LG recently introduced a new set of appliances at their summer event, and it was not short on announcements. We saw a bunch of new refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves, dishwashers, and water purifiers.
However, for me personally, the conversation that followed with Sanjay Chitkara, Co-Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at LG India, was more impactful. It was less about the products themselves and more about the thinking behind them.
From smart AI features to affordability, local manufacturing, and Indian usage habits, our conversation got quite interesting, and it definitely tells the story of where LG India is headed next. Let’s have a look at some of the major highlights from our conversation.
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From toothbrushes to televisions, AI is being added to everything. So naturally, the conversations around it have mostly been sceptical. However, Chitkara seems to have anticipated this. He said that “it’s not a marketing gimmick” but rather “it has real, tangible benefits to our consumers.” Furthermore, I asked him about the way LG is integrating AI into their products, and he explained that they’re doing it on three fronts.
The first is energy efficiency, where the appliances learn usage patterns and adjust themselves over time. The second is convenience, and he explained it with one of the features on their washing machines, which senses fabric type and load weight to detect soil level and adjust the wash cycle accordingly. The third way AI is being integrated into LG products is in the form of self-diagnosis, where smart appliances identify the fault and, in some cases, communicate directly with a service centre.
Moving on, Chitkara explained how LG’s Make in India commitment got a new look at this event. The brand announced that they have begun locally manufacturing their largest refrigerators, a 674-litre double door and a 790-litre side-by-side. Both were previously imported, but they’re now being made in India.
On this Chitkara said, “This indicates our commitment to the Make in India drive and our commitment to our consumers to provide them better technology, more convenience, and more energy efficiency.” For consumers, it should translate to faster availability and more competitive pricing at the more premium end of LG’s product range.
LG has paid attention to how Indian households actually use their appliances, according to Chitkara. For example, they introduced a new microwave range that now comes with a ghee-making mode and a library of over 400 Indian auto-cook menus. A bunch of their other products also had India-specific features in mind, he mentioned.
Last but not least, one of the more interesting announcements from the event was the Essential series of products. Chitkara explained that this is LG’s new affordable premium range.
He said, “These are not entry-level products.” Rather, their main motive with this series is something different. As per Chitkara, “We want to upgrade the Indian consumer’s first purchase. Instead of buying a basic entry-level product, we want to upgrade it to this affordable premium so that we exceed their expectations.”
Based on the event and the conversation with Mr Chitkara, it looks like LG is looking to expand its product range with affordable premium smart home devices. And they will have AI that is actually useful and not just for the show.
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