AC import ban to drive market share gains for Voltas, Blue Star and Havells

Investment in domestic manufacturing capacities will stand them in good stead; OEMs like Amber Enterprises to also benefit

The government’s decision on Thursday to ban the import of air conditioners (AC) — both split and window — saw stocks of Voltas, Blue Star, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning, and Havells gain up to 5 per cent on Friday.

Apart from these firms, analysts say, domestic original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), too, will benefit, the reason Amber Enterprises surged over 9 per cent. The ban is likely to drive market share gains for these leading AC players. Smaller and some larger AC brands that are significantly dependent on imports from China, Taiwan or other countries, however, will need to find domestic manufacturing