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Mr T.K. Banerjee (left), President & CEO, Haier Appliances (India) Pvt Ltd, with Mr Pranay Dhabhai, Director, at a press conference to launch India's first detergent-free washing machine in Mumbai on Thursday. — Shashi Ashiwal

Mumbai , Nov. 4

TRY washing your clothes without soap powder. That is what Haier Appliances India Pvt Ltd is asking its clientele to do.

On offer is a detergent-free washing machine from the Chinese white goods manufacturer.

However, the potential customer should check out the price. At Rs 34,990, saying no to soap does not come that cheap. The product is targeted at the high-income bracket that may be averse to working up lather while washing dirty linen. The company has set a target of Rs 10.5 crore by November 2005 for the product.

"The market situation in India is such that we cannot have volume for this particular product and any dent made in the detergent industry would be incidental," Mr T.K. Banerjee, President and CEO, Haier Appliances India, told Business Line.

The revolutionary detergent-free washing machine works on the principle of membraneous chemistry and uses electrolysis and activated water treatment technology for getting the desired results, a press statement said.

Meanwhile, the company has set a turnover target of Rs 300 crore by June 2005 and has planned to spend around Rs 45 crore during this period in marketing-related activities.

The company has also ensured high decibel advertising by spending Rs 25 crore in the period October to December 2004. The agency employed is G3, a group agency of Grey. Besides advertising, the home appliances major has taken a head start in after-sales service.

"Customer satisfaction is integral to our business and as a result we set a service team in place before actually instituting a marketing team," Mr Banerjee said.

Haier Appliances has set up 116 service franchisees in around 70 cities. The company currently has a presence in 1,800 retail outlets and plans to extend its footprints to 3,000 outlets by March 2005.

More Stories on : New Products & Services | Home Appliances

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