New Delhi, Oct. 24 -- Japanese consumer electronics brands are quietly retracing their steps into India. Once household names in televisions, video cassette recorders and stereo systems, companies such as Akai, JVC and OM System (formerly Olympus) are making cautious comebacks, chasing niches instead of mass markets dominated by aggressive Chinese entrants and steady Korean rivals. And those such as Sony and Panasonic that had chosen to stay on are also in a reset mode.

Their timing is strategic. India's $75-billion consumer electronics market is projected to nearly double to $130-150 billion by 2029, per Redseer. Yet Japanese companies account for less than 5% of the market, estimates Praxis Global Alliance, a management consultancy fir...