Hitachi eyes aggressive expansion plans in Gujarat

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India, manufacturer of India's one of the largest selling air-conditioner brand 'Hitachi Cooling and Heating' has announced its aggressive expansion plans to capture the promising residential and commercial air conditioning market in Gujarat. In its endeavour to offer a superior product experience to premium customers, architects, consultants and builders, looking for innovative air conditioning solutions for their residential and commercial spaces, Hitachi has introduced its first of its kind ‘Hitachi Brand Shop’ concept.

Hitachi has plans to set new benchmarks for the rising Light commercial air conditioning segment by taking the Brand Shops to key markets across the country. The company is also bullish on the retail footprint in the region and is aggressively looking to expand its existing retail touchpoints from 900 to over 1500 in next 2-3 years. The company is also doubling its channel partner strength in Gujarat by taking the current 120 dealers count to over 250 in the next three years. The company is also on a massive localization drive and endeavours to promote and push ‘Made in India' ACs. The company has also recently announced to reduce its component imports to almost half and increase export three folds in the next three years.

After capturing the pulse of Gujarat’s promising residential air conditioning segment with a record 15% market share and creating a legacy of world-class product innovations in the region, the company is now gearing up to become a leader in the Light commercial air conditioning segment as well with its new retail format of ‘Brand Shop’. The company has partnered with Sifa Refrigeration to launch its first state-of-the-art ‘Hitachi Brand Shop’ in Ahmedabad. The company has also partnered with Arctic appliances to launch a Hitachi Studio in Ahmedabad which will offer a wide range of Split and Window ACs to the end customers.

The Brand shop is a refreshing concept, catering to all residential and light commercial air conditioning requirements under one roof with its diverse product lineup. The premium shop has been designed to showcase the air conditioners in their own environment as per their application, making it easier for customers, architects, consultants and builders to choose the perfect one for them. The store blends Hitachi’s Japanese origin with the futuristic product technology in its unique new display and the walkthrough display of air conditioners lined up with residential – new Kiyora series and new 1.0 Tr outdoor unit, inverter and fixed speed product ranges, premium residential – X Series and cassette series and light commercial range – SET FREE mini and Flexi Split, convenient enough for visitors to see through the air conditioner upgrade from residential to light commercial units. It has reinvented the air conditioner showroom display with its aspirational color scheme, design, interior, minimalistic and realistic exhibition of the complex products.

Inaugurating Hitachi Brand Shop and Hitachi Studio in Ahmedabad, Gurmeet Singh, Chairman & MD, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Limited said, “With our manufacturing base in Gujarat, the state has always been close to our heart and is one of the primary focus markets in the country. By creating world-class products and solutions for the customer of the new informed world, we are aggressively planning to strengthen our retail outlets' presence, channel partner network, and post-sales service for superior customer experience in the region. Sifa Refrigeration and Arctic Appliances are our proud Channel Partner with a stronghold in the Gujarat market. We have a fruitful and exciting relationship with them and are delighted to embark on this new journey with the opening of Hitachi Brand Shop and Hitachi Studio in Ahmedabad. We are confident that our new ‘Hitachi Brand Shop’ concept will provide a hands-on, real-time experience of our advanced cooling technologies, products, and solutions to the architects, consultants, builders, and premium consumers in the region, making them future-ready to meet every business expectation before time in the most efficient manner.”

Talking about the Hitachi Brand Shop, Mo. Asif Shaikh/Viral Desai, Hitachi’s Proud Channel Partner and Owner of Sifa Refrigeration said, “Our long association and experience with Hitachi has been very satisfying and enriching. It has provided the best platform for us to excel in the fast-growing residential and commercial cooling segment. We are confident that Hitachi’s exclusive Brand Shop will help us in showcasing their diverse product line up of Commercial AC and residential AC, offering seamless product experience to the consumers in the region.”