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Tag: Consumer Durables

  • Surya Roshni elevates veteran to head marketing & advertising, lighting division

    Surya Roshni elevates veteran to head marketing & advertising, lighting division

    NEW DELHI: Parul Phadke has climbed the ladder at Surya Roshni, moving from assistant general manager to head of marketing and advertising for the company’s lighting and durables business. The promotion, effective October 2025, caps a four-year stint at the Delhi-based manufacturer.

    Phadke joined Surya Roshni in June 2021, steering marketing communications, digital strategy and brand management for a company that supplies everything from LED bulbs to steel pipes. Her remit now expands to encompass both above-the-line and below-the-line advertising for the entire division.

    Surya Roshni was her first employer; she spent 15 months at the firm between 2009 and 2010 as deputy manager, handling press conferences and event management across India, before departing for a marketing role at Fun Multiplex.

    Her career spans stints at Donaldson India Filter Systems, where she was shortlisted for a leadership summit in Minneapolis, and Arise India, where she conceptualised the company’s premium retail format. But it was her six-year tenure at Art Housing Finance that proved formative. As chief manager, Phadke built the marketing vertical from scratch, expanding the brand to 45 cities whilst managing budgets, compliance and corporate communications.

    Industry watchers reckon the promotion reflects Surya Roshni’s push to sharpen its consumer-facing brands in an increasingly crowded lighting market. Phadke, who describes herself as a “change evangelist”, will need every bit of that disruptive thinking. The lighting sector is ablaze with competition—and she’s now holding the torch.

  • Reliance Retail snaps up Kelvinator in bold consumer durables play

    Reliance Retail snaps up Kelvinator in bold consumer durables play

    MUMBAI: Reliance Retail has bagged Kelvinator in a deal that signals its aggressive push into India’s Rs 75,000 crore consumer durables market. The acquisition brings the century-old global refrigeration pioneer under the wing of one of India’s most voracious retailers.

     The details of the acquisition were not revealed at the time of writing, but Reliance Retail, had earlier signed a 10-year deal with Electrolux for brand licensing, manufacturing, marketing, and distributing the Kelvinator brand.  The latter’s consumer cooling products have  been absent from the Indian market for while now
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    Kelvinator, a household name in the ’70s and ’80s, was once the epitome of Indian middle-class aspiration with its catchphrase, “The Coolest One.” Reliance now plans to reboot the brand’s nostalgia with cutting-edge appliances, promising mass access to global-quality tech at local prices.

    “Our mission has always been to serve the diverse needs of every Indian by making technology accessible, meaningful, and future-ready,” stated Reliance Retail Ventures executive director Isha M Ambani.”The acquisition of Kelvinator marks a pivotal moment, enabling us to significantly broaden our offering of trusted global innovations to Indian consumers. This is powerfully supported by our unmatched scale, comprehensive service capabilities, and market-leading distribution network.”

    The move aligns neatly with RRVL’s ambition of “democratising aspirational living.” With 19,000+ stores and 3 million merchants in its ecosystem, the company is now eyeing deep penetration of premium appliances into Indian homes.

    Reliance Retail reported Rs 3.3 lakh crore in turnover and Rs 25,053 crore in EBITDA in FY25, maintaining its perch among the world’s fastest-growing retailers, according to Deloitte.

    With Kelvinator’s legacy and Reliance’s distribution muscle, the group is betting big on middle India’s thirst for quality, affordability—and a bit of old-school cool.

  • Madhur Bajaj, auto industry stalwart and Bajaj scion, dies at 73

    Madhur Bajaj, auto industry stalwart and Bajaj scion, dies at 73

    MUMBAI:  Madhur Bajaj, non-executive director of Bajaj Auto and a key figure in India’s automobile sector, passed away on Friday morning at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. He was 73.

    Bajaj, who had been hospitalised due to health complications, suffered a stroke two days ago and succumbed to it around 5 am, company sources confirmed. Further details on the funeral arrangements are awaited.

    Born on 19 August 1952, Madhur Bajaj was a driving force behind Bajaj Auto’s growth and played a pivotal role in shaping the auto and finance industries in India. A graduate of Sydenham College, Mumbai, he later earned an MBA from IMD Lausanne, Switzerland.

