Whirlpool India (WIL) will be posting operating profits during FY06 as against a Rs 46 crore loss in the previous year. The company, which started its operations in India 11 years back, will also be investing up to $20 million to enhance its product portfolio over the next 18 months. During the first nine months of the last fiscal, the company posted a turnover of Rs 969 crore and an operating profit of Rs 1.52 crore. The company is yet to announce its fourth quarter results for the year."The year 2005 had been good for us," Arvind Uppal, Whirlpool India managing director, said, adding that the company saw a growth of 25.2% in net sales during April-December 2005 as compared with the same period in the previous year. WIL launched four new products - Fusion and Delight refrigerators, JeChef microwaves and WhiteMagic Splash washing machines - in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala on Saturday. The company expects to notch up a 26% market share in refrigerator sales, 10% in microwave oven sales and 16% in washing machine sales, countrywide, during the current year. The newly-launched products would be supported by a multimedia campaign. The company has earmarked about Rs 44 crore as advertising and marketing spend for this year, said Uppal.
