CHENNAI: What difference does a kilogram or two make? Quite a bit, in the world of washing machines at least.
High-capacity washing machines – 9kg and above – are becoming a new normal in Indian households as more consumers are switching over from the 6-8kg category.
This transition, primarily to reduce washing cycles and the trend of weekend washing, is reflecting on the sales of retailers, who are seeing the average capacity of washing machines going up.While the development has nudged manufacturers to launch new high-capacity models, consumer durable makers are also investing to enhance their production in this segment.
Whirlpool of India is seeing a significant surge in demand for high-capacity washing machines across categories such as top load, front load and semi-automatic models. “In contrast, the demand for lower-capacity washing machines in the 6-6.9 kg range has declined by 38% this year compared to the same period (Jan-April) last year. Conversely, higher capacity washing machines, specifically those with a capacity of 9 kg and above, have experienced growth, soaring by 91% during Jan-April. We are considering investments in high-capacity washing machines,” Kumar Gaurav Singh, VP-marketing, Whirlpool of India, told TOI.

BSH Home Appliances, which manufactures Bosch and Siemens washing machines and refrigerators at its facility near Chennai, has expanded its capacity. It has invested Rs 200 crore to set up a second assembly line for manufacturing high-capacity Bosch washing machines. Rakesh Desai, CTO & chairman of board from BSH Home Appliances India, said, “The market is moving towards the higher kg class such as 9-10 kg, which we are introducing this year.”
According to GfK Offline Market Intelligence, the market for washing machines in India reached a size of 9 million units in FY24, registering CAGR growth of 5% over 7.3 million units in fiscal 2020. In FY20, the above 8 kg segment accounted for 1/4th of the market but in FY24, every second washing machine is 8 kg or more, reflecting the evolving preferences of Indian consumers toward higher-capacity units. “This growth underscores an optimistic consumer demand trajectory in the washing machine segment,” Anant Jain, head of customer success – India, GfK, said.
What is driving this change? “In many homes, especially dual income households, laundry is often relegated to weekends driving a preference for larger capacities,” said Kamal Nandi, business head and executive VP, Godrej Appliances.