The Hindu Business Line : European appliances major Indesit to enter India soon

The company is planning to roll out its range of washing machines, dryers, hobs, hoods, and ovens among other products under the Ariston brand by importing them from its plants in Europe.

"We would look at assembling our products in India, but that would only be at a later stage. For now, we have entered into a marketing tie-up with a local company, Overseas Connexion Ltd (OCL), for marketing and distribution," said Mr Y.C. Meng, Regional Head, Asia-Pacific.

Globally, Ariston's product basket boasts of refrigerators, microwaves, ovens, dishwashers and washing machines.

"In terms of market share, we are the third largest appliances company in Europe," Mr Meng said.

Since the company is entering India through the CBU import route, its products will be available at a premium of about 10-15 per cent compared to similar offerings from competitors.

"We are eventually looking to garner a market share of 20 per cent in the Rs 300-400 crore niche premium consumer durables market. For the current calendar year, we are targeting sale of 5,000-6,000 units valued at Rs 15 crore," Mr Meng said.

Meanwhile, on the distribution front, the company is targeting a presence in all A-class cities by the year-end.

"In the first phase, we would be launching Ariston in Delhi, followed by launches in Mumbai and Bangalore. We have already appointed distributors in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. In North India, we plan to appoint 15-20 dealers by the end of this year," Mr Meng said.

Indesit was previously known as Merloni Elettrodomestici.

Apart from Ariston, other brands in the company's portfolio include Indesit, Hotpoint and Scholtès.

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