Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is currently endorsing Shakti Pumps, will resume shooting for the next advertisement in this series in September.

“We are also considering to continue with Mr Bachchan’s endorsement for the next year as well,” Ankit Patidar, Vice President (Marketing), Shakti Pumps (India) Ltd, said here on Wednesday.

The Madhya Pradesh-based listed company, having a media campaign budget of nearly Rs 20 crore, had launched its 'Annadata' series of TV ads with Bachchan a few months ago.

The company, founded in 1982, aims to increase its turnover from Rs 306 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 400 crore this year. In 2013-14, it had sold a total of 1.16 lakh pumps, including 62,000 exported ones.

Exports to nearly 100 countries contribute 60 per cent of the company's revenues. Last fiscal, its profit-after-tax stood at Rs 26.5 crore.

Shakti Pumps, which makes power-saving, stainless steel submersible pumps of 0.5 to 300 horsepower, is adding 100 dealers this year to its existing network of 325 across India. Its main domestic marketing share comes from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, he said.

Currently, Shakti Pumps is running at half its installed capacity to manufacture five lakh pumps annually. It has a mother plant spread over 13 acres at Pithampur near Indore, and an export-oriented SEZ in two lakh square feet area nearby. The company has invested Rs 400 crore at the site so far, Patidar said.

India’s irrigation pump market in the agricultural sector is about Rs 10,000 crore, with an 8-9 per cent growth rate, apart from a 10 per cent replacement market. This includes Rs 1,000-crore solar pump market, where Shakti Pumps is a leading player.

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