Introduction Indian Consumer durables market used to be dominated by few domestic players like Godrej, Voltas, Allwyn and

Kelvinator. But post liberalization many foreign companies have entered into Indian market dethroning the Indian player and dominating Indian market the major categories in the market REFRIGRATOR, AIR CONDTIONERS AND WATER COOLERS India being the second largest growing economy with huge consumer class has resulted in consumer durables as the fastest growing industries in India. LG & SAMSUNG the two Korean companies have been maintaining the lead in the industries with LG being leader in almost all the categories. Consumer durables major Voltas Limited will invest nearly Rs 500 crore in India this year in research and development, brand-building and other marketing initiatives. The company, having a turnover of Rs 500 crore and market share of 17 per cent, is investing Rs 500 crore on brand-building and other marketing initiatives and around Rs 500 crore on research and development, besides launching new platforms in information technology and related areas

Before the liberalization of the Indian economy, only a few companies like Kelvinator, Godrej, Allwyn, and Voltas were the major players in the consumer durables market, accounting for no less than 90% of the market. Then, after the liberalization, foreign players like LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Daewoo, and Aiwa came into the picture. Today, these players control the major share of the consumer durables market

Consumer durables market is expected to grow at 8-13% in 2009-2010. It is growing very fast because of rise in living standards, easy access to consumer finance, and wide range of choice, as many foreign players are entering in the market. With the increase in income levels, easy availability of finance, increase in consumer awareness, and introduction of new models, the demand for consumer durables has increased significantly. Products like washing machines, air conditioners, microwave ovens, color

televisions (CTVs) are no longer considered luxury items. However, there are still very few players in categories. Consumer durables sector is characterized by the emergence of MNCs, exchange offers, discounts, and intense competition. The market share of MNCs in consumer durables sector is 65%. MNC's major target is the growing middle class of India. MNCs offer superior technology to the Consumers whereas the Indian companies compete on the basis of firm grasp of the local market, their well-acknowledged brand name, and hold over wide distribution network. However, the penetration level of the consumer durables is still low in India & there is a yet a huge untapped rural market waiting to be exploited Company Overview Voltas Limited is a Public Limited Rs 2500 crore multi divisional company, engaged in the air conditioning and engineering business. It was incorporated on 6th September 1954. Tata Sons Ltd and Volkart Brothers, a Swiss Company operating in India since 1851, promoted this company and hence the name VOLTAS. Voltas, A Tata Group Company is India's premier air conditioning and engineering services provider. It provides engineering solutions for a wide spectrum of industries in areas such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, refrigeration, climate control, electro-mechanical projects, textile machinery, machine tools, mining and construction, materials handling, water management, building management systems, pollution control and chemicals. Voltas have capability in the manufacture of room/split air conditioners, industrial air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, water coolers, refrigerators, visi-coolers, freezers, forklift trucks and large water supply pumps. All these products bear the stamp of state-of-the-art automated manufacturing plants resulting in consistently high quality and reduced costs. Company is partnered with international companies such as LG Electronics and Samsung of Korea and Fedders International of USA for 'manufacture only' alliances producing low cost, high quality refrigerators and room air conditioners

The companys promoters, Tata Sons hold around 28 per cent of the shares in the company. Foreign investors and the public hold around 21 per cent share each, while domestic financial institutions and non-promoter corporates hold the balance. Voltas has recently gone through a comprehensive restructuring exercise, aimed at bringing the core to the fore. This exercise, conducted between 1997-1998 and 2001- 2002, comprised of redefining the business focus of Voltas as being an engineering services company. Accordingly it involved reorganizing the companys business portfolio, exiting non-core businesses and exploiting unproductive assets to generate revenues, rightsizing the organisation through focused voluntary retirement schemes, aggressive cost cutting and financial re-engineering

Areas of business The company mainly operates in the following areas: Company involved mainly into the design and manufacture of industrial equipment, management and execution of air conditioning and public work projects, sourcing, installation and servicing of technology-based systems, and representation of global technology leaders, serving diverse industrial sectors and applications. Voltas' operations have been organized into three independent business-specific clusters. Each of these has its own facilities for market coverage and service to customers. Namely 1. Unitary Cooling Product 2. Engineering products & Services 3. Electro-Mechanical Projects & Services

Electro-Mechanical Projects & Services

Electrical, Mechanical, HVAC & Refrigeration Solutions Electrical, Mechanical & HVAC Solutions(International) Water Management & Treatment

