hen was the last time you even glanced at the warranty card while buying a TV or a washing machine? Durable goods makers - who once drew heavily on this feature to weigh their brand against another�s - may be excused for feeling that the warranty card has no role to play in future battles. Does this mean that it has become just a superfluous piece of paper?

"Yes, the warranty is getting redundant," declares D Shivakumar, executive director and senior vice-president, consumer electronics, Philips India. A major reason is the growing replacement market. As technology makes things cheaper, it also makes for faster obsolescence. There�s no point in going for a product that has a five-year warranty when, in all probability, one will upgrade to a better product within the next two-three years.... more