NEW DELHI: Homegrown electrical goods major Havells has seen a five-fold spike in beard trimmer sales after the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. “Grooming products are high on the consumer shopping list, largely attributed to a need to self-groom since spas and salons have been shut for so long,” said Ravindra Singh Negi, President, Electrical Consumer Durables, Havells India.
“People are still wary about going to saloons. They are investing on this product since it is a permanent need,” he added. Havells also claims that it has become the number two player in the three important grooming accessories sub-segments—hair straighteners, hair dryers, and trimmers.
According to market estimates, India’s self grooming industry is estimated to be worth Rs 1,100-1,200 crore. A large chunk of this market is led by Dutch brand Phillips, while other global brands such as Panasonic and Braun are also present. In recent times, many new players, including Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, have entered this segment.
Despite the growing market, almost all brands, including Havells, import trimmers and grooming products from other Asian markets. “Currently, we are evaluating local manufacturing of these products, you will hear more from us on this in future. We are also evaluating extending our product portfolio,” Negi said.
When asked about opportunities present for Havells in the rising trade barriers to Chinese goods, Negi said that with less dependency on external factors, local manufacturing will drive higher productivity and create an efficient value chain with more jobs.
While the government, both central and state are doing their bit to encourage domestic manufacturing, companies have to gradually become more self-reliant. “Around 95 per cent of our products are manufactured in-house in 14 modern plants spread across the country,” he said.