An Analytical Study

8/12/2019 An Analytical Study

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1.1 General Introduction

Water Filters & Purification

Clean water is a matter of universal importance. Like air, water is not a

choice: we need it to survive. So it is deeply disturbing to learn that drinking

water is the main health hazard in India. iver water, well and !roundwater

are the source of drinking water for more than half the population, but is it

always safe" !roundwater is not re#uired to be disinfected and can be

tainted through improper wastewater disposal, septic tank contamination,

underground storage tank or landfill leaks or animal waste disposal. $ostcity water uses treatment methods that were developed near the turn of the

%&th century. 'ven most bottled water is drawn from city sources and not

filtered in any way( )o wonder millions of customers in India are looking

for ways to ensure the water they use in their homes is safe. *oday there are

many kinds of home water filters and purifiers that can remove most

pollutants found in city water or from wells and streams. +ut deciding which

model is the most trustworthy takes time and research.

*o begin our search for the right water filter or water purifier, we need to

follow these steps:

• ave your drinking water tested, either by professionals or using home

test kits. It-s a small investment that will pay for itself(

• Identify which pollutants are in your water and the type of purifier that

will work most effectively to remove them.

• ecide whether you prefer -hard- or mineral/free water. everse 0smosis

and Steam istiller units remove minerals from water.



• Identify the size of the system you need. istillation and reverse osmosis

products will produce a limited amount of water per day. 0ther options

may run continuously but re#uire filters or cartridges that need replacing

periodically. Look at your family-s daily volume of water / and double it

so that you have enough even in summer seasons.

• 1ind the best price with the highest reliability and a dependable warranty.

Increasing public awareness of contaminated drinking water is creating an

2e3plosion2 in this multi/billion dollar drinking water treatment industry.

So many companies throughout India have come up with drinking water

systems and filtration solutions for homes and small businesses. *hese filters

have been used by hospitals, schools, restaurants, $ilitary, foreign

embassies, ma4or airlines, etc.

*here are contaminants that can not be easily or affordably treated by public

water treatment plant.

5lmost everyone that you know will eventually buy a drinking water

treatment system of some kind and most of the people that they know will

do the same. *he rinking 6ater *reatment industry is e3ploding, and

industry analysts predict that the industry will grow by %7&8 by the year

%&9.

Importance of Water Purifiers

• What kind of water filter do we need



6ater filters are designed to target specific contaminants. 6e must choose a

system according to the contaminants that we;re concerned with. Sometimes

these contaminants are easy to detect when their presence is eminent.

Common Symptoms for city or community water: taste and odour, chlorine,

turbidity or hardness.

Common Symptoms for well water: taste and odour, chlorine, turbidity,

hardness, iron stains, rotten smell odour <sulfur=, green>blue stains <Low ?h=,

etc

If we have city water, we can re#uest a water #uality analysis report at a

local water authority. *his report should show important aspects to be

considered when choosing a water filter like hardness, chlorine level, and

turbidity. If we have well water it is recommended that you test your water

for contaminants. 6e can use any in home water test kit or we can have a

professional water tester company to test the water. In both cases, city or

well water, the safest way is testing your water and see what contaminants

are present and what needs to be removed.

• Elimination of chlorine from water

Chlorine can be eliminated by using Carbon 1ilter $edia. It includes carbon

media filtration for the elimination of chlorine. Some of them are: under sink

dual and triple drinking water systems, reverse osmosis systems, counter top

systems, whole house carbon filter, three stage whole house ultraviolet

filtration systems, shower and bath filters.

• Elimination of sediments from water



6e can use a sediment filter to eliminate sediments <turbidity= from the

water. Sediment filter are usually used as the first stage of drinking water

filters. 6e can also use a $ultimedia 6hole ouse +ackwash filter to

eliminate turbidity for the whole house. *he multimedia filters are usually

installed in well water applications.

• Whole house filter

*here are many reasons to have a whole house filter, but one of the most

powerful is that we don-t 4ust interact with the contaminants in the water by

drinking it but through other medias like the direct contact with our skin, the

water that we use to cook our foods, to make our ice, to make our home

made beverage, even when we are using water for our daily tasks we are

e3posed to the inhalation of those contaminant.

• Elimination of iron stains from well water

Iron can be found in four different forms:

1errous Iron: It is often called 2clear iron2 and the iron particles are not

visible in the water. *he iron particle will rust once they interact with air.

*his form of iron cannot be mechanically filtered from the water. It can be

treated by ion e3change using a water softener or water conditioner or a

$anganese !reensand Iron 1ilter.

1erric Iron: It is often called 2red water iron2 and the iron particles are

visible in the water. *he iron particles in this case rust when they are in

contact with the water forming solid particles and therefore, they can be



mechanically filtered. *his form of iron can be treated with a $anganese

!reensand Iron 1ilter or with a +ackwash +irm $edia 1ilter.

+acterial Iron: It is often called 2pink water iron2 and it may not be visible in

the water. owever, you may see a reddish>green slime build up where

water is kept for period of time like toilets and bathtub. 5s its name

indicates, this form of iron is that which has or has had life. *his form of

iron may need to be treated with chlorine before $anganese !reensand Iron

1ilter or +irm $edia +ackwash 1ilter is installed.

