Maser Expands Portfolio; Enters Air Con & Machine Wash Market

Dubai based smart TV manufacturer, Maser, has officially entered the air conditioning and machine washing market in its latest efforts to expand its business operations across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.

Speaking during the unveiling of the new electronics, the company’s CEO Prateek Suri underscored the need to manufacture higher quality products as he seeks to get a slice of a market dominated by Samsung, LG, Von Hotpoint and Ramtons.

“Even as we think of the cost of producing high-quality electronic products, we must be conscious of pricing. If we place the price on the roof, these products will only be affordable by the rich. We need to think about the lower-income earning families in the world,” he said.

Maser, which also launched dishwashers for easier cleaning of utensils, has in the past six years been banking on affordability in what Mr Suri says should be a global goal to ending income gaps in most of the capitalist world.

Africa, for instance, where most families still earn less than a dollar per day, has suffered in the past decades as manufacturers from China sell low-quality products in the name of affordability.

“If you want to help people afford these products, take your time to create quality ones that can compete in the international market. Don’t make some low-quality electronics just because your goal is to sell them cheaply,” noted Mr Suri.

He added that manufacturers must stop taking advantage of low-income families in the MEA region, and instead show empathy and sell at a good price.

“Most marketing campaigns are driven by greed. They want to make supernormal profits even when they sell items to countries where citizens are struggling to get basic goods,” he remarked.

As global temperatures keep rising, the demand for cooling equipment has been on the rise around the world, and Maser will be seeking to help feed the market. However, the equipment must be energy efficient to help reduce carbon print in the atmosphere.

Gabriel Dreyfuss, the senior scientist at the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development and chief scientific advisor officer for the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program, says that many regions are seeing new growth when it comes to cooling technology.

“We’re seeing in India, for example, that less than 10 per cent of urban households have air conditioning right now. We’re seeing similar growth rates over 10 per cent a year across Africa and Southeast Asia,” he said.

The problem with bringing that many units online over the course of the next three decades is the fact that it would produce a potentially insurmountable amount of carbon emissions if the air conditioning units aren’t efficient and energy-friendly.

A 2020 report from the United Nations Environment Programme and International Energy Agency (IEA) paints a picture of just how much hotter it may become, and suggests that making air conditioning more energy efficient is essential to preserving the environment.

“We are conscious of the effects of climate change. Most air conditioners rely on chlorofluorocarbons but we are using the latest technology to try to reduce the emission of dangerous gases to the atmosphere,” said Suri.

For washing machines and dishwashers, which have undergone numerous changes and improvements over the years, Maser is tapping on the need for creativity to achieve the efficiency of the machines.

Mini or portable washing machines are one such modern innovation that consumers love. They are easier to hide around the house and easy to carry from point to point.

Such portability, Suri says, coupled with less power consumption and the low initial cost is expected to bring stiff competition to the market.