The River brand of MP3 player was launched in India by Salora International and competes with music players such as the iPod. This River brand is owned by which company?

Introduction / Context:
Consumer electronics brands often enter the Indian market through distribution tie ups. This question deals with an MP3 player brand called River, launched in India by Salora International and positioned as a competitor to Apple's iPod. The core test is whether you can associate this brand with its Korean parent company ReignCom, which is better known globally under the iRiver branding.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The product is an MP3 player brand, written as River in the question. - It competes with Apple's iPod in the portable music player market. - It was launched in India by Salora International, a local distributor. - We must identify the actual owner of the brand from four electronics companies.

Concept / Approach:
The concept combines brand ownership and distribution strategy. The iRiver line of MP3 players is produced by the Korean company ReignCom. In some exam questions, the brand is simplified as River, but it clearly refers to iRiver, which directly competes with iPod. TEAC, Toshiba, and Panasonic are also electronics makers, but they are associated with different audio products and do not own the iRiver or River MP3 player line.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that the name River in the question corresponds to the internationally known MP3 player brand iRiver. Step 2: Recall that iRiver devices are manufactured and marketed by the Korean company ReignCom. Step 3: TEAC is a Japanese manufacturer known for audio equipment like tape decks but not specifically as the owner of the iRiver brand. Step 4: Toshiba and Panasonic are other Japanese giants in electronics, but they have their own product lines and are not the parent company behind River or iRiver MP3 players. Step 5: Therefore the only accurate match is ReignCom.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by checking older technology articles and product reviews that describe iRiver as a brand from ReignCom, a Korean firm seeking to compete with Apple in the portable music player space. General knowledge compilations on brands and owners also pair River or iRiver MP3 players with ReignCom rather than with other Japanese electronics companies.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
TEAC does produce high quality audio equipment but is not the owner of the River or iRiver brand. Toshiba and Panasonic both manufacture consumer electronics, including audio products, but they have no direct link with the specific River MP3 player brand mentioned. These names serve as plausible distractors, but they do not reflect the actual corporate ownership.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may assume that because Salora International is only a distributor, the brand must belong to a large Japanese company, leading them to guess Toshiba or Panasonic. Others may not recognise that River in the question refers to the stylised iRiver brand. Paying attention to exam preparation materials where ReignCom is clearly stated as the owner of iRiver will help prevent such errors.

Final Answer:
The River MP3 player brand is owned by ReignCom.