Colloidal Iron: @ery small o3idized <colloidal size= iron particles aresuspended in the water and they may be combined with organic matters

which cause them to repel each other. *his form of iron is visible in the

water and it looks similar to the ferric Iron. +ecause the iron particles are

very small and in suspension, this form of iron is not mechanically filterable.

*he water needs to be treated with chlorine first so the organic matter bound

with the iron particles are eliminated and the iron particles left can flock

together in order for conventional filtration to be applied.

• Elimination of bacteria from water

*here are several processes that effectively remove or neutralize +acteria

and other microorganisms. *he micro filtration is the process of removing

particles from &.9 to &.&&&% micron in size and is e3tremely effective in

removing bacteria, fungal spores, yeast and some viruses since they fall into

this size range. *he reverse osmosis process belongs to this category. *he

ultraviolet disinfections are also effective in neutralizing microorganisms.

$icrobes are destroyed when A@ light penetrates the cell wall and



cytoplasm membrane and is absorbed by the nucleic acids. *he A@ energy

rearranges )5 molecules and prevents the cells from reproducing. It is

then considered dead for all practical purposes. *he degree of destruction of

microbes is a product of A@ intensity multiplied by contact time. *he lower

end of macro filtration filters that have &.B micron filtration capabilities are

also effective in removing micro organisms including e/coli bacteria and

cyst reduction like !iardia, Crystospordium and Coliform bacteria which

falls into this size range.

NEW TE!N"#"G$ T" I%P"'E W(TE P)IFI(TI"N

• )ltra*iolet Filtration +,stems

Altraviolet <A@= technology has been used for more than seven

decades to eliminate disease/causing microorganisms, primarily in industrial

and commercial applications. *oday however, this technology is gaining

popularity in the residential sector because:

o It can be applied to almost any water system

o It adds no chemicals to the water

o It wastes no water

o It-s ine3pensive to maintain

*o produce A@ energy, electrical current stimulates mercury vapour held

between the electrodes of a fluorescent/like lamp. *he most commonly used

A@ lamp is a low pressure mercury vapour lamp with energy output close to

%Bnm, most effective in killing microbes. !ermicidal A@ lamps are made

with 2hard glass2 #uartz which transmits 7% percent of A@ energy far more

than alternative materials.



6aterborne diseases may be caused by a wide variety of pathogenic

microorganisms. $ost are made up of a cell wall, a cytoplasm membrane

and a )5/bearing nucleic acid. $icrobes are destroyed when A@ light

penetrates the cell wall and cytoplasm membrane and is absorbed by the

nucleic acids. *he A@ energy rearranges )5 molecules by permanently

altering the genetic makeup and prevents the cells from reproducing. It-s

then considered dead for all practical purposes. *he degree of destruction of

microbes is a product of A@ intensity multiplied by contact time.

• (cti*ated arbon Filtration

5ctivated carbon filtration is an effective method of reducing certain organic

compounds and chlorine in drinking water. It can also reduce the #uantity of

lead, dissolved radon, and harmless taste and odour causing compounds. *he

following are the principles, processes and re#uirements of activated carbon

filtration systems for the domestic <household= user.

Contaminants removed from water by activated carbon filtration

omeowners are increasingly concerned about contaminants in their water

supply that may affect health or cause taste and odour problems. Sources of

these contaminants might include solvents, pesticides, industrial wastes or

contaminants from leaking underground storage tanks. Contaminants such as

benzene, chlorobenzene, trichloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, methylene

chloride and vinyl chloride in drinking water may pose health risks if presentin #uantities above the '?5 ealth 5dvisory Level <5L=. 5ctivated

carbon <5C= filtration can be effective in reducing some of these organic

chemicals as well as certain harmless taste and odour producing compounds.



uring disinfection the reaction of chlorine with organic matter during

drinking water chlorination can produce compounds such as trihalomethanes

<*$s= as byproducts. *hese disinfection byproducts may increase the risk

of certain cancers. *he '?5 mandates that public systems have less than D&

parts per billion <ppb= of *$s in their treated water. 5ctivated carbon

filtration can be effective in removing chlorine and some disinfection

byproducts from drinking water.

In addition, lead from water pipes and 4oints may be present in water from

the tap. 5C filtration can reduce lead in drinking water, though another filter

medium is commonly used in addition to 5C for this purpose. 0nly very

specialized 5C filters effectively adsorb heavy metals. adon, a radioactive

decay product of natural uranium that has been related to lung cancer, can be

found in some groundwater. adon gas can also be removed by 5C filtration

though removal rates for different types of 5C e#uipment have not been

established.

The -ualit, of Water can positi*el, or neati*el, affect one/s health

epending on what part of the country one lives inE it is easy to find trace

amounts of nitrates, pesticides, heavy metals, radioactive compounds,

petrochemicals and parasites coming from the local municipal water supply.

