Panasonic India's Jhajjar unit to be operational by Nov 2012

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Panasonic India's manufacturing facility at Jhajjar in Haryana -- Panasonic Techno Park -- will become operational by November 2012, bringing out washing machines, air-conditioners and welding equipment.

The company, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Japan headquartered electronics giant Panasonic Corporation, would invest USD 200 million over a five year period at the facility in the first phase, Panasonic India President Daizo Ito told PTI here.

"Construction commenced in April (this year) and is expected to be completed by April 2012. It will be used to manufacture air-conditioners, washing machines, welding and cutting machines after March 2012. It is currently under process to be operational in November 2012," Ito said.

He said the products would largely cater to the domestic market and provide employment to 3,500 people.

Once operational, the plant would have the capacity to produce 10 lakh air-conditioners, four lakh washing machines and 25,000 units of welding machines each year.

With this new facility, the company also announced its foray into the welding equipment business, which was being imported from Japan and China since 1988.

"We will manufacture welding equipment in the Jhajjar factory. We will appoint dealers for distribution and marketing," Panasonic Welding Systems President Koichiro Masai said.

The company would appoint nationwide dealers for distributing welding equipment, including cutting machines, he said. "Currently, Panasonic holds about 10 per cent market share in this business, we want to reach 30 per cent in the next two years," he said.

He said the company, as a group aims to garner Rs 5,500 crore revenue this fiscal compared to Rs 3,200 crore last year.

On the durable segment business, Ito said Panasonic holds eight per cent market share in air-conditioning business in India and seven per cent in television sets.

He said the company, besides manufacturing airconditioning units and television sets, would also manufacture refrigerators in the Haryana facility by 2014.

"That will happen in the second phase after 2014," he said. On acquisition of Anchor Electricals, he said they planned to introduce LED Lighting and medical equipment in India at their facilities.

"Currently, LED Lighting are manufactured in China and Japan. We plan to bring LED lighting (in India). For manufacturing of LED lighting, the company may use any of the facilities of Anchor Electricals," he said.

In 2007, Panasonic Corporation, then known as Matsushita Electric Works, acquired an 80 per cent stake in Anchor Electricals for Rs 2,000 crore.