With the invasion of plethora of players in the air purifier market, thanks to the infamous Delhi pollution post-Diwali this year, Eureka Forbes chief executive officer Marzin Shroff feels the market has become cluttered with cheap products invading the market.
Eureka Forbes's Aeroguard is a market leader with 42% market share which is closely followed by Panasonic and Sharp. Apart from these major companies, there are several other companies competing in the market such as LG, Philips and Kent.
"We are in this business for over a decade, with an R&D set up and a manufacturing unit, and very few big and organised players only compete with the quality of our products. However, this year, we have seen tenfold increase after the Delhi air crisis which has left the market cluttered," Shroff said. The total size of the air purifier market in value is Rs 360 crore and in volume 33,000 units.
He further added that these players both organised and unorganised import products from China which does not necessarily meet the requirements of the consumers with zero market research.
"They sell it at a cheaper cost which disturbs the market and forces other players to reduce their price," Shroff said. He said the companies should educate consumers about their filters and technology used which according to him are not doing enough about the awareness.
Godrej Appliances recently announced its foray into air purifiers by next year. The company is aiming to grab a market share of about 10 per cent within two years of the commercial launch of its air purifiers. Godrej had earlier forayed into water purifier space but it is yet to grab a major market share.
According to India Air Purifier Market Overview, 2016-2021, the market for air purifier market in India grew with a CAGR of 27.72 per cent in the last six years.
The air filters used in the purifiers are one of the most important components of the product. HEPA filters dominate the air purifier market in terms of technology. The upcoming new technologies are major growth drivers in the air purifiers market. Research and innovation of technology has a great effect on the demand of air purifiers in the market. Cost effective technologies which aims to reduce the cost of the product are making it possible for the larger part of the society to afford the product. It is eventually aiding the air purifier market to get the requisite importance.
Innovative technologies including Plasma cluster ion and Nano G filters are attached in the air conditioners which circulates the purified air. There are several companies competing in the air purifiers market in India even though the market is still in the nascent stages. Consumers are still not educated about the technologies and their benefits.
"We go through nine stages of purification, and clinical trials, our products are certified by the best laboratory in Germany. We are educating people through our campaign ‘Breathe Life’," Shroff said.
