Publication: BS -Chennai March 05, 2007 Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company is betting big on the Rs 3,000 crore air-conditioners (AC) market by launching 25 new models by the next month. Kamal Nandi, vice-president - sales & marketing, Godrej Appliances, said at the launch of the Godrej Eon range of split ACs, "In line with the changing needs of the market and the strong growth we have witnessed in southern states for split ACs, we are strengthening our focus on the region with our April launches." Of Godrej's total AC sales, about 60-65 per cent is its split ACs. Tamil Nadu is the company's key market and makes up 65 per cent of its split AC sales. "We wouldn't be surprised if Tamil Nadu logs 70 per cent growth in split AC sales this year. We expect our market share in Tamil Nadu alone to grow by 40 per cent in 2007," Nandi said. With a market share of four per cent (1 lakh units) in FY06 and eyeing 10 per cent (over 2 lakh units) share by 2007-08, Godrej had succeeded in surpassing rival brands such as Electrolux, Bluestar and Hitachi in the past year, Nandi claimed. The domestic AC segment has been growing at 20 per cent annually. Split AC units currently comprise about 60 per cent of the market base, totaling an estimated 20 lakh units, said Nandi. The company has 60 per cent distribution base in the high-end split AC segment compared with the industry average of 48 per cent. Godrej forayed into the AC market last year by launching 18 new models with the i-TREC (inverter technology for reduced electricity consumption) technology. The proposed launches will focus on ACs which offer i-SENSE. This is a sensor-based technology which controls temperature in their immediate surroundings through constant exchange of data between the AC inlet and the remote control unit.