By IANS
Chennai : With the beginning of the summer season, Voltas Limited, a Tata group company, has launched two new premium category air conditioner models.
“The new models include the country’s first corner air conditioner, the triangle shaped Vertis Pristine that would fit on the wall corner,” Pradeep Bakshi, vice president (sales and marketing) of the Unitary Products Business Group, told IANS.
The other premium model is Vertis Panache fitted with DC inverter technology.
According to Kapil Bhatia, general manager (marketing), the premium air conditioner segment is estimated to be around 12 percent of the total annual market of two million units.
“We are targeting around five percent of that market during the first year,” Bhatia added.
Including the premium range, Voltas has launched 30 new models, aiming to increase its market share to 20 percent next fiscal.
“The market size in fiscal 2008-09 for the home and commercial segments is expected to be 2.6 million units and we hope to sell 525,000 units, up from the current year’s 200,000,” said Bakshi.
The air conditioner market is broadly divided into home, commercial and industrial segments.
The commercial segment includes premises fitted with off the shelf air conditioners and those needing custom-built air conditioning systems.
The group looks after off-the-shelf air conditioners and other products like water coolers and water dispensers.
Queried about the higher price of the Voltas products compared to those of some multinationals, Bhatia said: “Our products are certified for energy efficiency. The total ownership cost will be less in the case of our products.
“In fact, Voltas air conditioners are competitively priced.”
Voltas, which has a turnover of Rs.24.50 billion, also plans to beef up its distribution network to 4,000 outlets next year by adding 1,000.
The company will also increase the number of its exclusive outlets, called Voltas Domes, to 125 by opening 45 of them.