The white goods industry, which has witnessed volume erosion in the past three years due to the economic slowdown, expects the market to pick up after a new Government is formed at the Centre, according to a senior executive of Whirlpool of India Ltd.

Shantanu Das Gupta, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs & Strategy, South Asia of Whirlpool, also reiterated the industry’s demand to the Government to ensure a level-playing field as organised manufacturers are facing the heat from imported goods. The white goods industry with four major categories — refrigerators, washing machines, ACs and microwaves — roughly has a market size of about ₹25,000 crore. The industry has been witnessing a slowdown since 2011 in the wake of high inflation, rising input costs, rupee depreciation and the general slowdown in the economy, said Gupta.

Demand for consumer appliances products fell in the range of 5-15 per cent, he told Business Line .

The company’s turnover saw flat growth last fiscal, while volumes declined “a bit”. But Whirlpool’s performance was better compared with the industry figures, he added.

Asked about the future, Gupta said: “We are now cautiously optimistic, though the environment has not changed much.” There could be change in sentiments after a new Government takes charge at the Centre, he added.

Referring to Tamil Nadu, he said the state has “very loyal” Whirlpool consumers and the company’s market share in the refrigerator and washing machine segments in Tamil Nadu is 21 per cent was higher than its national average of 17 per cent in these two products.

Asked about competition from imported goods, Gupta said imported white goods’ market share is small and they do not pose any threat to his company. But domestic manufacturers have to comply with strict regulations before launching their products in the market, while imported goods are free of many of these regulations. “We have urged the Government to ensure a level-playing field.”

The company plans to launch more than 210 new models this year and has invested ₹250 crore in the past two years for product development.

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