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Samsung, one of India’s largest consumer electronics and smartphone manufacturers, plans to re-enter the Window AC category mainly to cater to the north India markets, said a senior company official.
“Samsung had suspended Window AC in 2012. We plan to re-enter this segment in the second quarter,” said Ankur Kapoor, Deputy General Manager, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India.
The Window ACs will be manufactured at the company’s plant in Chennai, he told newspersons while announcing the launch of new Split ACs for Tamil Nadu in the price bracket of ₹35,990-73,990.
In India, of the total 50 lakh ACs sold, nearly 95 per cent of them are split-ACs . In value terms, the AC segment is pegged at around $2 billion, he said.
Tamil Nadu market
On Tamil Nadu, Kapoor said that for Samsung the State contributes nearly 10 per cent of total AC sales. This makes Tamil Nadu among the top three AC markets for Samsung along with Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. “We want to be number one in the State in the next two years,” he said. At present, LG is the leader in the State, said industry sources.
According to Kapoor, demand for ACs in Tamil Nadu is there throughout the year and consumers here are moving towards more energy efficient ACs. For instance, in 2019, one out of every five consumers bought five-star ACs in the State. In 2020, nearly 30 per cent of Samsung’s sales in Tamil Nadu will come from five-star ACs in the inverter segment, from the present 20 per cent, he said.
With the new line-up of 41 models, Kapoor said Samsung has expanded its copper condenser range to 32 models to match consumer demand across the country. With the new models, in Tamil Nadu Samsung expects to double its business in 2020, he said without giving any numbers.
Samsung plans to increase the number of stores in Tamil Nadu selling its ACs from 550 in 2019 to nearly 1,000 in 2020 by adding new partners to strengthen and expand business. It also plans to open 30 exclusive stores in the State this year, he said.
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