BPL is confident about its return to the consumer electronic market after 10 years

BPL chairman Ajit Nambiar has said that the company will make a full-fledged re-entry into the white goods segment by Diwali, aiming for Rs 600 crore in sales in three years. The company has been out of the consumer electronic market for 10 years.

It was in 2005 that the company, owned by the Nambiar family, had exited the white goods market because of the collapse of its JV with Japanese firm Sanyo. It had re-entered the market last year with 24, 32 and 40-inches LED television available through India’s online marketplace giant Flipkart.

As of now, it sells 8,000-10,000 TV units, all imported.

As per Nambiar, the Flipkart tie-up gave its products good reviews, because of which it would soon launch more than 50-inches TV sets and smart TVs, while also entering the market of washing machines, refrigerators, microwave ovens and air-conditioners.

"We will expand our product portfolio before Diwali. Since entry-to-mid segment products sell mostly online, we will initially focus on them and gradually premiumise the portfolio," Nambiar told ET.

As per industry executives, BPL is in no hurry to take the brand offline because staying online will save it around 20-25% as compared to the offline business, which would require an offline distribution network and trade margins.

In the last 10 years, the company has been focusing focus on medical technology and home automation.

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