Air conditioning and Refrigeration manufacturer Blue Star Limited entered the residential water purifier business with a range of 13 models.
Out of the 13 models, 11 of them offer both RO and UV protection. The models are priced between Rs 14,900 and Rs 44,900.
The offering comprises four series called the Stella, Prisma, Edge and Majesto. “Blue Star will initially offer residential water purifiers, and will gradually enhance its range to cover commercial water purification systems as well,” said the company.
B Thiagarajan, Joint Managing Director, Blue Star said, “We have set up a large team of about 90 people for the new ventutre, most of whom have been part of the water purifier industry. The Company is committed to make significant investments and wants this business to set a benchmark in terms of the product offerings as well as after-sales service. The range of products launched augur well with our brand personality. We aim to reach a market share of 15% in about 3 years.”
It will compete with established brands like Kent RO, Aquaguard, Tata and Essel.
Blue Star, which was initially a commercial market-focused brand, entered the residential air conditioner segment in 2011 and now it has 4000 retail points for air conditioners.
The residential water purifiers market in the country is pegged at about Rs 4200 crores, increasing at a CAGR (compund annual growth rate) of 22%.
About 3 million units sold every year are electric viz RO, UV, RO+UV and its variants.
In terms of value, due to their higher price points, electric purifiers contribute to about 70% of the market whilst the balance comprises gravity-based purifiers.
“The water purifiers will be initially available in Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Secunderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Chandigarh. In a few weeks, the distribution will be ramped up in all states in the South, Maharashtra and Gujarat as well as a few Tier 2/3 markets in the North. Next year, they will be made available across the country,” said the company.
Blue Star is India’s largest air conditioning and commercial refrigeration manufacturer, with an annual turnover of over Rs 3500 crores.
The company has 35 offices and 5 manufacturing facilities across the country.
Blue Star has 2300 employees, 2200 dealers and 600 retailers.
