Whirlpool to focus on air-conditioner segment, to launch new range by February

Home appliances manufacturer, Whirlpool India, is looking to strengthen its position in the air-conditioner segment and plans to launch an intelligent range of cooling solutions by February next year, a senior company official said.

"Even though we are focussing on all categories of home appliances, our major thrust is on the air-conditioner segment. We plan to launch a few smart, affordable and intelligent range of cooling solutions called Mastermind series early next year," Whirlpool's Vice-President (Marketing and Exports), Shahzad Akhtar, told PTI here.

A unique feature of this range (split air-conditioners) would be its efficiency in saving power and energy, he said, without, however, divulging its pricing. Whirlpool's marketshare in the air-conditioner segment presently stands at around 5-6 per cent.

Besides air-conditioners, Whirlpool, also plans to introduce several new and innovative products, Akhtar said. "We also plan to focus strongly on washing machhines, in which we are a world leader," he said.

Whirlpool, which on an average invests Rs100-crore annually on launches, upgradations and innovations, is targeting a 30% growth in volumes this fiscal, he said.

Whirlpool would be investing Rs 300-crore in the next three-years, Akhtar said, adding that one-third of the products to be launched next year would be new or innovations. The company, which has a 23 per cent market share in the washing machines segment, is a market-leader in top-loaded fully automatic ones.

Whirlpool has also lined up some new products such as clothes-dryers, air-treatment and water-treatment systems, new range of ovens that would reduce cooking time and revolutionise mealtime preparation and save energy up to 20 per cent.

It has recently bagged the Frost and Sullivan Business Development Strategy Leadership Award in the Indian Residential Point-of-Use (POU) water treatment systems market. The company also enjoys a 20 per cent marketshare in the top-end R0 water purifiers segment.