Videocon to focus on high-end products

Homegrown consumer durables major Videocon is embarking on an upgradation exercise with increased focus on high-technology products as it seeks to revamp its image from a mass market maker to a premium brand.

"To upgrade our customer to buying a premium product is the need of the hour. That is what we are doing ... We have not been doing (it) on a big scale in the premium segment ...We are bringing more products in LCD, frost free, automatic washing machines and air conditioners as these are the categories where we are focusing now," Videocon India Chief Marketing Officer Jaideep Rathore told PTI.

He said the company has in the past been focusing more on the mass market products and its attention on the premium segment has been minimal.

"We are trying to bridge the gap," he said, adding the company's has already started developing new hi-tech products. "Our R & D centres in China have developed our chassis and our own model for these categories," he said.

The company has lined up to launch 18 new models of LCDs, 17 frost free refrigerators and nine fully automatic machines in this fiscal, besides plans to increase the number of exclusive stores 11-fold to around 100.

"We are taking our number of 'Digi World' outlets to around 100 this year from our existing nine ... In Class B and C cities like Ghaziabad, Chandigarh and Jalandhar," Rathore said.