    His career spanned across diverse sectors, from automobiles to consumer durables and financial services. He was the past president of Siam, India’s apex automobile manufacturers’ body, and also led the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA).

    Bajaj held senior positions within the Bajaj group, including non-executive vice chairman of Bajaj Auto and chairman of Maharashtra Scooters Ltd. He also served as a director on the boards of Bajaj Holdings, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Electricals, and Bajaj Finance. His contributions to Aurangabad’s industrial and social landscape, including the development of the Kamalnayan Bajaj Hospital and Nath Valley School, remain a lasting legacy.

    Beyond corporate boardrooms, Bajaj was a passionate philanthropist. A trustee of the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation, he was deeply involved in rural development and water conservation initiatives. He firmly believed that “the secret of living is giving,” dedicating much of his life to social causes.

    Bajaj’s passing marks the end of an era for both the auto industry and Indian business leadership. His vision, influence, and contributions will long be remembered.

  • TAM AdEx: TV ads for consumer durables surge, print drops by six per cent in H1 2024

    TAM AdEx: TV ads for consumer durables surge, print drops by six per cent in H1 2024

    Mumbai: TAM AdEx’s latest report for Jan-Jun 2024 reveals significant growth in TV ad volumes for the consumer durables/home appliances category, showing a 2.9 times increase compared to the same period in 2022, and 11 per cent higher than H1 2023. In contrast, print ad space for the category continued its downward trend, falling by six per cent compared to the first half of 2023.

    Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co led the category on TV, holding a 33 per cent share of ad volumes, while Usha International and Voltas joined as exclusive top advertisers in 2024. Print advertising saw TTK Prestige India and Stovekraft maintain their top spots with 41 per cent and 21 per cent share of ad space, respectively. The South Zone dominated print ads, accounting for 33 per cent of ad space, closely followed by the North Zone.

    On Radio, ad volumes dropped 52 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023, but Samsung India Electronics led with 28 per cent of ad volumes. Digital ad impressions grew by five per cent in H1 2024, with Samsung again topping the list at 25 per cent share of impressions. Programmatic advertising accounted for 81 per cent of digital impressions.

    The report highlights that the consumer durables/home appliances category continues to prioritise TV advertising, with prime time being the preferred slot. The news and GEC (general entertainment channels) genres captured 65 per cent of ad volumes.

    In the print sector, Hindi and English publications together contributed over 64 per cent of the ad space. The preference for promotional offers remains strong, comprising 81 per cent of total print ads, with multiple promotions being the most utilised form.

  • Garmin brings in Yeshudas Pillai as country head

    Garmin brings in Yeshudas Pillai as country head

    Mumbai: Garmin India, the popular brand of smartwatches in the fitness and wellness segment, has roped in Yeshudas Pillai as the country head for its India operations. His appointment is in line with the company’s objective to drive growth and development of the brand. With this appointment, the brand wants to intensify its focus to reach a larger set of audiences, speed up growth initiatives, and elevate its brand positioning.

    Pillai will be based in Delhi. In his new role, he will be driving stakeholder engagement, growth, and development of the brand in India. With over 16 years of experience, Pillai has worked for prestigious consumer electronics, consumer durables, FMCG, and premium lifestyle brands.

    Garmin is looking at strengthening its presence in India and continues to grow by double digits. The brand aims to boost its business continuously in India.

    Addressing the occasion, Garmin’s regional director of South-East Asia & India Sky Chen said, “At Garmin, we firmly believe in prioritising the needs of our consumers. We see great potential in the Indian market, where we’ve recorded 32 per cent YoY growth until Q3’22, as per Garmin Connect. Venu series from the wellness segment contributed the most, with a 65 per cent YoY growth till Q3’22 as per Garmin Connect.”

    He added, “We have seen a growth in the preference for mid-high range ($300 and above) smartwatches over the last couple of years in India. Looking at this trend, we are bullish on the premium segment and plan to expand our offerings. Also, there is a sharp increase in the activity trend, where we see uptake in outdoor activities that resonate well with our product line. For Garmin, we see India becoming one of the top three markets in the Asia region in the next five years.”

