Microwave ovens, once seen as luxury appliances, are increasingly being bought by youths and migrants living away from home, as well as in tier-I and II towns where these entry-level ovens are becoming an integral part of modern kitchens of various income levels.

 

“Many of our customers are youths, students, professionals or migrants, who find it easier to cook using microwave ovens. Our entry-level solo microwave ovens, priced in the range of Rs 5,790 to Rs 6,390, has picked up traction in these segments,” Gaurav Minocha, Head Appliances, Panasonic India, told BusinessLine .

 

Recently, Panasonic entered the solo microwave range keeping in mind the growing number of young, single professionals and students whose cooking requirements are limited, unlike families. The solo microwave has emerged as a high-growth segment in the Indian market recently with the changing lifestyles and family structure, he said.

 

Nearly 12 lakh microwaves units were sold in India in 2015-16. The market is dominated by convection microwave ovens that account for 70 per cent of sales, mainly in the urban areas, followed by grill ovens (20 per cent) and solos (10 per cent). The lower end (21 litre or less) contributed to volume, and the higher end (32 litre and above) to value.

 

He said the solo category constitutes 10-12 per cent of the market in volume terms. It is in this segment that the market is growing faster. The household microwave ovens market in India will increase by 15 per cent until 2017, he said. Seventy per cent of solo ovens are bought by the young and the first-time buyers in smaller cities.

 

Overall, however, the penetration of microwave ovens in India is only 4 per cent of the population.

 

In the next five years, the solo oven segment is expected to grow at 15 per cent per annum.

 

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