Exide Charges Up For The Rural Market

Exide Industries Ltd, the country's largest battery manufacturer, has recently unleashed an ad blitz in the remote interiors of Punjab and Haryana under the slogan "Exide ki Kasam". It is part of the company's rural marketing strategy christened Kisan Project. The project intends to woo owners of tractors and heavy commercial vehicles (HCV) primarily in the farm sector. The marketing drive is expected to stonewall foreign competition in the sector.

The campaign is now being beamed into rural households in Punjab and Haryana. It is tailored to get the maximum mindshare of the tractor and HCV owners.

This segment is expected to rake in revenues estimated at Rs 800 crore over the next three years.

 

The rural marketing strategy is expected to increase turnover of the company by nearly Rs 60 crore in 2000-1. The company executive chairman and chief executive officer S B Ganguly says "The tractor and HCV segment demand 3 million batteries, which constitutes 30 per cent of total demand for batteries in the country. Our strategy will create history and will beat competition especially from foreign players."

The Rs 4 crore rural marketing strategy entails company officials touring remote villages in Punjab and Haryana and conversion of manufacturers of battery products in the unorganised sector into Exide dealers."It is a long-term exercise but is bound to reap rich dividends", says Ganguly.Anticipating a huge demand for the products in the coming years, Ganguly said that the company would set up a new factory at Bewal, Haryana with an investment estimated at Rs 60 crore.

"In addition, we would utilise existing facilities to the maximum possible extent", points out Ganguly. The rural marketing exercise was launched in March. The rural campaign also includes, sponsoring "Kisan Melas", adopting `dhabas' and putting up hoardings of "Exide Ki Kasam'. The company also plans to adopt a few villages and promote social welfare, health, hygiene and cleanliness. Attractive discounts would also be offered to customers. Currently, the campaign has been earmarked for the states Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The new marketing teams formed exclusively for the rural penetration will operate in nodes. Ten villages may form a node under the charge of two or more officials of the company.