The brand will be marketed and serviced by Bajaj Electricals (BEL). Through this strategic alliance, BEL aims to tap the premium end of the small domestic appliances market in the country estimated at around Rs 100 crore.

BEL will sell the range of Morphy Richards products, which include steam irons, coffee makers, toasters, sandwich makers and food processors. The company will add more products such as mixers, ovens and kettles, to this range, over a period of time.

Says BEL chairman and managing director Shekhar Bajaj: “BEL has always had a prominent presence in the value-for-money segment of the small domestic appliances business. Through this launch we now aim to consolidate our position by targeting the premium end of the market as well. With the prevailing changes in lifestyles and aspirations of the Indian consumers, the home appliances market is set to grow at around 12.5 per cent by 2005-06, and we want to be there to cater to every segment of this market.”

Says Glen Dimplex Exports CEO Neil Naughton: “The Morphy Richards brand is targeted at the premium segment and every model has a unique feature, is sleek to look at and high on convenience value. We believe that India has a huge potential for the home appliances business. I am very optimistic that Morphy Richards will be a major brand in India, in the near future. BEL is the ideal partner for Morphy Richards in India given their significant strength and knowledge of the Indian appliances market. Our relationship with BEL is unique and is definitely for the long term. We are looking at avenues for further expanding our association.”

Adds BEL president and COO R Ramakrishnan: “ The decision to implement this multi-brand strategy was taken to consolidate BEL’s presence in the small domestic appliances market. And what better way than to bring to the table world-class products from an internationally renowned brand. Also, the strong distribution network that BEL has in place will definitely help in effectively marketing the brand. Add to that the brand equity of Morphy Richards, and we surely have a winner in our basket of offerings. With Morphy Richards, we are looking at creating a brand that is truly world-class, but with an Indian heart.”

With the popularity of American style coffee bars rising, espresso / cappuccino coffee makers are becoming an essential, whether at offices or at home. The Morphy Richards brand offers an all-new product range of coffee makers for the first time in India. Additionally in the European market the brand also offers a wide range of innovative products such as breadmakers and food steamers. BEL aims to offer these innovative options to its consumers by launching a variety of products in a phased manner, which do not already have a presence in the Indian market.

Morphy Richards is a 66-year-old brand of the Glen Dimplex group, a leading worldwide manufacturer of electric heating and small domestic appliances. It is the leading small domestic appliances brand in the UK, with a strong presence in Europe too.

The Glen Dimplex group, founded in 1973 by Martin Naughton, is a leading worldwide manufacturer of electric heaters, household appliances, and cooling equipment. The products of Glen Dimplex are marketed under known, independent brands in both national and international markets. It is a $1.3-billion group with brands like Morphy Richards, Belling, Carmen, Goblin, Stoves, Symphony and Riedel under its umbrella.

BEL has a strong marketing network of 19 branches, 230 service centres, over 3,000 authorised dealers and over 1,00,000 retail outlets spread across the length and the breadth of the country.