Does your power bill, thanks to the air-conditioner, make you sweat blood? A new range of air-conditioners from Onida, based on the IoT (internet of things) technology, will enable users to keep track of the energy consumed and regulate usage over a mobile application.

The Wi-Fi-enabled unit gives the user the flexibility to control the temperature from anywhere through the mobile app. In case of any trouble, the unit will also diagnose the problem and send a message to the owner and the company’s service centre.

“These features, built on the basis of consumer insights, will bring in a sea change in the way consumers look at an air-conditioner,” said Gulu Mirchandani, Chairman and Managing Director, Mirc Electronics Ltd, that owns the brand Onida.

With this new range, the brand now has 35 models in its bouquet, priced in the range of ₹23,000 to ₹ 65,000. The company has earmarked ₹25 crore for marketing expenses for the coming summer. According to NS Sathish, Vice-President (Sales and Marketing), Mirc Electronics, the brand at present commands over 8 per cent of the market.

“This year, we hope to take our market share to over 10 per cent,” he said.

Mirchandani said the company is expected to close the current financial year with a turnover of ₹1,400 crore. And, thanks to stable currency and easing inflation, the demand for air-conditioner will also grow faster this year, he added.

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