Haier we go

The Pioneer, New Delhi, November 24, 2005: A home appliances major forays into the mobile telephony segment and brings out products that cater exclusively to the Indian taste, says Team Viva

Haier, the second largest home appliances brand in the world, recently forayed into mobile phone market in India with seven GSM state-of-the-art mobile phones. The range of phones include entry level cost effective phones like Z 100 and a handset that comes with FM radio to high end models like the P 7 which is said to be the world's first pen phone with 300K pixel camera and a dicta phone.

"We hope to make a significant presence in the Indian mobile telephony segment by the end of year. We hope that our phones, with their unique features which have made them popular worldwide, will be welcomed by the Indian consumers. Introduction of mobile phones also reflects Haier India's commitment to provide best and latest technologies to Indian consumers," says Praveen Valecha, senior GM, Haier Telecom.

"We have a vast range of mobile phone models and these are suited for the Indian market as they cater to the requirement of all segments. Our range, comprising over sixty models, is designed to meet individual customer requirements," he adds.

The company officials stated that their aim was to be among the top four players who constitute 90 per cent of the market today. The base line for Haier mobile phones is coined as 'Talk your talk'. The company also enjoys strategic alliances for component sourcing with Intel, Fujitsu and other world leaders.

Talking about the marketing strategy, Valecha said: "we have taken an initiative to offer a comprehensive range of products. Our products suit the pocket of every customer. All our phones from black-and-white to camera phones will attract the customers. Apart from that we are also tying up with one of the operators, Tata or Reliance, and soon we will work out a possibility."

Haier is aware of the importance of brand communication. "We profiled the brand in such a way that it became associated with a certain premium," says Valecha. Haier believes that they have brought many features into the market which were alien to the Indian users before. This, they feel, will work for them.

The seven cost-efficient mobile phones include the Haier P7, 'Talk of the town', which is the world's first Pen mobile phone with a 300K Pixel camera and Dicta Phone priced at Rs 14,940. The Z1100, priced at Rs 9,099 comes loaded with an MP3 player, an FM radio and stereo speakers with a Gen X look, the Z1100 has 32 MB flash memory and a colour screen, no wonder it is called the 'Rock Talk'.

The V100 mobile, 'Picture Talk' is a smart, attractive camera phone with a 110K-pixel camera and a 65K colour screen. The mobile is a GPRS handset with MMS and voice recognition technology, priced at Rs 7,614. Haier Z300 is an attractive colour display phone with 12 days stand by time, a WAP browser and extremely good looks is priced at just Rs 4,950, rightly called the 'Colour Talk'.

The Z3000 mobile is another colourful phone from Haier also called the 'Radio Talk' with incoming flash light & FM radio, a 65K colour screen and stylish design. The phone comes in a Triband of 900/1800/1900 along with GPRS and incoming firewall and daily persona Biorhythm. The Z3000 is priced just at Rs 5,990. The 'Non-Stop Talk' by Haier Z100 is an amazing phone with a standby time of 18 days and also has an FM radio. The mobile has stylish design with white LED and has a large screen with colour background. The Z100 comes in for Rs 2,990.

Another first by Haier is the 'Flash Talk' V200 mobile phone priced at Rs 9,495 is the world's slimmest camera phone with continuous flash. It measures only 12mm and has a 300K-pixel camera with video recorder and in-built speaker. With lithium polymer battery the phone has MMS+GPRS class 10 facility, a 65K colour screen and large memory.

When asked about the competition posed by LG, Samsung and Nokia, Valecha said: "The market is expanding and is yet to reach full maturity. So there is always a huge opportunity for new players."

Haier believes that real success is the retail success, "so we are talking to some 10,000 retailer associations." For advertising, Haier is more focussed on TV though it is not sidelining the print ads. But they haven't roped in any celebrity as of now. "We are doing model-focussed marketing," informs Valecha.

Aiming Higher

Business India, October 10-23, 2005: T. K. Banerjee is not afraid to be in a competitive market. "Here it is brand name and positioning that matters," he says. The president and chief executive officer of Haier India - a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Haier group - spends time these days monitoring growth closely. He. Wants to maneuver all the positioning it will take to build his brand, and make the Chinese consumer durable company a leader in five years' time.

You can expect that of Banerjee. A finance and marketing person, he spent several years working with consumer durables company IFB and). K. Tyres, before the offer from Haier came along. His experience, he L.says, tells him to control expenses now, and consolidate; while also to increase focus on building a brand name.