Engineering products & Services

Textile Machinery Mining & Construction Equipment Machine Tools Materials Handling Solutions

Unitary Cooling Products for Comfort & Commercial Use Cooling Appliances Commercial Refrigeration

Air Conditioning Industry Air Conditioners give respite from summer heat and have become a necessity. They have made our lives comfortable. After a hard day's work you return home and switch on your air conditioner and let the fresh air relax you and rejuvenate your spirits. Once again you are ready to shop out with your family or help your spouse in household work or spend some quality time with your kids. India you desperately need an air conditioner. In this scorching heat it is only an air conditioner that can give you some respite and make you livelier and energetic. Earlier buying an air conditioner was not easy. It was very costly and middle class families can't afford but now purchasing an air conditioner in India is no more tough and expensive. There are various companies offering air conditioner like LG, Hitachi, Samsung, Onida, Godrej, Sanyo, Cerrier, Bluestar, Voltas, Amtrex, O General etc. These companies have various offices all over India. They have their own store and shops selling air conditioner of all types. Air conditioner comes in various sizes and shapes. Some air conditioner does not even look like an air conditioner especially ones offered by LG. Their surfaces are too good looking and look like a beautiful scenery. There are room air conditioners, split air conditioners, car air conditioners, ductless air conditioners, air ceiling conditioner mount system etc

History of Air Conditioners Air conditioning as we know it today is a rather new technology although different form of cooling air and dehumidifying the air has been around for centuries. The ancient Romans used aqua duct water to circulate through the walls of the wealthiest homes. This is just one example of ancient air conditioning. The Chinese were also were also obsessed with cooling the air through water and wind. They used various methods to cool their interior buildings and stay cool during the hot months. In the 1800's one man came close to inventing what is similar to modern day air conditioning. In 1820 British Inventor Michael Faraday discovered that ammonia could chill the air when compressed and liquidized and then allowed to evaporate. In 1841, John Gorrie, a medical doctor discovered that he could use compressor technology to create ice to cool his patients rooms in Florida. This discovery gave Gorrie the great aspiration of inventing the first air conditioning unit. He came very close. His first pro type leaked and was unsuccessful. He secured funding and his patent was approved in 1851. His funding partner died and he lost the money to see his dream realized. He later died in 1855 and with him his vision of indoor air conditioning died as well for the next 50 years The commercially available of air conditioning applications started based on the need to cool air for industrial processes than for personal comfort. The first electrical air conditioning was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier in the year 1902. He was also known as the Father of Modern Air Conditioning. His invention was designed to improve the manufacturing process of a printing plant. By controlling the temperature and humidity of the plant, the processes were made more efficient as the paper size and the ink alignment were consistently maintained. The Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America was established by him to meet the demand of better productivity in the workplace. Today, Carrier Corporation is the biggest air conditioner manufacturer and marketing corporation in the world in central air conditioning. The term air conditioning was first coined by Stuart W. Cramer of Charlotte, North Carolina in 1906. Cramer was trying to create ways to add moisture to the air in his textile plants. Cramer used the term Air conditioning in a papers filed to the patent office for his

invention of a water conditioning unit which was required to control the humidity in textile plants. Willis Carrier took the term air conditioning and put it into his companies name as he used evaporative cooling to provide a cooling effect in the air. The first air conditioners proved to be hazardous to humans health when the toxic gases leaked. The use of ammonia, methyl chloride and propane. These toxic, flammable gases tended to leak causing fatal results. In 1928 Thomas Midgley, Jr. was the first to create an air conditioner that used Freon. This was found to be much safer for humans but had disastrous effects to the environment. Modern day air conditioning has improved over the years. The emphasis these days are on energy conservation and efficiency. The modern day air conditioner can come with all sorts of bells and whistles and most importantly is that it is available to just about everyone. The modern day air conditioning is affordable to everyone.

