“India is a growing economy and is doing so well,” says H.S. Bhatia, Managing Director, Kelwon Electronics & Appliances Pvt. Ltd., Manufacturing Partner for DAEWOO in India, in an exclusive interview with Souvik Goswami for APAC News Network, “We want to be present in a country where the market is moving and customers are buying more and more.”
After so many years, DAEWOO is coming to the Indian market. What led your company to re-enter the Indian market?
India is a growing economy and is doing so well. From being the fifth largest, we are probably aiming for the third largest in a couple of years from now. There is growth all around in all sectors, and the impact of that growth is also affecting individuals, which means their purchasing power and spending power are increasing. This means increasing lifestyles and, obviously, the need for more products, gadgets, and services. In such a scenario, any multinational brand would like to be part of the growth story. DAEWOO is here because they want to be present in a country where the market is moving and customers are buying more and more. Probably, the next decade is going to be more encouraging and a happier situation for any brand to be in. I guess it is the economy, the operation, and the business opportunity that brings anybody here.
Any particular reason why they have chosen your company for the India part?
When you enter a new country, you can do it in two ways. One is you do it on your own, and the second is you take a local partner. If you have a local partner, you start with a lot of advantages. You start with some infrastructure, teams and warehouses, a dealer and a distribution network. When you join hands with someone, you get all of that on a platter, which means your entry becomes easier and faster. Otherwise, you would spend a year or maybe a year and a half to do all that, plus government compliances and all. If you have an Indian partner, the compliances and other procedures become a lot easier.
From Kelwon’s point of view, it makes a lot of sense because they have a brand, plus they have technology, innovation, and access to global markets. So that means you get all of that plus the opportunity to sell beyond India.
How hopeful are you of this partnership and how it will benefit both companies four or five years down the lane, specifically keeping in mind the realities of the Indian economy?
Being an Indian and having worked all of my career in India, we have our feet on the ground. We know our customers, we know the way people are changing their requirements, habits, or needs. We get all that information from the ground level. Based on that, we inform them or discuss with them every quarter about the other products that we need to bring to India. Plus, we can also see and judge how our competitors are doing, so we know exactly what will work and what will not. For example, recently, we launched alkaline water purifiers for the domestic and commercial markets. We were able to localise the product according to the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) of India.
What are your offerings to the Indian customers, the range of products for the domestic and the global market?
The products are divided into three categories. The first is power energy, which includes all types of batteries for four-wheelers and two-wheelers, motorcycles, and scooters. Then, inverter batteries, solar batteries, solar PCUs, solar panels, and charge controllers. Second, we have electronics, which is a vast field with large appliances like televisions, fridges, washing machines, and ACs. Then you have middle appliances, which include water purifiers, air purifiers, water geysers, coolers, and fans. Lastly, you have small appliances, which are largely for the kitchen. The third category includes electric cycles as well as EVs.
And what has been the response from the Indian consumers since your launch?
Better than what we expected. Even though the name has come back to India after 12 or 15 years, the customers remember this brand. The response is very good. It’s been just a month or two since we started. We are putting the products on the market, and currently, we are available in only 3-4 states (Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and UP) in North India. Now, slowly, we are expanding. Not only will we be expanding our geography to cover Pan-India by Diwali, hopefully, but also we are introducing new categories and products. So, it’s an exciting journey that we are on now.
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