s the mercury dips steadily in northern India, there is one air conditioner company that is asking consumers to switch on its product. LG Electronics India Ltd�s (LG) hot and cold air conditioner also has the ability to warm a room.
Unlike conventional heat convectors, the hot and cold air conditioner does not dehydrate the body. "The winter months are supposed to be the driest in terms of humidity," says Ajay Bajaj, product group head, Room Air conditioners, LG. "In hot and cold air conditioners, the air does not come in contact with hot filaments (as in a room heater). Therefore, the oxygen content in the air is not used up and the machine maintains humidity level at around 50 per cent - the optimum level at which a person can live comfortably - during the cold winter months. The air is heated by means of heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing in the AC," he adds.
Though LG is not the sole manufacturer of hot and cold air conditioners, it claims to be the leader in the category with a 60-65 per cent market share in volume. It also claims a market share of 38 per cent (of 1.3 million) in the normal air conditioner category. The other players in the hot and cold fray are Voltas and Videocon. "LG is the most active in terms of creating awareness about this category in the mind of the consumer," says Bajaj. That can be seen in the spate of promotional activities like radio spots, print campaigns with catalogues and fliers as well as consumer promotions that have flooded the market.... more