Daikin Airconditioning India today outlined their plans to play a bigger role in the home AC business, a segment wherein they were focussed only on niche market hitherto along with large ACs for commercial and industrial business.
The company has launched over 20 new models spread across five-star rated ACs to three-star rated ones, along with models that come with inverter which ensures power savings.
By addressing this large market where Daikin was missing, it expects to increase the market share and grow business by about 50 per cent this year.
This will mean revenues up at over Rs 1,050 crore from Rs 700 crore it logged during the last financial year ended March 31, 2011.
Budget ACs
“Apart from consolidating the presence in commercial establishments with our heavy duty range of ACs, we have introduced a wide range of budget ACs for the common man.
“Earlier, the focus was on serving the niche home buyers. By brining about this change, we will be able to address a larger market,” said Mr Kanwal Jeet Jawa, Managing Director of DAIPL.
DAIPL is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Diakin Industries Ltd of Japan, a global leader in the manufacture of commercial use and residential air conditioning systems.
Indian operations
Speaking to Business Line , Mr Jawa said, “Daikin has invested Rs 376 crore in Indian operations, including for the manufacturing unit at Nimrana in Rajasthan located in a 40-acre site, wherein we pumped in Rs 212 crore.
“Our range spans across small 0.75 tonner to 2,700 tonnes useful for commercial and industrial applications.”
“The country's Rs 9,600-crore AC market is growing at a very healthy growth rate. Last year, it was witness to a 30 per cent growth.
“However, due to the late onset of summer in some parts of the country, the AC sales have been relatively slow to catch up last year's numbers,” he said.
The experience
“Daikin has begun setting up of Solutions Plazas, for people to experience the AC range.
“We now have 68 of these plazas and plan to increase this to 200 by December, with a significant number in the South,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Jawa inaugurated its fourth Solutions Plaza in Hyderabad for Sri Comfort Air Products & Services.