Videocon: A brand unravelled by diversification, debt, dubious deals

Blind spots of the company were two-fold - managing cash flow and investments to upgrade technology and continue research and development

Just days after Videocon Industries’ promoter Venugopal Dhoot sought a stay at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to halt bids for group companies, Chinese electronics major TCL made overtures to buy the brand even as it chalked out plans to set up a greenfield operation in Bengaluru for manufacturing all the products Videocon once had been renowned for — televisions (TVs), washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners. 

Dhoot, the 67-year-old entrepreneur who was a regular feature on Forbes billionaires’ list, had tried earlier to prevent Videocon from being pushed into NCLT with no success. Today, the electronics manufacturer has