Banerjee may be right, for Haier came to India only in late 2003. For the first seven months it confined itself to the northern region, testing the market and conducting research on consumer preferences. Then came the launches - Colour TVS, DVDS and Banerjee: slow and steady home theatres, refrigerators, and cell Phones, ovens, washing machines, air conditioners and clothe dryers. By October he plans to launch high-end televisions - plasma and LCD (liquid crystal display) models. One year into business, and turnover will touch Rs300 crore. The number of exclusive 'Planet Haier' showrooms across the country touched 15 in) , and its network has stretched to 3,800 retailers and dealers.

But it will take more time for business to pick up. Banerjee won't tell past investment figures - "they're still small," he says. Nor is he planning any more soon. It would mean risking investment in capacity and ending up a loss leader, he says. While all plans for advertising and marketing will continue, expansion - of a manufacturing facility in India - is on hold. Banerjee won't tell past investment figures "they're still small, /I 11e says” Many companies in this sector are bleeding because of over-capacity," he says. "You need to achieve a certain volume before you get into manufacturing," he says.

Meanwhile tie-ups with Whirlpool and Voltas have been formed, from whom Haier sources low-end refrigerators. Televisions are also outsourced, but only at plants where management has a strong Haier presence. The company's pride of place is in its technology- and innovation driven products. Like a washing machine, that needs no powder for washing; or a refrigerator, which has the freezer placed below. "We found that Indian women have back problems and they have to bend each time to access the' vegetable tray," he says.

An R&D centre is also planned along with the manufacturing facility - at a cost of Rs30 crore – but only when volume touches one million units. That is expected when Haier enters its third year of operations.

Haier plans $100-million capex

The Economic Times, February 19,2005: The $12,5-billion Chinese consumer major Haier group is chalking out an ambitious plan for India and initial estimates peg around $100 million worth investments into the country in another three years. These investments envisage a new manufacturing plant though the company has not firmed up its plant yet.

T.K. Banerjee, president and CEO, Haier India, total ET that the company has drawn out big plans for the country and soon several another products categories would be launched in India, including information technology products. He added that haier would soon begin discussion with telecom companies in the CDMA segment for handset deals as the parent company has emerged as one of the leading players in the segment.

Haier CDMA plans

Haier launches 7 mobiles

The Statesman, February 17, 2005: Haier, the global home appliances brand, entered the country's mobile telephone segment with the unveiling of its initial range of seven mobile phones here today. The mobile phones are priced between Rs 3,654 and Rs 14,940 to cater to the needs of consumers. Speaking on the occasion, Mr T K Banerjee, President and CEO, Haier India, said: We hope to have a significant presence in the Indian mobile telephony segment by the end of the year. With their unique Features which have made them popular worldwide, the models are expected to be widely welcomed by the Indian consumers.

Haier forays into Indian mobile market

The Economic Times, February 9, 2005: Aiming to sell half-a-million mobile sets within a year, Haier on Tuesday announced its foray into the Indian mobile handset market with the launch of its seven GSM mobile sets. “With the launch of our seven state of the art mobile sets comprising entry-level as well as high end models, we have set a target to sell five lakh GSM mobile sets with a turnover of Rs 250 crore in one year,” said T K Banerjee, president and CEO of Haier Appliances (India) Pvt Ltd.

Haier India enters mobile phone segment

exchange4media News Service, February 9, 2005: Haier India, a hundred per cent subsidiary of Haier Group - China, has entered the mobile phone segment with seven models of GSM phones. The range include entry-level cost effective phones and high-end models that are priced between Rs 3,654 and Rs 14,940. "We are targeting a volume of half a million handsets in the first year," said president and CEO T K Banerjee said.

On the strategy, he said, "We are launching it in two phases this month. Today onwards the phones would be available in North India and by the second week the phones will reach East, West and South India." The phones will be distributed through its national distributor, Trust Telecom, he said, adding, "We are setting up nationwide after sales service network and are looking at expanding it even further." The seven models that have been launched are V100, V200, Z100, Z300, Z1100, Z3000 and P7.

Asked if the company is also planning to introduce the CDMA models, he said, "Haier has a product range of GSM and CDMA, as of now we are entering categories that sell the most." Interestingly, the phones are priced slightly higher than the prices offered by competitors in the market. On this, Banerjee said, "We are offering premium quality and the prices are in line with the quality being offered."