Types of Air Conditioners offered by Voltas: Now when we talk of air conditioners, there are a number of makes and models available in the market. So as to say that there is a variety of sizes and types of ACs available for cooling rooms of different sizes. And in order to choose the perfect air conditioner for your room it is always advisable to have some extra knowledge about the types of AC and their purpose as to which one is best for what kind of room. With the variety of air conditioners available in the market, it is very difficult to choose the most suitable AC for our home or office. And if we dont have a clue about air conditioner then it adds to our own disadvantage. There are mainly five types of air conditioner: 1) Window mounted: These are air conditioners that are usually fixed through the window, which have been designed typically for double hung windows. And it is one of the most commonly used air conditioners as this is best for cooling a single room for the simple reason that these are easy to install, cheaper and works with almost all

the wiring system of your home. The price range varies from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 27, 000 on an average for room size the range varies from 10 meter square - 84 meter square. 2) Split Air conditioner: This type of air conditioner is best suited for rooms whose area is up to 60 meter square and might cost you (approx) around Rs.16,000 to Rs. 35,000 on an average (multi-split system). A split air conditioner consists of two parts: the indoor unit which is also called as the evaporator unit and the outdoor unit which is known as the external condenser box and is installed outside the room or the building. And this is one main reason why most people opt for split ACs, as during the operation, it doesnt make any noise which might distract your attention or annoy you. Split ACs are permanent systems which can either be installed at the floor level or on the walls or on the ceiling. However, it can be very noisy and may create nuisance for your neighbors 3) Cassette Air Conditioner: These are air conditioners that are usually fixed into the sealing. This ultra thin air conditioner can be installed in any narrow ceiling. These are usually fit in places where it is not possible to fit either a Window or Split Air conditioner. The price range varies from Rs. 68,500 to Rs. 86,500on an average. 4) Slimline Air Conditioner: This type of air conditioner has been one of the most popular types for certain reasons. One major reason is that they can be easily moved from one room to the other and is often referred to as a mobile air conditioner. Being portable, it is easier to store when the summer season wears off. 5) Ductable Split Air Conditioners: Ductable air conditioners are those that are used to condition more than one room, in the same building. These kind of air conditioners are usually seen in institutions, big organizations, hotels etc. Duatables comes in different tonnages depending upon the space needed to be cooled. The prices of ductables vary depending upon the tonnage.

DEALERS QUESTIONNAIRE

1)Which air conditioner according to you offers the best features? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General i) Others 2)On a scale of 1 To 5, how would you rate Voltas Air conditioners on the basis ofdesign? a )1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4 e) 5 3)How would you rate Voltas Air conditioners in terms of performance? a) Low b) Average c) High b) Superior 4)What is your take on the after sales service provided by Voltas compared to other Brands? a) Excellent b) Very Good c) Good d)Average e) Poor 5)In selling situations, which particular aspect of Voltas Air conditioner offers leverage over other brands? a) Features b) Brand Name c) Design d) Price e)Others 6)Why according to you, is LG the market leader in Air conditioners? a) Better design b) Better technology used c) Lower Prices d) Brand Name e) Better Service provided f) More durability 7)Which Air conditioner is the most Durable? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General i) Others 8) Are you aware in advance about the new products which are going to be launched by Voltas? a)Yes b)No

9) What complaints do you most often face from customers? a) Poor after sales service b) Goods Received in damaged condition c) Availability of spare parts d) Others 10)How do u find the pricing of Voltas Air Conditioners compared to other brands? a)Competent b) High c) Low d) Average 11)Which brand according to you offers full value for money? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General i) Others 12)How much of your business volume is accounted for by Voltas Products? a) Less than 10% b) 11% -25% c) 26%-50% d) 50% And more

13) Does the pricing of Voltas Air conditioners offer enough range to different classes of customers a) Yes b) No 14) Which Air conditioning Brand offers you maximum discount & return on investments (Highest profit)? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General i) Others 15) Do you as a dealer get some additional benefit for promoting a particular brand? a) Yes b) No c) Would not like to reveal

customers questionnaire 1)How do you perceive Air conditioners today? a) Luxury b) Necessity c) Can do without 2)Do you own an Air conditioner? a) Yes b) No 3)If Yes Which Brand? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General i) Others 4)Which brand according to you offers best features? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General i) Others 5)While purchasing an Air conditioner what particular aspect do you give highest weighted to? a) Features b) Price c) Brand Name d) Design e) Durability 6)Which is the most trusted brand of Air conditioner according to you? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General i) Others 7)According to you which Air conditioner offers full value for money? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General

i) Others 8) Which is your favorite Air conditioner Ad? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General i) Others

9) Which companys name comes to your mind First when one says Air Conditioners? a) Voltas b) LG c) Hitachi d) Carrier e) Samsung f) Blue Star g) Godrej h) General i) Others 10) Have you seen Voltas Ad? a) Yes b) No 11) How effective are Voltas Ads in drawing out customers? a) Very Effective b) Effective c) Not Effective d) Ads have no effect on sales of brand