NEW DELHI, Apr 6: Albeit a delayed summer in North India, air-conditioner makers such as LG, Voltas, Carrier, Panasonic and Videocon are hoping for good sales growth this season on the back of fresh models with new technologies and a good traction from non-metro towns and cities.
To hard-sell their products, the companies are coming up with innovations such as air-conditioners with ‘mosquito away’ technology and products that are less power consuming and environment-friendly.
“Despite a delay in the arrival of summers, we are expecting good sales this year. We believe that demand will pick up once temperature levels start rising… We are expecting an increase of 20 per cent in our sales over our sales last year,” Panasonic India MD Manish Sharma said.
Although most consumers are restraining from making non- essential and optional expenses, there is a group of consumers who are not affected by the inflation and are inclined toward purchasing high-end products, he added.
Targeting this set of customers, Panasonic would promote its high end product categories.
“Parallely, aiming at the rural segment and cautious, price sensitive consumer, we will be aggressive on pushing competitively priced entry-level products,” Sharma added.
South Korean major LG is also upbeat about putting up a good sales growth this year.
“This year we will continue to focus on strong technology leadership in the AC segment with a projected turnover of Rs 2,500 crore and a 28 per cent market share, by the end of the year. We are going to target 25 per cent market growth for this summer season in the AC segment,” LG India Business Head, Air Conditioners Saurabh Baisakhia told PTI.
Apart from the metros, he said the company is looking at smaller and emerging towns and cities in India, the new suburbs, as an important market for ACs as well.
‘Mosquito away’ technology is a feature added by LG in its AC which claims that its ultrasonic waves impacts the sensory range of mosquitoes and keeps them away.
Similarly, Tata group firm Voltas, is expecting a good traction as the penetration levels are still very low in India.
“Overall, the AC industry, as well as the white goods industry is witnessing strong head-winds. However, with just 3.8 per cent penetration, there is enough potential to expand and grow in the AC category,” said Voltas President and Chief Operating Officer Pradeep Bakshi.
This season, with the upgrade of energy-efficiency norms, the company has lined up a new range of models in both Spilt and Window AC segments, giving consumers a wide choice of new power-saving models, he added. (PTI)
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