Hitachi re-enters AC mkt with 14 products

Hitachi Home and Life Solutions (India) Ltd (HHLI), the consumer durables unit of Japan-based Hitachi Ltd, is planning to re-enter the washing machine market with product specifications suiting Indian customers in 2011. The company has said it is also planning to expand its refrigerators business in India, as part of its market expansion programmes.

HHLI pulled out from the washing machine market two years back.

"We are now planning to re-enter and will import the products from Thailand, starting from seven kg top-loading and front-loading washing machines by the end of the year", said Motoo Morimoto, managing director, HHLI. He added that the company would expand its refrigerator business in the country.

“In the last five years, we have been growing at a rate of 21 per cent which is above the growth of air conditioner market in India. Our focus will be on strengthening the segment, but we are also planning to strengthen the other businesses including refrigerators and washing machine marketing,” Morimoto told reporters in Chennai.

The company targets to become a total solution provider for air-conditioning with projects in commercial air-conditioning solutions like chillers for hospitality industry.