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issue: May 2003 APPLIANCE Magazine
New Delhi Report
Air-Conditioners Ready For New Battles |
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The World Cup marketing blitz is over in India. As TV sales slump, will refrigerators and air-conditioners fill the void? |
Now that the World Cup is over in India, as is the marketing and advertising blitz that accompanied it, it is expected that the jump in sales of CTVs will slump.
Perhaps, this will be compensated by increased sales of other appliances like refrigerators and air-conditioners as the summer months set in? Already, manufacturers have begun to launch new products.
For example, Videocon International has launched six new models in the split air-conditioner category under the brand name Top Secret. It has also launched nine new refrigerator models in the direct-cool segment.
According to a company press release, the Top Secret series incorporates the "Quadra Heat Exchanger" technology, which reportedly reduces the running cost of the air-conditioner by 30 to 80 percent by economizing on the total power consumed. The company hopes to sell 200,000 units of air-conditioners this year.
Videocon is also planning to introduce the Watermatic range of refrigerators with "Eurocool" technology, which will allow the consumer to source clean, pure, chilled water without opening the refrigerator door.
Demand for room air-conditioners in India is growing and is expected to lead to a sales growth of 25 percent this year. Coupled with the growing demand, the Union Budget 2003 announced a reduction in the excise duty rates. Consequently, excise duties have been slashed from 32 percent to 24 percent, which has made air-conditioners less expensive to purchase.
This report is filed by Adite Chatterjee, New Delhi correspondent, APPLIANCE magazine.
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