The advertisements are also in place. Asked on the promotional strategy, Pranay Dhabai, Director, Haier India, said, "We have a few commercials lined up for the GSM which will be on air from mid-February. As the products will be rolled out across the country, the commercials will also be visible." G3, an offshoot of Grey Worldwide, has made the commercials for Haier India's GSM range of phones.

Haier launch

Business Standard, February 9, 2005: China's largest appliance maker Haier launched its mobile phones in India on Tuesday and hopes to sell 500,000 units in the first year of operations, a company official said. "With the launch of our mobile sets, comprising entry-level as well as high end models, we have set a target to sell five lakh GSM mobile sets, with a tumoverof Rs 250 crore in one year," said TK Banerjee, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Haier Appliances (India) Pvt Ud.

Haier enters mobile market; targets 60 pc growth

Business Line, New Delhi , February 8: China's largest appliances maker, Haier, on Tuesday announced its foray into the fast growing Indian mobile handset market with the launch of its seven GSM mobile sets here. "With the launch of our seven mobile sets comprising entry-level as well as high end models, we have set a target to sell five lakh GSM mobile sets with a turnover of Rs 250 crore in one year," Mr T.K. Banerjee, President & CEO of Haier Appliances (India) Pvt Ltd, said while addressing a press conference.

Haier India, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Haier Group, plans to achieve a growth of almost 60 per cent in the mobile handset segment. "We have set a challenging task for ourselves to achieve a 60 per cent growth in our mobile telephony segment with an intention to occupy a slot in the top three mobile handset companies," said Mr Banerjee.

Haier India, which entered the domestic market a year ago, has launched its GSM mobile sets first for the North Indian market and will subsequently enter the southern, eastern and western markets. The new offerings are priced between Rs 3,654 and Rs 14,950. The company is also planning to launch its CDMA handsets in the country and is in talks with a few telecom operators for the same. The company intends to set up a consumer electronics manufacturing unit in India with an investment of about $5 million, to strengthen its presence in the country.

"We will finalise the location for our proposed plant by May-June, where we would initially manufacture colour televisions," Mr Banerjee said. The new plant would initially cater to the Indian market and "we will gradually expand the reach to South East Asian countries," he said. The company also said that it is exploring benefits arising from the Free Trade Agreement with Thailand as it has a manufacturing unit it the country. Haier India is currently doing a monthly business of about Rs 25 crore and is targeting to grow by 60 per cent next year.

Haier enters mobile handset market

The Hindu, New Delhi, February 9, 2005: Haier, a leading home appliances brand, today announced its foray into the Indian mobile handset market with the launch of its seven GSM mobile sets here with a sale target of half a million mobile sets within a year.

"With the launch of our seven state of the art mobile sets comprising entry level as well high end models, we have set a target to sell five lakh GSM mobile sets with a turnover of Rs. 250 croes in one year," said T. K. Banerjee, President and Chief Executive Officer of Haier Appliances (India) Pvt. Ltd., while addressing reporters. A 100 per cent subsidiary of Haier Group, day Haier India plans to achieve a of growth of almost 60 per cent in the Indian mobile handset segment. The company is aiming at a slot in top three mobile handset companies. Mr. Banerjee elaborated. Haier India. which entered into the Indian market a year ago has launched its GSM mobile sets first for the North Indian market today, would enter southern. eastern and western markets within few days. Priced between Rs. 3.654 and Rs. Rs. 14,940 per set, the mobile sets would be distributed through its national distributor, Trust Telecom, which has a nationwide after sales service network.

Haier makes entry into the giant Indian mobile telephone segment

Haier launches Mobile Handsets for its Indian Customers with seven state- of- the- art models

New Delhi, February 8, 2005 : Haier, the world’s second largest home appliances brand entered into the country’s mobile telephony segment with the unveiling of its initial range of seven state of the art mobile phones at a glittering ceremony here today. The range includes entry-level cost effective phones like the Z 100 offering amazing standby time of 18 days and model comes with a free head set with FM Radio and is affordably priced at Rs. 3654, to high end models like The P7, the world’s first Pen Phone with 300K Pixel camera and Dicta Phone priced at Rs. 14940.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. T. K Banerjee, President and CEO said, “It is our pleasure to be a part of the rapidly growing Indian Cellular industry. We hope to have a significant presence in the Indian mobile telephony segment by the end of the year. We hope that our phones with their unique features which have made them popular worldwide, will also be widely welcomed by the Indian Consumers. Introduction of Mobile phones also reflect Haier India’s commitment to provide best and latest technology to Indian consumers”

Mr. Pranay Dhabhai, Director, Haier India, said that “Haier has a vast range of mobile phone models and these launched seven models are most suited for the Indian market as they cater to the requirements of all segments and user needs. Our entire range of mobile phones, comprising over sixty models, is designed to meet individual customer requirements. In fact, our unique products are an innovative blend of technology and research relevant to individual needs.”

