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Bosch Home Appliances, a brand of German-based BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, has just been launched in Nepal. Known for their range of products across mass premium to ultra luxury segments, the company has joined hands with Laxmi Group to introduce Bosch in the country. Moving ahead, the company aims to see its premium segment of appliances becoming the top choice and in the top three for overall categories of home appliances in Nepal. Sangay Sherpa from The Himalayan Times caught up with Managing Director and CEO of BSH Household Appliances Manufacturing Group in India Neeraj Bahl to gain his insights regarding the company's strategies and view of the home appliance market in Nepal. Excerpts:
Can you tell us about Bosch, its products and services targeted for Nepal?
Bosch is a German brand, based in Munich. While Bosch itself is a century-old brand in India, BSH has been functioning for 55 years. BSH owns 13 brands globally and has been selling three of them in India, including Bosch, Siemens and Gaggenau. In India we have a three brand strategy. We have Bosch for mass premium, Siemens for premium and Gaggenau for ultra luxury.
For the time being, Bosch has been introduced in Nepal. However, once the brand is established in the country, wewill think about bringing in other brands as well. We have partnered with Laxmi Group for Bosch as they are one of the best groups in the country and have their own history of working with German brands. They are our sole distributor for Nepal. BSH showrooms will also be built in all major towns across the country. Bosch provides a range of products, including refrigerators, front-door dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, burners and other small home appliances. As a brand, we completely believe in after sales service as our clients are very important to us. We will develop a parallel service network in Nepal, so that our customers are never troubled.
Can you give a brief on the current business status of Bosch in the Indian and global markets as well as its prospects in Nepal? Also, please share your observations on the home appliances market of Nepal.
As you see, Bosch is Europe's top brand and is also doing well in the global market. We are also the number one brand worldwide for dishwashers. Being an European company with multiple brands, we deliver a range of products in the market. In Nepal, we will introduce products which are close to the Nepali people as there is a lot of similarity between Nepal and India. Wehave three factories in India where we produce our front door washing machines, refrigerators, burners and other small appliances. Also, we will be bringing a wide range of built-in appliances from Germany and Turkey to Nepal. Nepal is a growing economy and I see a huge potential for our kind of appliances similar to what we have witnessed in India. People who understand premium brands and aspire for a good brand will definitely choose Bosch.
Things were very different when we entered India about 11 years ago. Now, we are one of the top three brands in the country. Going forward, we can become the top brand in the premium segment and in the top three in overall categor ries in Nepal.
What are the company's plans in terms of remaining sustainable and its contributions through CSR?
As per the rules set by the Indian government, any company which is not making any profit is not mandated to make CSR contributions. Despite not much profits, we are still making contributions through CSR as it is very important for an organisation to understand the need of CSR. If needed, we can do that in Nepal as well.
In terms of sustainability, we aspire to continue growing in Nepal and alongside providing environment-friendly products.
What is your view on the market competition in Nepal and what strategies will Bosch deploy to penetrate the market?
There are already Koreans and Chinese companies in the market but we are not going to compete with them in terms of pricing. We consider our brand to be the 'Apple' of home appliances. We want to be an aspirational brand for the Nepali youths and also for Nepali people. In terms of pricing, Bosch will not be cheap. Although, our pricing can lean a bit towards the premium side, it will still be affordable. Our strategy is to make sure that we play in that segment so we can remain aspirational.
Do you have any key impressions and observations to share from your visit to Nepal?
Nepal has changed a lot in the past 22 years since my last visit and the country has progressed well. The country is one of the well growing economies in Asia. I see a lot of potential here and how we can spread our distribution network. I also see a young vibrant country with lots of aspirations to grow and we will be very happy to support that.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 17, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
