Usha launches premium kitchen appliances, partners with Reliance Digital for rollout 

Ahead of festive season, the home-grown consumer durables brand Usha International is expanding into premium kitchen appliances with the launch of its iChef range. The new range includes five products to start with—iChef Steam Oven, iChef Heater Blender, iChef Smart Air Fryer 5.5L, iChef Smart Air Fryer – Digital 5L, and iChef Programmable Kettle—which will be exclusively available at select Reliance Digital stores across India. 

Currently, Usha International has been various products including fans, cooking appliances, sewing machines, room and water heaters, air coolers, water cooler/dispensers, as well as fabric care, in its portfolio. Sachin Anand, Senior Vice President–Retail, Usha International, told Business Today, “Seeing the preference of the contemporary consumer for aspirational and exclusive premium products, and leveraging the festive gifting season, we are strengthening our premium portfolio by introducing five exquisite products. This decision to launch a premium-only range is based on consumer feedback and aspirational need aligned to today's modern-day living.” 

According to Anand, Usha defines “premium” as a commitment to delivering exceptional value both in terms of features and design, as well as an elevated experience to its customers. 

While Anand did not answer BT’s query on Make in India, he highlighted that these products have been indigenised by Usha’s international R&D teams. 

Usha has also partnered with Reliance Digital for the launch of the new range. “Our partnership with Reliance works to both our advantages—our product might and their network. The newly launched products will be exclusively available at Reliance Digital stores across the country in major cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Mangaluru, Chandigarh, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Visakhapatnam,” adds Anand. 

In addition, as rural towns increasingly play a significant role in driving sales of high-quality home appliances, Usha is collaborating with its distributors to ensure better connectivity during the festive season, expanding the company’s reach into rural India for business growth. In Q3 and Q4, the company is set to onboard retail partners, even in tier-3 and tier-4 locations with populations under 500,000. 

The festive season, commencing with Onam, is expected to contribute approximately 29 per cent of Usha’s sales, with the second half accounting for around 55 per cent (for H2). The festive season last year, had helped Usha International’s retail segment clock 200 per cent growth compared to the same period last year. With the introduction of our new premium cooking range, Usha anticipates the premium sales to constitute around 30 per cent of our total retail sales.