Maharaja set for launch blitz

agencyfaqs! News Bureau

NEW DELHI

In a bid to expand its operations beyond small appliances, Maharaja Appliances Ltd is set to make a splash in the white goods segment, with products like single tub washers, cooking ranges, water heaters and water purifiers. The company has so far invested Rs 10 crore in the expansion project, including the setting up of new manufacturing units at Gurgaon, Nangaloi and Shahjahpur - all in and around Delhi.

The white goods division, which will market the products, hopes to clock a turnover of around Rs 60 crore in the next one year. The products, which will be competitively priced, are targeted at the SEC B & C consumers.

While the Maharaja Whiteline water purifier will be launched in July, the launch of the water heaters (in 15, 25 and 40 litre capacity) will follow towards the end of the year.

One model of its single tub washer (washing machine without a drying facility), priced at Rs 2,895, was test- marketed in Punjab last year. While it sold 3,000 pieces so far, the company expects its sales to touch 10,000 after the product goes national in August-September.

In the second phase, the company plans to launch a rash of slightly lower priced appliances. It will launch electric kettles in July, folding steam irons in August, wet grinders in September and economy steam irons in October. It is also considering manufacturing gas tables, low-end wet grinders and meat mincers. All these will be followed up with the launch of low-end cooking ranges later this year.

With nine factories in and around Delhi, Maharaja currently has an installed capacity of 100,000 mixer grinders a month. Currently, it is utilising only 40,000 pieces capacity. Even at peak periods like Diwali, it utilises only 70,000-80,000 capacity, including OEM supplies and cross-promotions. The new products would be one way of utilising excess capacity.

Maharaja kicked off its current round of marketing push in kitchen appliances just about a year back. Over the last 12 months, it has made a foray into other appliances like oven-toaster-grills (OTGs), toasters, citrus juicers and snack toasters.

The company claims that this launch blitz helped the company notch up a record 30 per cent compounded growth rate last year, against the industry growth of 8-10 per cent.

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