Publication: Asian Age

Edition: Mumbai

The Rs 750 crore appliance division of the Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited is setting up a new plant for the frost-free refrigerators as Shirwal near Pune where it already has two plants. An investment to the tune of Rs 80 – 100 crore is expected.

Godrej said that the new facility will be operational by late next year. “ We would invest Rs 80- 100 crores to set up a new frost free refrigerator manufacturing facility which would double our existing capacity for the product, Godrej & Boyce chief operating officer George Menezes said. At the launches of EON range of frost free refrigerators.

The present capacity of the plant at Shirwal is that of 3.5 lakh frost free per annum. With the new capacity in frost free refrigerators, the annual capacity in this segment of refrigerators for the company will touch seven lakh units per annum, Mr. Menezes said.

“The frost Free market is expected to almost double by 2009 and would occupy a dominant position in the refrigerator market. This upswing has motivated us to set up the new unit which would help us cater to the increased demand for such a product, Mr Menezes said.

The company also has a production facility at Mohali in Punjab, which makes refrigerators. Apart from existing frost free refrigerator facility in Shirwal, the other existing plant in Shirwal is that of washing machines

For Godrej, the combined direct-cool and frost-free refrigerator capacity is of 10 lakh per annum. It controls 20 per cent share in the combined market for refrigerators.