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The festive season to leverage higher growth for home appliance market in India
MUMBAI: With the festival season having been kicked off, home appliances companies are looking forward to a hectic quarter ahead. According to the Home Appliances Division of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) high end models of televisions i.e. the LCD and flat panel monitors and DVD players will top the chart this season followed by refrigerators.
Home Appliances companies are expecting sales to grow by 20-25 per cent for these products. “This year, very clearly the focus will be on two key products, Flat Panel Displays, specially the Plasma and the LCD Monitors and the DVD Players,” says LG Electronics India Ltd assistant general manager Sandeep Tiwari.
Godrej has launched its new range of refrigerators called EON to capture the demand in the festival season says Godrej vice president G Sundaraman.
The companies are increasing their ad spend and launching new promotional campaigns. Godrej for example has already launched a series of promotional campaigns and dealer meets. According to Sundaraman, the company has plans for a number of festival schemes to maximize sales during the forthcoming months. Tiwari adds that LG plans to spend something in the range of Rs 100 crores on promotional and advertising activities.
According to the CII Home Appliances Division the market for various Home Appliances will continue to grow right through to 2015, and not just this festival season. “Based on feedback from various CII members, we believe that that outlook for the Home Appliances markets is looking good for the next 10 years” says CII head manufacturing services Dr. Sarita Nagpal.
” The air conditioners market for example is set to grow at a steady 10 per cent upto 2015, while refrigerators market is expected to slow down from 7 per cent to 6 per cent after 2009-10″, adds Dr. Nagpal.
Washing machines are also expected to log in a steady 9 per cent growth upto 2015, while microwaves are expected to grow the fastest at 15.30 per cent upto 2009-2010 and then slow down to 12.5 per cent upto 2015. Vacuum cleaners have not been a hot favourite amongst the Indian buyer and is expected to grow at 7.6 per cent.
The white goods market in India is pegged at around Rs 80 billion (inclusive of the unorganized segment). The refrigerator market has the maximum share being valued at over Rs 37 billon, close on the heels is the air conditioners market at Rs 35 billion. Washing machines have a comparatively smaller share at Rs 7-8 billion. In volume terms the refrigerator market is estimated at 3.0 million, washing machines at 1.4 million and air conditioners at 0.96 million.
According to the CII Home Appliances Division, the consumer durable industry registered a buoyant trend during the financial year, 2005-06. The division has identified air conditioners (15.2 per cent) and microwave ovens (26.7 per cent) as the sectors that recorded double-digit growth among white goods in terms of quantities produced. Some sectors that recorded single-digit growth were refrigerators (5.7 per cent) and washing machines (7.7 per cent). The rate of growth in production has been more in terms of quantity or in volume growth rather than the growth in value terms for a number of products because of a change in prices.
According to Dr. Nagpal, “The home appliances consumer is spoilt for choice in every category of the home appliances products. With companies such as Godrej planning to launch at least one new innovation every quarter and the housewife stretching her budget to buy the best possible product, there is ample room for new models to enter the market.”
The CII Home Appliances division has been tracking the geographical trends of the home appliances market. According to them a closer look at the geographical trends reveal that North India accounts for 36 to 46 per cent of the home appliances market depending on which product we are talking about. For example North India controls 36 per cent of the refrigerator market and 46 per cent of washing machines market. The North Indian consumer is the biggest buyer in every category followed by the West.
With the consumer mindset changing towards the life of “consumer durables” and towards taking loans to buy these, the market for home appliances is expected to show an upward trend.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