    Welcoming Pillai, Chen said, “Pillai’s multitude of experience and strong track record in the consumer space make him an integral part of our team and will further our vision for the Indian market. With his result-driven professionalism, we look forward to bringing in the required momentum to our business growth in India.”

    Joining Garmin, Pillai quipped, “I have always been a great believer in innovation and technology and the potential it has to change the moving world. I am excited to join the Garmin team and accelerate its growth in India. I look forward to working with the Garmin global leadership team and providing strategic impetus for strengthening the company’s foothold in India. Our vision is to strengthen our presence across the country, where we aim to have more than 10 Garmin brand stores by the end of 2023.”

    After setting the precedent with its quality and premium products, Garmin currently has brand stores in Delhi NCR, Bangalore, and Pune. By the end of 2023, the brand aims to expand its presence across markets by opening brand stores, which will also double up as service collection points. Garmin has been known for cutting-edge GPS navigation products for almost three decades. Some of the recently launched product offerings in India embody Garmin’s philosophy of offering users compelling design and superior quality at a competitive price. With an aim to strengthen its positioning across India, the brand will bolster its data monitoring mechanism with ‘Garmin Health API’.

    Garmin aims to get closer to its diverse user community through new partners across markets to offer all the latest Garmin products, including the newly launched Venu SQ 2 and Forerunner 955 & 255 series.

  • TV ad revenues recover by 86% in Q2 : ICRA

    TV ad revenues recover by 86% in Q2 : ICRA

    KOLKATA: After bearing the brunt of the initial shock of the pandemic, TV broadcasters saw a strong sequential recovery of 86 per cent in advertising revenue in Q2. Although it was lower by 20 per cent year-on-year basis, the growth was aided by the lifting of the lockdown, easing of restrictions and resumption of fresh content on general entertainment channels (GECs) with effect from June 2020, according to credit rating agency ICRA Ltd.

    As per the report, GECs regained their popularity and market share that they had lost to news and movies during the quarantine phase. FMCG, ecommerce and consumer durables remained the top contributors in terms of advertisement spends in Q2 FY2021.

    Overall, TV broadcasters in ICRA’s sample set reported a 21 per cent  year-on-year decline in revenues in H1 FY2021. Advertisement revenues witnessed a sharp 40 per cent year-on-year decline in H1 FY2021, though the same was partly offset by the nine per cent year-on-year growth in subscription revenues as subscribers increased their TV viewing during the pandemic.

    In Q1, ICRA’s sample set of TV broadcasters witnessed a 59 per cent year-on-year decline in advertisement revenues, as corporates pulled back their advertisement spends, amid the uncertainty during the then imposed lockdown and the pandemic. Depending on genres, advertisement revenues were impacted by 25-60 per cent (vis-a-vis pre-Covid average monthly revenues) in Q1 FY2021.

    While news and movies genres were on the lower end of the spectrum, with an average decline of 25-30 per cent in advertisement revenues, GECs and sports channels witnessed a sharp 50-60 per cent reduction in advertisement revenues in Q1 FY2021, given the absence of fresh content and deferment of high viewership driving sports events – including the IPL, UEFA 2020, Olympics 2020, among others.

    TV viewing remained high during the first half of the year, which resulted in increase in subscription revenues, up by 12 per cent on a year-on-year basis in Q1 and seven per cent in Q2. Since advertisement revenues account for more than 55 per cent of the total revenues of TV broadcasters, this decline adversely impacted the operating profit margin (OPM) of TV broadcasters, which contracted to 26.6 per cent in H1 (for ICRA’s sample set).

    However, ICRA expects the TV broadcasting industry to witness year-on-year contraction of 15-20 per cent in revenues in FY21. Subscription revenues for TV broadcasters are expected to hold steady in H2 FY21 as consumers are likely to continue their TV viewing amid limited outdoor avenues of entertainment. Overall, subscription revenues are expected to witness mid-single digit revenue growth in FY2021.

    Advertisement revenues witnessed good traction during the festive season and most of the TV broadcasters have witnessed an uptick in ad rates in Q3 FY2021. Industry players expect to reach pre-Covid advertisement revenues in Q3 FY2021. Advertisement revenues will thus witness a strong recovery in H2 FY21, as economic activity and growth improves, though it will be lower by five per cent on a year-on-year basis.

