ACs, TVs, washing machines to get costlier from October 1 as appliance makers raise prices; check details here

Leading appliance and consumer electronics manufacturers are set to raise prices of airconditioners LED TVs washing machines and other products ahead of the festive season with several companies announcing increases of between 5 and 8 per cent from October reported the PTIManufacturers have cited rising prices of key inputs such as copper aluminium and steel higher costs of crude oil derivatives and freight as well as currency exchange volatility amid the ongoing West Asia crisisThe latest decision will mark the third price increase by the industry in 2026 with manufacturers saying sustained pressure on input costs has made further revisions necessary the news agency reportedAC prices to rise by up to 8 pcAirconditioner prices are expected to increase by around 58 per cent while some manufacturers are also raising prices of washing machines refrigerators and LED TVs by around 34 per centAccording to the PTI companies including Blue Star Godrej Appliances Haier Daikin and Super Plastronics have already announced or confirmed price increases ranging from 4 to 10 per cent across different categoriesPanasonic however said it was still assessing market conditions before deciding on any price increaseLG and Bosch Home Comfort which owns the Hitachi airconditioner brand have also increased AC prices by around 5 per cent according to industry sourcesManufacturers cite rising input costsBlue Star Managing Director B Thiagarajan said prices of airconditioners and deep freezers had already increased by 58 per cent because of higher commodity costs as per the PTIHe said the company had implemented three price increases this year Compared with last years festive season costs have risen by around 15 per cent he saidHowever Thiagarajan said the impact on consumers could be partly offset by GST benefits which he estimated at around 10 per cent resulting in a net increase of roughly 5 per centGodrej Enterprises Group Appliances Business head and Executive Vice President Kamal Nandi said another industrywide price increase had become unavoidable after commodity prices rose by 810 per cent since the previous revision the PTI reportedHe said price increases of 57 per cent were expected across categories although the timing could vary between manufacturersFestive demand remains a concernThe price increases come just as manufacturers enter their key festive sales period which typically runs from Onam through Dussehra and DiwaliIndustry reports estimate that the festive period accounts for around 3040 per cent of annual sales for appliance manufacturersSome companies expect higher prices to affect demand while others believe the immediate impact will be limited because retailers and distributors stocked products at older prices during August and SeptemberNandi said existing inventory could allow consumers to buy some products at current prices during the festive season with stocks expected to last for around one to oneandahalf monthsHaier plans further increasesHaier India President NS Satish said the company planned to raise prices of room airconditioners by around 5 per cent from October 1The company also expects to increase prices of LED TVs washing machines and other products by around 23 per centSatish said Haier could raise prices further after Diwali and again in January if input costs continue to increase according to the PTIHe said copper prices had risen sharply over the past year adding significant pressure to manufacturing costs particularly for airconditionersHe further said that copper prices that stood at around USD 80009000 per metric tonne last year have now reached about USD 14500 He said an airconditioner typically requires around 34 kg of copperDaikin SPPL announce price increasesDaikin Airconditioning India Chairman and Managing Director Kanwaljeet Jawa said the company had already increased prices by 810 per cent from September 16 as per the PTIHe attributed the increase to a rise of around 2535 per cent in copper prices a stronger US dollar and continued increases in commodity costsJawa said consumer demand remained healthy for now although prolonged cost pressures could affect the market over timeSuper Plastronics Pvt Ltd which manufactures and markets television brands including Thomson Kodak and Blaupunkt in India plans to increase TV prices by around 7 per cent after October Prices of its other appliances have already risen by 45 per cent the news agency reportedSPPL Director Avneet Singh Marwah said higher prices could affect festive demand as consumers generally expect discounts and promotional offers during the season reported the PTITV prices could see further risePanasonic Life Solutions India said it was closely monitoring market conditions and assessing the balance between pricing and consumer demandThe company said the industry was facing significant cost pressures and that it was evaluating the situation before making a decision on further price increasesVideotex Director Arjun Bajaj said rising freight costs and supply chain disruptions could establish a new pricing benchmark after Diwali the news agency reportedHe said prices of smallerscreen televisions could rise by up to 20 per cent while largerscreen models could see increases of up to 10 per cent depending on screen sizewith PTI inputs