Haier mobile phones will be available across India and are being launched All Over India in a span of a fortnight. This will be distributed through its national distributor “Trust Telecom” who in turn has set up a complete Distribution network. In order to provide complete satisfaction to its valued customers, nationwide after sales service network has already been set up, which will be expanded by adding more service centers in near future.

The seven models introduced by Haier are:

1. V 100: Rs. 7614/- · 110 Pixel Camera· 65K Colour Screen· MMS· GPRS· Voice Recognition: voice dail, voice memo, voice command.· Accessories included: Headset, Neckstrap.

2. V 200: Rs. 9495/- · World’s slimmest (12mm) GSM handset· 300K Pixel Camera· Continuous Flash+ Video Recorder· In-built speaker· MMS + GPRS class 10· Large memory: - Phone book – 500X3 - SMS –300 - Picture – 2MB· Lithium Polymer Battery· 65K Colour Screen· Accessories included: - Headset - PC syncs Data Cable - Neck Strap

3. Z 100: Rs. 3654/- · 18 Days Stand by Time· Stylish Design with white LED· Large Screen· Accessories included: - FM radio Headset - Neck Strap

4. Z 300: Rs. 4950/- · Colour Screen· Large Screen· Good Looks· 12 Days Standby Time.· WAP Browser.· EMS· Accessories included:- FM Radio Headset - Neck Strap

5. Z 1100: Rs. 9099/- · MP3 Player· FM Radio· Stereo Speaker· Gen X looks· 32 MB Flash memory· Colour screen· Accessories included:- PC Sync Data Cable- Headset - Neck Strap

6. Z 3000: Rs. 6480/- · FM Radio· Stylish Design· 65K Colour Screen· Triband- 900/1800/1900· GPRS· Incoming Firewall· Daily Personal Bio-Rhythm· Incoming Colour Flashing· Accessories included- Extra Battery- Headset- Neck Strap - Desktop Charger

7. P 7: Rs./ 14940/- · P 7 – World’s First Pen Phone with Camera and Dictaphone.· 300K Pixel camera· Dictaphone· In-built Speaker· Triband- 900/1800/1900· MMS+ GPRS class 12· Privacy Firewall· 40 Polyphonic· 65K Colour Screen· Accessories included- Car charger- Headset- Neck Strap.

About Haier

The Haier group was set up in 1984 in Qingdao of China and in just two decades as per Euromonitor Statistics of 2003, Haier was ranked as the 2nd largest Home Appliances brand in the world. The group has emerged as a top multinational, manufacturing a wide range of home appliances and consumer electronics products with manufacturing facilities spread over 13 countries including USA, Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia other than its robust presence in China. The company has its marketing and sales network in 166 countries around the world and in 2004; the group turnover aggregated US$ 12.1 billion. The product range comprises of over 15,100 models in 96 categories.

Haier India is a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Haier Group.

Haier has a state of the art manufacturing facility for both, GSM and CDMA mobile phone handsets with technology partnership with leading technology providers and has a present production capacity of 15 million handsets per year.

Continuous innovation is the soul of Haier’s corporate culture and on an average Haier develops 1.3 new products per day through its 18 Research & Development and design centers across the world.

It's a matter of confidence

As such, I have always believed that continuous learning is closely linked to humility, willingness to accept challenges, ability to listen and learn and an honest introspection. I wasn’t an extraordinary student, but I managed to get a sound academic degree in Physics followed by a professional course in CA.

With no formal education in marketing, my foray into the world of ‘sales and marketing’ was possible due to my desire for learning and perfecting the process of communication.

This coupled with my risk-taking abilities have helped me in establishing myself in my professional life. If any one has influenced me as a person — it was my mother. If I have managed to accomplish any leadership style by way of getting the best out of people, I owe it to her.

