THE demand for air conditioners is witnessing a massive surge due to rising temperatures which is giving a sigh of relief to the air conditioner dealers. “Although the weather conditions have been not so favourable due to rains, the demand for air conditioners has still remained above expectations. We are also expecting a rise in demand in coming days,” said NiharTaori, Director of Taori Marketing. Taori further said that the demand for commercial air conditions used in offices, commercial establishments and factories has also been encouraging. “We are getting overwhelming response from this sector,” he added. Leading manufacturers have introduced new features like wifi, smart features like auto cleaning, mosquito away, air filters, gas changing features and extended warranty schemes on compressors to attract the customers. The most sought after air conditioner brands are Mitsubishi, Voltas, LG, Panasonic, Carrier, Hairer, Blue Star, Daikin, Hitachi, Godrej, O General etc. The most preferred air conditioners are the 1 tonne and 1.5 tonne. There are also 3 star and 5 star energy saving categories of air conditioners.

 

The price range starts from Rs 28,000 to Rs 40,000 for the medium segment range. The premium range begins from Rs 40,000 to Rs Rs 60,000. In Vidarbha, 80,000 to 85,000 units are sold out of which 50 per cent are sold in Nagpur during the year, he added. Another leading AC dealer, Gaurav Pahwa, Director of Lotus Electronics said that his stores are experiencing a fantastic growth in demand of more than 40 per cent, as compared to the previous year. The demand for air conditioners started to increase from March. “We are expecting the hot weather conditions to continue resulting in further growth in demand,” he said. The surging heat and humidity has created a shortage in certain AC models from some of the top brands. The manufacturers are not able to supply some of the models because of the heavy demand of air conditioners in the country. Another important factor which is pushing demand for air conditioners (ACs) is the flexible finance schemes introduced by consumer finance companies.

 

These companies have made it easier for consumers to buy ACs by offering zero down payment, zero interest and extended EMI schemes. “Air conditioner is no longer considered a luxury product but has become a necessity and part of our daily life,” he said. According to Jaipraksh Jaiswal, Director of Vedoms, Dharamepth the demand for air conditioners has swelled by 35 per cent as compared to the previous year. “The overall response for air conditioners is tremendous this season. There has been a shift in consumer spending. Many consumers are upgrading their old air conditioners. Along with this, a new trend has set in with consumers buying more than one air conditioner, he added.