    The OPM in the period was supported by the savings on fresh content creation costs. Given the anticipated year-on-year revenue decline for H2 FY21, ICRA expects the OPM to remain under pressure and overall contract by 400-500 bps in FY21. Profitability pressures have also risen due to the increasing investments in content necessitated by increased competition from digital platforms, ICRA states.

  • abm communications completes 10 years in advertising; dons new look

    abm communications completes 10 years in advertising; dons new look

    NEW DELHI: abm communication, which has completed 10 years in the field of communication, has unveiled its new logo that encapsulates its core mission of ‘Raising the brand value of its Clients‘.

    The new logo design marks a new beginning for the agency whose mandate is to focus on growth, diversification and pan-India operations.

    Over the years, the Gurgaon-based agency promoted by its MD Abhijit Basu has focused upon building integrated marketing solutions for the brands that it handles. Today, ten years since its inception, abm commands a large footprint both as a communication agency and a marketing solution provider.

    Commenting on the occasion Basu said, “This moment, as we complete 10 years, the memories of the challenges, the efforts and the victories instill a sense of pride for the entire team because of which abm has grown by leaps and bounds. Today, abm represents a team of people with a fanatic‘s faith in the power of advertising. The confidence that our clients repose in us is also exhibited by the new business acquisitions which come mostly as references from our clients. In the coming years, we aim to further this association and consolidate our market presence”.

    This decade old communication agency started with a team of two people and one client. Today, the count at abm communication has grown to include a 50-member team serving 19 clients.

    At abm, the intent is to create result-oriented and clutter-busting pieces of creative communication that command attention. The accent is on solutions that profoundly affect consumer thinking and behavior.

    The company offers sharp, integrated and cost-effective solutions and consistently provides strategic solutions based on the understanding of the target. The intent of the Agency is to create ideas to fill the need of the brand and use every single element of communication, so that every penny spent is worth more to its clients. The methodology is simple, yet effective. Beginning by identification of the core idea, the Agency goes on to implement the core idea into every possible communication element and ties it all together in the appropriate medium.

    “The next thrust area for business that the Agency has identified is the communication in the digital medium, new activation domains etc. Now, the Agency is concentrating to work towards real, solid growth and recognition”, Basu further added.

    abm today enjoys a client portfolio across industry verticals like Fashion, Interior, Healthcare, Telecom, FMCG, Consumer Durables, Finance, Retail and Real estate. Some of the clients that abm handles are Dr Lal PathLabs, Axiss Dental, Dalmia Cement, SBL, Guardian Pharmacy, Muthoot Group, Evok, Oxigen, Pearl Academy, Urban Country, Aspiring Minds, SG, Manohar Lal Jewellers, Khaaja Chowk, and Moen.

     

  • Google’s Nikhil Rungta joins Yebhi.com

    Google’s Nikhil Rungta joins Yebhi.com

    MUMBAI: Google India country marketing head Nikhil Rungta has resigned from his post at the company to join Yebhi.com as chief business officer.

    Rungta will be responsible for the strategy, planning and execution of the company‘s sales, marketing and product development.

    Big Shoe Bazaar (brand owner of Yebhi.com) CEO Manmohan Agarwal said, “We are extremely happy to welcome Nikhil to the Yebhi team. He brings with him wealth of experience and knowledge after serving more than 15 years with leading organisations. We are confident that he will have a similar success at Yebhi.com.”

    Rungta said, “This is a new challenge and I am very excited as I get onto this new journey. I will be teeing off with a new TV campaign based on the concept of ‘Try and Buy‘. The new feature ‘Try n Buy‘ initiated by Yebhi will be the game changer for the E-commerce category and will help in taking the category to the next level. The campaign came from a deep understanding of how consumers buy online and the fact that one of the biggest barriers to purchase is lack of touch and feel of the product. Now the consumer can order products through Yebhi.com and only buy after trying or checking out the product.”

    Rungta was the country marketing head at Google since 2009. He was responsible for all Google products including Search, Youtube, Chrome, Google+, Android. Prior to Google, he was the head of marketing for Yatra.com where he was a part of the leadership team.

    His 15-year career in sales and marketing includes work across various categories like FMCG, Consumer Durables, Finance, IT and Travel Services.