Hisense accelerates India expansion beyond TVs; eyes washing machines, refrigerators, and offline growth

Moving beyond its television-led identity in India, Hisense is preparing an aggressive expansion into the broader home appliances market with launches across washing machines, refrigerators and other connected devices. The company, a subsidiary of Chinese electronics major Hisense Group, is also betting big on offline retail partnerships to deepen its reach in the country.

In an interview with Fortune India, Pankaj Rana, CEO of Hisense India, which also manufactures and operates the Toshiba brand of televisions in the country, said the company’s India strategy is now centred on transforming itself into a “full-fledged multi-category consumer appliances brand” rather than remaining a television-focussed player.

“Globally, we are not just a TV company. Television may be the face of the company, but we are very strong in air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and kitchen appliances as well. Our vision for India is to bring a new product or category every six months to one year,” Rana said.

Expanding beyond televisions

After launching its air-conditioner manufacturing facility at Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, earlier this year in partnership with EPACK Durable, Hisense is now preparing to make a significant entry into the laundry segment. The company plans to introduce a complete range of washing machines, including front-load and semi-automatic top-load models, over the next few months.

“We will have more than 40-50 SKUs in the laundry segment. It will be a full lineup,” Rana said, adding that the official launch is likely within the next two to three months.

The company is also working on refrigerators and small domestic appliances as part of its long-term India roadmap. Rana said localisation, manufacturing and product customisation for Indian consumers will remain central to the company’s strategy.

“We are building our own local R&D capability because Indian customer preferences are very different from Europe or the US. We want to align closely with the government’s Make in India initiative,” he said.

Hisense is positioning itself in the mid-to-premium segment, betting on India’s premiumisation trend across consumer electronics. The company said demand for larger televisions, five-star air conditioners and front-loading washing machines is accelerating as consumers increasingly upgrade rather than purchase entry-level products.

“Premiumisation is happening very fast in India. Customers are becoming more aware about energy efficiency, technology and design,” Rana said.

Offline retail push gains momentum

Alongside category expansion, Hisense is sharply increasing its focus on offline retail after initially building a strong presence through e-commerce channels. The company has expanded partnerships with large retail chains including Reliance Retail and Bajaj Electronics, while also collaborating with regional chains such as Sathya Agencies, Great Eastern Retail, myG, Patra Electronics and Khosla Electronics, among others.

“A year ago, we were largely an online-centric brand with a presence on Amazon and Flipkart. But products like large-screen TVs require experience. Customers want to see the picture quality, sound performance and design before making a purchase,” Rana said.

According to the company, offline channels are expected to contribute nearly 70% of its India business this year, compared with a much more balanced online-offline mix earlier.

The company is also investing aggressively in brand building and distribution expansion. Hisense expects to generate nearly $150 million in India revenue this calendar year, compared with about $90 million in CY25, and plans to spend around 10-12% of sales on marketing, influencer campaigns and offline visibility initiatives.

Rana said the company’s long-term ambition is to achieve at least 10% market share in the television segment in India over the next five years while simultaneously scaling its appliances business across categories.