RBS Home ties up with Voltas

RBS Home Appliances, the distributors of Siemens Home Appliances in India, has tied up with Voltas Limited for the use of 640 service centres that Voltas has across the country for after sales services.

Announcing this at a press conference, Vipul B Raval, managing director of RBS Home Appliances, said, "The tie-up brings together strengths of both the companies. Customers across the country would have access for after sales service needs of Siemens home appliances through the network of Voltas."

Siemens which at present markets its products only in the southern and western parts of the country expects that the tie-up would help them have a presence across the country by mid-2005.

"We expect the volume of sales to go up in the next three to four years with the help of this alliance," Raval said.

For the financial year ended March 31, 2004, RBS Home Appliances had a turnover of Rs 40 crore. According to Raval, the company expects the turnover to increase by 20 per cent to Rs 60 crore during the current financial year.

"The company is also thinking about launching multi-branded products to penetrate into the rural markets of the country," Raval said.

Siemens brand which is positioned as a premium commanding brand occupies an eight per cent market share with a five per cent share in the premium refrigerator category and 15 per cent share in the front loading washing machines category.

The company which at present has only frost free refrigerators also proposes to enter the market with direct cooling refrigerators below the 200 litre capacity.