Sweden-based indoor air purifier maker Blueair, which is considering a manufacturing unit in India, is planning to leverage Hindustan Unilever's vast sales network for its products, besides working with the FMCG major on awareness campaigns for clean air.
"We would work together to understand the consumers' need better. They (HUL) are great in understanding the consumers' needs in India. We can work with them on distribution and service and also build awareness," Blueair Founder and CEO Bengt Rittri told PTI.
In August this year, Unilever, the parent of HUL, had announced signing of an agreement to acquire Blueair.
However, he also added: "We have an independent company here and will continue to run our brand."
On Blueair's plan for local manufacturing, he said: "Demand and sales have grown, so we are looking to set up a manufacturing unit in India."
However, Rittri did not divulge what investment the new plant will entail.
"We are doing research on that and next year we would have more facts... If the demand is big, then we would have to produce something here," he said.
Blueair is sensing good potential here and is witnessing a surge in the demand after the air pollution level in cities such as Delhi went up recently.
"The movement has started as people are getting aware. This has similarly happened in China where the air pollution was high and suddenly people found about it. It is now happening in India where people are now rushing to buy air purifiers.
"Now it is becoming a commodity which everyone wants to have in their room more than other equipment," he added.
The air purifier industry is presently estimated to be around Rs 150 crore and is growing at a CAGR of over 30 per cent from last two years.
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