Print and packaging is the first thing that attracts consumers. These two play an important role, especially in the consumer goods industry. Fujifilm maintains direct contact with consumers through its already established sales network in India. It is open to working with new partners to reach out to various consumer segments, such as digital and wide format presses. The company has also set up demo centres as a part of its aggressive expansion plan in India, as the graphics arts segment is one of the key growth drivers.

The company has already crossed 100 units of Acuity installations in India, selling five-six units every month. It is now targeting doubling its current installations on the Acuity range with more innovative products, with a focus on tier-2 and 3 markets as well. The Acuity range of printers has been a success with its speed, quality and precision in work. Moreover, the printers are energy-efficient and kinder to the environment.

Recording media and industrial products

Fujifilm has set the benchmark for computer data storage, professional video production and TV broadcasting. Whether recording dramatic footage or safeguarding corporate data, its products assure reliability backed by continuous innovation.

Fujifilm’s imaging expertise goes far beyond photography. It ranges from testing equipment using digital X-ray technology to find defects, pre-scale to enable visual confirmation of physical pressure, microfilm solutions for long-term archiving, to micro-filters ensuring precise filtering with its proprietary microporous membranes.

The company desires to combine its original technology with human resources, expertise and technology from around the world, both internally and externally to create innovation. Fujifilm’s goal is to be a company that can resolve a diverse variety of problems that face society. It wants to be a company that contributes to the world through the continuous creation of value-added products and services, and achieve sustainable growth through constant revolution.

Experiential stores
Improving user experience is also a core aspect of Fujifilm’s innovation, which led to the launch of its experiential stores called ‘Wonder Photo Shops’, that allow customers to rediscover the joys of old-fashioned photography by browsing through its high-end cameras, instant cameras and print photos in different shapes, sizes and formats.

The company’s range of Instax products and pr int ing solut ions brings back the culture of printing and sharing moments in innovative formats. The Wonder Photo Shop and Fujifilm print services are doing well, as consumers today are always looking for something new. The Instax segment, with Bol lywood actor Alia Bhatt as its brand ambassador since June, has seen a healthy growth in sales.

The next chapter of the innovation story will continue. One thing is for sure, Fujifilm will cont inue to develop meaningful breakthroughs to ascertain the needs of its consumers. Its strategy now is that it wants to be a company that creates change. Fujifilm doesn’t want to be a company that responds to change. It wants to be one that can predict and create change, and ‘Never Stop’ creating value from innovation.