Financial Times

Godrej seeks 10 % market share
Godrej, a top Indian industrial conglomerate, is aiming to garner a 10 percent market share in refrigerators and washing machines in Sri Lanka and is launching a massive brand promotion campaign.

Shyam Motwani, Vice President, Marketing and Exports of Godrej Appliances India, told The Sunday Times FT that Godrej plans to spend as much as the two biggest appliance companies in Sri Lanka now spend on brand promotion.

"We want to generate awareness and ensure a preference for our products," he said in a telephone interview from India. Godrej recently announced a tie up with Hayleys Consumer Products Ltd to sell its products locally.

Godrej is the first Indian appliance company to market its products overseas, Motwani said noting that the decision was influenced by concessions provided under the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries and a conducive business climate created by the peace process and the ceasefire.

"It's an exciting time to be in Sri Lanka with new areas in the north and the east opening out for business," he said. Under the FTA, goods of Indian origin are charged a duty of 21 percent for refrigerators and washing machines compared to the normal duty rate of 25 percent for these imports.

Back to Business