An extremely compassionate and generous lady, she has taught me not to hold grudges even against someone who has betrayed my trust. Self-confidence has been her greatest gift to me. She made me believe that confidence gives the courage and conviction to undertake greater challenges and achieve far more than what I would have ever thought possible.

My father taught me, through his own experience, the value of hard work and integrity. A firm believer in the benefits of sports in the all-round development of man, he taught me at a young age that sports instils ethics, discipline and good values.

It was with his encouragement that I began playing tennis and golf, albeit late in life. Armed with my parents’ lessons, right from my childhood, I have had faith in seamless execution of processes, which were out-of-the-box and have also faced my teachers’ wrath on occasions.

The two business leaders who have influenced me tremendously are late NP Godrej in my earlier years and later Jack Welch. NP Godrej was a visionary whose depth of knowledge, care for people and more importantly, social responsibility made me consider him as my idol.

Welch, the legendary chairman of General Electronics, US, is in my opinion one of the greatest business leaders who revolutionised the art of management. I strongly believe in his ideas of a boundary-less organisation thereby inculcating a culture of openness, trust, sharing of ideas and finally delegation of powers to people down the line. In fact, today, I feel my biggest strength is managing the people process.

It was, indeed, a major risk for me when I took up my present assignment. After all, Haier is a Chinese brand without any previous successful role models from the same country. The other challenge was its price positioning.

But I reckoned that it’s also one of the most respectable brands worldwide and is also the second-largest home appliance brand in the world. Its impeccable commitment to “new product introduction” through its worldwide development centres underlines the brand’s commitment to consumers. All this gave me tremendous opportunity as well as formidable challenges. Again it was leveraging in the people process.

A small team of myself, my fellow colleague (who is also a director of Haier India) and creative wizards from our advertising agency spent days deliberating the creative pursuit which would hold the brand in right esteem. The outcome was amazing!

Likewise, it was our operating managers’ decision that price positioning should be at an appropriate level to ensure Haier’s best value-for-money proposition. We worked out a unique business model for our business partners so as to ensure better returns on their investment.

I have always maintained that we must respect our competitors and should learn continuously to strengthen our processes to overcome seemingly weak areas, if any. The fundamentals shaping my leadership style have started with people. I have always been a team man. It’s all about finding and building great people — I call it a confluence of several rivers bringing together a wealth of knowledge and work practices, many of which I advise them to even unlearn.

It’s our endeavour to ingrain team performance at the core of employees’ hearts. As I always state to my people “after all, it’s a start-up business and you’ll be the beneficiaries of its success”.

Welcome to India

January 15, 2005: India offers a vibrant market with 54 per cent of the population below 25 years of age. These young people work harder, earn more, spend more and demand more from the market, making India a dynamic and aspirational society. Can global brands afford to miss out on the opportunity? Obviously not, if the march of international brands into India is any indication.

Soaring Haier
"India, being an emerging market with a huge growth potentials, is certainly an important and strategic destination," said TK Banerjee, president and chief executive officer, Haier Appliances (India) -- 100 per cent subsidiary of the Haier Group. He was explaining the reason for the $9.7 billion Chinese company to set foot in India in December 2003. (The company initiated nationwide operations in July 2004 before which it was concentrating on the north).

The company is expecting a turnover of Rs 300 crore and a share of 3-5 per cent in various durables categories by the end of its first year India (that is, financial year ending June 30, 2005). Banerjee claims, " In the months October-December 2004, the company has crossed the targeted average monthly turnover of Rs 1crore."

Strom From The East

It’s not just the cut-throat competition and the increasingly demanding consumers: Haier also has its heritage to contend with. Here’s how the world’s No 2 appliance company plans to take on the Indian durables market. If one were to spend a few hours with T.K. Banerjee, president & CEO, Haier Appliances India, he could take the entire time to talk about Haier’s global footprint and its formidable position worldwide, without once touching on the brand’s origins in China. Barring those in the durables industry, very few are aware of Haier’s Chinese parentage -- and that’s not because of general ignorance, but its vital part of the brand’s strategy.

There are more worries than just fierce competition even for a late entrant like Haier, a $9.2-billion giant, to get a toehold in an already crowded market. Almost the entire industry is unanimous that its image as a Chinese manufacturer will be a challenge -- its country cousin like Konka and TCL entered, and left India, making no impression, but leaving some unpleasant memories. Other cheap Chinese product have flooded the Indian market over the last few years, leaving Haier with little chance for a premium positioning. Trade circles have similar apprehensions, and fighting this image is taking most of Banerjee’s time.

