V-Guard launches Pebble series water heaters in Rajasthan
Eyes market expansion in Rajasthan
Jaipur, 21st August 2014: V-Guard Industries Ltd., India’s leading consumer electrical and electronics major, today announced the launch of its latest offering of premier water heaters — Pebble, in Rajsthan aimed at further consolidating its position in one of the fastest growing markets of the country.
The branded electric water heater market size in India is approximately Rs 800 crore and Rajasthan share in it is around Rs.40 crore. V-Guard is of the view that Rajasthan offers tremendous opportunities for growth in the electric water heater market because of a combination of factors.
Available in two variants - Pebble and Pebble Metallica, this ergonomically & aesthetically designed range of water heaters comes with a 5 star rating for power efficiency. It has a 3 mm thick coating and Engineered Polymer Anti Corrosion [EPAC] technology, which separates the tank from water and guarantees 100 % rust-resistance. Along with these, the Pebble range of water heaters come with a special anti-crack protection for the inner tank, thus increasing the life span of the product. With this launch, V-Guard has further strengthened its position in the water heater market in India.
Commenting on the launch, Mr. Deepak Augustine Vice President-Marketing, V-Guard Industries Ltd, V-Guard Industries Ltd. said, “We are extremely delighted to launch this Pebble series of water heaters in Rajasthan where the market for electric water is expanding. The total market share of branded water heaters is around Rs. 40 crore. But the market for the branded water heaters is growing rapidly on account of new residential townships and housing projects across the state. In addition, customers are opting for reliable brands while power supply is uninterrupted, all contributing to enhanced demand for electric water heaters. We are satisfied with our progress in Rajasthan so far.”
At present, V-Guard electric water heaters are available in 30 districts of Rajasthan. The plan is to penetrate Rajasthan further over the next few years to emerge as the market leader.
The Pebble water heater is a first-of-its-kind product with unique EPAC technology. A lot of research has gone into the making of this water heater in which Capillary Thermostat for external temperature regulation has been employed as per customers’ feedback. A high-quality branded steel inner tank in the product ensures additional reliability. “This water heater series will add to our growing home appliances portfolio and reinforce our position as a strong brand in the water heater market in the north region,” Mr.Deepak added.
The Pebble series of water heaters come with interchangeable panels in 6 different colours and are available in metallic and non-metallic finishes, suiting the décor of various bathroom designs. With an ABS outer body, sacrificial anode and high-quality incoloy heating element with glass line coating for an extended life span, these water heaters are suitable for multi-storied buildings and can withstand pressure upto 8 Kg/cm². This product is ideal for hard water prone areas as well. The product range will be available in 6 Ltr, 10 ltr, 15 Ltr and 25 Ltr in the markets across Rajasthan. The Pebble series comes with a product warranty of 2 years and heating element warranty of 4 years and inner tank warranty of 7 years. The Pebble Metallica series comes with a product warranty of 3 years and heating element warranty of 4 years and inner tank warranty of 10 years. The Pebble series of water heaters are conveniently priced at INR 7,900 — INR 10,750 and Pebble Metallica series at INR 8,100 — INR 11,000.
Sharing his thoughts on the Pebble product launch in Rajasthan, Mr. Justin Jose, General Manager, Water Heaters, V-Guard Industries Ltd said, “The electric water heater market in India is growing at a rate of 15-20% every year. The launch of Pebble series further consolidates V-Guard’s position in the market. South India [Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka] accounts for 70% of our business. Rajasthan is a significant market for the brand. The key focus cities in Rajasthan for our product range are: Jaipur,Jodhpur,Udaipur,Kota,Bikaner,Ganganagar,Sikar We will continue to explore the market to maintain the growth momentum
“V-Guard has major supply-chain across Rajasthan with 12 distributors, 28 direct dealers along with 700 sub dealers/ retailers. With our latest offering we will be able to drive more volumes from the premium segment of the Rajasthan market”, said Mr. Nirbhai Kumar Yadevendu, Branch Head - Rajasthan, V-Guard Industries Ltd
In an attempt to expand the brand reach, V-Guard is currently working to increase the market share of non-south markets by offering full range of products in lower and middle segments. The company has plans to also increase the traction in the premium and luxury segments and the launch of Pebble is a significant step towards achieving this. The company has already made investments worth Rs. 2 crores for tank manufacturing and other infrastructure developments in this category
About V-Guard Industries Ltd.
V-Guard Industries Limited is a Kochi based company, incepted in 1977 by Mr. Kochouseph Chittilapilly to manufacture and market Voltage stabilizers. What started in 1977 with two employees and a burning passion is now a force to reckon with in the Indian electric and electronic goods panorama. The company has since then established a strong brand name and aggressively diversified to become a multi-product company catering to the Light Electricals sector manufacturing Voltage stabilizers, Invertors & Digital UPS systems, Pumps, House wiring/LT cables, Electric water heaters, Fans, Solar water heaters and has also recently forayed into Induction cooktops and Switchgears
Atul Malikram
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