TVs that repel mosquitoes and ACs that dehumidify

It’s not just food processing companies, even consumer durable makers want to ride the health and wellness wave to woo consumers with new launches this season.

Examples include a TV that has mosquito repellent capabilities and air-conditioners that come with air-purification features.

At the same time, home and kitchen appliance makers are pushing a series of new-age products, such as cold-press juicers, air fryers and humidifiers, to meet the evolving needs of Indian consumers.

LG India launched Mosquito Away TV earlier this month, which is equipped with an ultrasonic device that repels mosquitoes. The company had introduced this feature about two years ago in its air-conditioner range.

Howard Lee, Director-Home Entertainment, LG India, said after the company received good response for its Mosquito Away AC, the company decided to launch a TV with similar capabilities.

“Consumers are increasingly becoming health-conscious and that reflects in the Indian Insights programme, wherein we take feedback from consumers before launching any product. In India, mosquitoes are a menace and we at LG wanted to deliver an innovation to our customers. We hope this product will be well received in mosquito-infested cities,” he added.

This summer, companies such as Daikin, Panasonic and Whirlpool are also pushing ACs with features such as air-purifiers and dehumidifiers. At the same time, several consumer durable biggies have set their sights on the nascent air-purifier segment.

A report by Motilal Oswal released in April pointed out that air-purifiers are expected to become an integral part of AC s in five years.

Arvind Singhal, Chairman and Managing Director, Technopak, said: “Earlier, only urban and affluent consumers wanted to buy products with such functionalities and features. Now, consumers in smaller towns and cities increasingly want to opt for products that add to their health and wellness.”

Deba Ghoshal, Head of Marketing and Key Accounts, Voltas UPBG, said: “Health is an important aspect, especially for air- and water-related products, and has the potential to be further explored. However, it requires the right product mix, marketing investments and believable differentiators in the Indian context.”

Even home and kitchen appliance makers are increasingly investing in R&D to crank up products that meet the fast-changing lifestyle of Indian consumers.

Cold-press juicers, air-coolers with ionisers, humidifers and on-the-go juicers and blenders are now available across retail stores.

Harvinder Singh, President – Appliances and Sewing Machine Business, Usha International, said the company has been focusing on strengthening its product portfolios that promote an active lifestyle.

“There has been a considerable upsurge in the demand for smart products due to increased health consciousness amongst consumers. In fact, the key selection criterion for products is the smart combination of functionality technology and aesthetics that complement today’s lifestyle,” he added.

However, some consumer activists believe there is a need for more checks on certain health claims made by the consumer products industry. Bejon Misra, founder of Consumer Online Foundation, said proper standards and regulations need to be set up in the country to govern consumer product companies, especially when it comes to categories such as water and air purifiers.

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