After its exit from the window air-conditioner segment this year, Samsung plans to ramp

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up sales of its split air-conditioners to 5 lakh units.

“This year we will be exiting the window AC category as it has been shrinking, especially down south. Consumers today prefer energy efficient and aesthetically appealing products. Window ACs used to account for 15 per cent until last year. We will now have all our sales coming from split ACs,” said Mahesh Krishnan, vice-president, Home Appliances, Samsung India.

Last year, the company had a market share of a little over 17 per cent in the AC category, with sales of 3.5 lakh units. Split ACs accounted for 85 per cent of Samsung’s total sales of the segment in 2011. The company is expecting it to be 100 per cent this year.

Samsung, on Monday, launched a range of ACs. “With the launch of new range, Samsung expects the contribution of its five-star rated models to its total AC sales to grow to 25 per cent this year,” he said.

Last calendar year, Samsung India had total sales of Rs 20,000 crore when compared with Rs 16,000 crore the previous year