— Photo: R. V. Moorthy

WIDENING THE RANGE: George Menezes (right), COO of Godrej, with Kamal Nandi, Sales & Marketing Head, launching the Eon range of frost-free refrigerators in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Launching two models with different capacities priced between Rs. 16,000 and Rs. 26,000 as part of its new range of frost-free refrigerators, Godrej & Boyce on Tuesday unfolded its plans to pump in Rs. 100 crore to set up a refrigerator manufacturing facility near Pune.

"We will invest Rs. 80-100 crore to set up a new frost-free refrigerator manufacturing facility which will double our existing capacity for the product,'' Godrej & Boyce Chief Operating Officer George Menezes told presspersons after launching the new offerings here.

The company had at present a capacity of 3.5 lakh frost-free refrigerators annually and the new facility, to be operational by late-2007, would take its annual capacity to about seven lakh units, he said, adding that the company hoped to double its domestic market share from 12 per cent in the next six months.

The company has now two manufacturing facilities in Mohali, Punjab, and Shirwol near Pune, and has a combined direct-cool and frost-free refrigerator capacity of ten lakh units. It controls 20 per cent share in the combined market for refrigerators.

"The frost-free market is expected to almost double by 2009 and will occupy a dominant position in the refrigerator market. This upswing has motivated us to set up the new unit,'' Mr. Menezes said.

Godrej has introduced nine new features in the current range. It is aiming to take a leading position in the domestic market for appliances and is planning to launch a number of products, ranging from washing machines to air-conditioners, in the coming months.

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