Leading European firm BSH Household Appliances, which sells its product range here under two brands - Bosch and Siemens, is planning to expand its India sales network and aims to have presence in up to 2,500 stores by the end of this year.
As part of the strategy, the company plans to introduce more categories under its mass premium brand Bosch, which will help it to expand in tier II & III cities.
Besides, the German firm will open the first experience centre of its luxury built-in appliances brand Gaggenau in Mumbai this year.
"Right now we are available at 1,800 stores and idea is to go about 2,500 by the end of this year," BSH Household Appliances MD & CEO Gunjan Srivastava told PTI.
Besides, the company has around 50 Bosch brand stores and 28 Siemens brand stores.
"In the last 3-4 years, we have grown about 30-35 per cent year-on-year and we would like to continue this growth rate in next 3 to 5 years," he added.
The company is launching a range of top loading washing machine under brand Bosch to expand its presence in the mass segment.
"To expand out distribution network, we need more mass products. With the launch of top loading washing machine, we are now getting into that zone now. North is a market, where top load is very well penetrated. With top load washing machine, we are looking to expand our distribution network in tier II & III cities of the North and East states and then take it forward," Srivastava added.
The company is also planning to launch new products under the Bosch brand.
"At the luxury and premium end, we do not have any portfolio gap but at the mass premium end with Bosch, there is still lot of categories, we would be launching," he said.
Bosch, which serves the mass premium segment, contributes two time more than brand Siemens here in the overall sales, and the company expects to continue the similar pattern for the coming years.
On its luxury brand Gaggenau, Srivastava said: "We are also now looking for experience centre for Gaggenau in Mumbai later this year".
BSH had introduced its luxury built-in appliances brand Gaggenau in January this year. Its prices will range between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 22 lakh.
"This would be more expensive than any other brands in the country and the price positioning is completely in the way it is positioned across the world. In kitchen appliances, it would be the most expensive," he said.
On being asked about the sales expectations, Srivastava said: "The idea is to establish the brand first and get the right audience in India... Our business expectation will start more from next year onwards. This year, its more about establishing the brand".
As per its strategy, BSH is looking for five key cities here for brand Gaggenau, which includes - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
BSH has a manufacturing unit in India at Pillaipakkam, Chennai where it manufactures washing machine. It also exports its washing machine production to ASEAN markets, Australia and New Zealand.
"We are looking at to manufacture more and more products in Chennai. There are several projects, which are undergoing. Right now, we are manufacturing washing machine, but in course of time, we would manufacture more. There are lots of product in pipeline," he added.
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