Sanyo Electric has informed that the company is likely to call off the 50:50 joint venture with Bangalore-based BPL, for manufacturing cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions by the year-end.

Further, the company stated that it has made the decision as it wants to focus on plasma and LCD televisions, batteries, industrial cooling systems while not being saddled with conventional colour televisions.

According to sources, the joint venture, which was set up four years ago, to make cathode ray tube TVs for the Indian market, was able to corner close to 5% market share in the country's CTV market.

The JV company has produced 400,000 colour CRT models in the year ended March.

The company had already closed a box TV plant in Bangalore, operated by a joint venture with local partner BPL after its profitability had been hit by price falls and a shift in demand to flat TVs.

However, there is still no official communication from the joint venture company has received regarding the termination of JV contract.