AC makers expect easy finance, energy efficiency to drive sales

With mercury set to rise steeply in the coming months, air-conditioner makers such as LG, Samsung, Panasonic and Haier are expecting as much as 30 per cent surge in sales this season on the back of easy financing options and arrival of energy efficient models. Makers are expecting metros to drive sales and hoping that high-end smart app-controlled units and inverter ACs would contribute up to 15 per cent to their sales.

“Overall, we are targeting 30 per cent and above growth in AC sales,” LG India, Business Head AC, Vijaya Babusaid. The makers are also unfazed about the unseasonal rains last month in the Northern region, which accounts around 35 per cent of the total sales of the industry. “Temporary erratic weather condition in the first few days of March definitely brought down the temperature in North but this year has seen an early onset of summers, right from the month of February and this will bring surge in AC sales across India,” said Rajeev Bhutani, Vice President, Consumer Electronics, Samsung India Electronics. “The industry has seen sustained growth with positive sentiment in the market towards the end of 2015. While metros will sustain the momentum, non-metros will drive penetration in the coming year with easy financing schemes, which give customers the option to upgrade,” Bhutani added.