Whirlpool of India plans to launch its non-CFC refrigerators from its Ranjangaon plant, near Pune sometime next month. Company officials however, refused to give details of the exact date.
We will launch the non-CFC refrigerators in a few weeks time, Garrick DSilva, president and managing director, Whirlpool of India said. We will be the first in the country to produce non-CFC refrigerators and foams although one of our competitors initially tried launching it, Jatin Khanpara, head of regional technology centre of Whirlpool claimed. The refrigerators plant is nearing completion at Ranjangaon. It will produce a complete range of refrigerators in varied capacities.
The Rajangaon facility will set the standards as one of the worlds front runners in environmentally sensitive eco-friendly manufacturing units. The product design has been developed on the feedback received from extensive consumer surveys.
On the pile-up of refrigerators at its Faridabad plant, DSilva said it was mainly due to maintenance work when they had decided to build-up inventories to meet the market requirements.
He admitted the company may not be able to achieve market leadership in terms of volume and value as planned.
The market leadership targets are only on the display slides, he remarked. Whirlpool has targeted one-third market share.
DSilva said the company is looking at the Indian market in the long term. The Indian white goods industry grows at the rate of 10 per cent while the world industry is witnessing a growth of only 2 per cent and therefore the domestic industry is very attractive, he said.
On the huge losses suffered by the company, he said they were anticipated due to the build-up of capacities and were looking at the long term to post profits. He refused to give the time frame as to when it will get into the black. Khanpara felt it is in the interest of the consumers the company should go in for non-CFC refrigerators not only from the environment point of view but also for the purpose of servicing it, as CFC gases will not be available after 2005 as per the Montreal protocol.
The company has decided to tie-up with local firms for the manufacture of the non-CFC gases since they are not available locally. It will use 3134A for refrigerant and 3134B for foam as an alternative to CFC.
RTC at Ranjangaon
Whirlpool of India has set-up a $5 million regional technology centre (RTC) at Ranjangaon following its decision to close down the Singapore RTC.
The company has claimed its Ranjangaon facility is the first of its kind for the white goods industry in the country and Whirlpools fourth in the world. The other three are in the US, Brazil and Italy.
The Ranjangaon regional technology centre has an advanced materials laboratory for the testing of plastics, refrigeration system components, sheet metal, paint and other testing facilities. It will soon be on-line with Whirlpools existing research development centres via V-Sat.