Every bid of media communication that the brand has used since its launch two months ago, gives the impression that Haier is anything but Chinese. “The name suggests a European origin, and I was clueless about it being Chinese,” admits the country head of a global direct marketing major in India. “it has been a conscious decision to make its brand’s link with China a non-issue in the minds of Indian consumers,” says a former company executive. So the brief for Haier has been clear: play up the company’s global achievements and stunning success in the US. Banerjee says that this route is the best one for the company to take, and insists,“We are not ashamed of our parentage ”

For Haier itself, this is a second entry into the Indian market. Earlier, it marketed its products in India through a Delhi- based distributor Anirudh Appliances. After the alliance fell through some two years ago, the company decided to make a fresh beginning and has set up a 100% subsidiary with an initial investment of Rs 30 crore. It's currently courcing low-end products from Indian manufacturers and importing its high-and range from facilities in Malaysia, but it insists that a manufacturing facility in India is on the cards. Meanwhile, Banerjee is focusing on three tasks: Building brand salience while playing down the 'cheapness' associated with a Chinese origin, creating a clearly differentiated proposition for consumers, and making inroads into the trade to ramp up presence across the country. Industry sources say that Banerjee, a former Godrej executive, is using his tremendous report with dealers and distributors, and if anything can help Haier; it's his clout with trade. "He has managed to rope in some really large counters in Delhi and surrounding areas into the Haier fold," says an executive in a rival Indian company. Although many large distributors and retailers are yet to stock Haier products, all were present at its launch. And that's what makes Banerjee bullish.

But rivals don't look convinced. The absence of manufacturing facilities reflect an unsure start and shaky commitment, they say. And there's little clarity on when and how the company is going to invest. "When you don't invest in a manufacturing facility, the impression it gives is that you're keeping the exit doors open, " says a senior executive at a competitor. There are others who say that the company's entry is a trading-based one, unlikely to work in a market which is already seeing tough competition. Banerjee dismisses this as rivals trying to undermine Haier's prospects. "There are some people within the industry, who have certain issues with Haier's entry," he says, insisting that investments' will be ramped up, and Haier will not' " only set up a manufacturing unit, but also make it a supply hub for markets in the sub-continent, South Africa and the Middle East. Haier's long-term plans are certainly ambitious it is projecting India as the next largest market, after China, with at least 10% of its global turnover coming from India in five years time. "The parent sees immense potential in India and is willing to back its operations with large investments," he says. In the first phase, the brand has been launched in the north through multibrand dealers.

The range includes washing machines, refrigerators, colour televisions, microwave ovens and air conditioners. The company is sourcing its low-end range from BPL and Voltas, and is also talking with Whirlpool, Godrej and others for similar tie-ups. The high-end products like the 488- 700-litte and bottom mounted refrigerators are being imported from factories in China, Malaysiai and Thailand. In the coming month the company will enter into manufacturing contract agreements with manufacturers in different regions which can allow it sales tax advantages in various markets. Banerjee says Haier's earlier short stint was an interesting test marketing exercise and gave a good perspective on the Indian market. "The market structures are constantly changing," he says "existing players are going down and new players are emerging and then going down. That shows, there's enough room for the right kind of format," On paper, Haier's blueprint aims to break through the clutter and shake the Korean dominance off the market, Banerjee claims that the trade has already evinced a great deal of interest and the company will leverage that to achieve its objectives. He says, most big distributors and dealers, have at some point in time, visited China as part of incentive tours, "They have been exposed to Haier's size and strength, during those trips and want to associate themselves with the brand," he adds.

Yet, Haier is having to do some rigorous 'trade marketing' to woo them before it could reach out to end consumers. For instance, the company has already started bundling offers for the trade, Some of these are being passed on to consumers. According to rivals, the company has consciously chosen not to advertise as that could cause image dissonance, but Banerjee insists that such a move is purely tactical and he is doing much more to generate trust amongst the trade. "My pitch is simple", he says. "Haier is promising 100% investment back without any pressures or dumping which is so very common in this industry." Encour- aging dealers to lift only 15 days stocks and promising a better return on capital employed, he hopes, will let the the trade incre