*he to3ins and free radicals in these waters are made significantly more

to3ic to humans by the addition of chlorine, a compound mandated by the

public health department. *he 'nvironmental ?rotection 5gency nowreports that individuals who drink and bath in chlorinated surface waters

<i.e., water from lakes, rivers and shallow wells= have a B&8 greater

likelihood of getting cancer in their lifetime. $ost customers are surprised to

learn that one can absorb up to &&8 more contaminants in your body in a

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/water.htm#danger%23danger

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/water.htm#danger%23danger



ten/minute shower than in all the water consumed in a day. +ecause of such

contaminants, two out of every five households now have a water filter or

drink bottled water, with no assurance of safety. *he problem is that the

average customer and even most medical professionals do not know what

the best way to treat water is or the best source of water to drink.

6ater is said to be the essence of life. 'veryone knows that the human body

can survive without water only a matter of days. owever, today-s water

supply is either contaminated or wrought with chemicals to prevent

contamination. *hese processes for removing contamination also destroy the

original 2structure2 of water like that found in nature. )ature imparts on

water a uni#ue structure that closely interacts with the 'arth-s natural

paramagnetic force. It is this force that gives rivers its oscillating snake/like

appearance. It is this structure that gives water 2life2. Living water is that

which has been structured by nature and carries the life/giving force the

body needs.

0.1 +T(TE%ENT "F T!E P"#E%2

6e will be studying the water filter consumers in terms of

demographic details <age, occupation, income=E ?sychographics <purchase

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http://www.naturesalternatives.com/lc/lcparamagnetism.html



decision, perception of competing brands and its match with their own

personality etc=. *he primary purpose of this pro4ect is to e3amine the

factors that affect

*he factors which affect the purchase decision

+uying behaviour of different segments

Compare the theoretical profile vis/F/vis actual consumer

In/depth analysis of important attributes, which can help in serving

the customers

0.0 "3ETI'E "F T!E +T)4$

*o understand the customer preferences and their buying behaviour

towards water purifiers.

*o know the customers interactions

*o determine the customer satisfaction level

*o understand brand loyalty and reasons for brand preference

*his pro4ect also studies brand awareness in this market.

*o give suitable findings, suggestions and recommendations to further

growth of water purifier



0.5esearch 4esin "f The +tud,

5pproach to the problem

*he following diagram illustrates the overall approach to the problem.

5fter having set the brief and decided upon the information needed, the first

step was the collection and analysis of secondary data. *his helped us to get

St age - 2 St age - 1

Expl or at or yr esear ch

Secondar y Dat aI nt er netLi br ar y

Pre- market i ngr esear ch

Sampl i ngDesi gn

Compet i t or’ s

anal ysi s

I n- dept hI nt er i e!s

SegmentChar act er i st i

c

"#est i onnai r edesi gn

C#st omer$ehai o#r

Pr el i mi nar ySegment at i o

n

%i ndi ngs



an insight into the customer behaviour, the basis of segmentation for the

market and the potential market size for the water purifiers. *his also helped

us to set the ob4ectives and to frame the #uestions for in/depth interview.

T,pe of esearch2

*he type of research used for the study is '3ploratory in nature. *here is a

clear statement of the problem and subse#uently specific hypotheses have

been formulated. *he detailed information re#uired for e3ploratory research

has come from both primary as well as secondary data. Customer perception

has influence on purchase decision of water purifier. +ased on these

e3ploratory studies marketers have been designing their products and

marketing program to the target group.

0.6 +amplin Techni7ue2

*he sampling techni#ue used for the topic is Gsimple random samplingH.

ere each element has a known and e#ual probability of selection. *his

implies that every element is selected independently of every other element.

*he Simple andom Sampling; method has been used because the sample

result may well be pro4ected to the target population.

+ample si8e2

*he sample size chosen for the topic studied is 9&&. *he sample size

decision has been guided by the nature of research followed and also by the

resource constraints.

0.9 Instrumentation Techni7ues2



5 Structured #uestionnaire is administered to the sample size to arrive at the

necessary conclusion. *he #uestionnaire is administered to translate the

information needed into a set of specific #uestions that the respondents will

answer.

Tools used for testin of !,pothesis2

*he tool used for testing of hypothesis is J% test. J% test has been used to test

for the statistical significance of difference observed between two e#uivalent

sets of categories from the #uestionnaire, which has been administered.

0.: limitations of the stud,2

Sample size has been restricted for convenience purpose.

?ersonal biases may affect the accuracy of the data.

1inally the study is time bound and does not respond to changes in the

market, prices of current brands and introduction of new brands,

therefore it may loose it authenticity over a period of time.

0.; +ources of 4ata2

Primar, data2 *he information, which is obtained from the original source

by research, is called primary data. *he advantage of using primary data is

that it offers greater accuracy and that it is developed personally and offers

the latest information. ?rimary data was collected through interactions held

personally with customers in +angalore.



+econdar, data2 Secondary data is gathered from numerous sources and the

#uality of secondary data e3pands with the passage of time.

Secondary data were collected from the following sources:

ata from the company website

Library sources

?ublications and reports

+usiness magazines and 4ournals

+oth primary and secondary data are collected for the purpose of

information to carry on the research. *he data was collected in the following

manner.

5.1 Industr, ackround of the +tud,

$onsoons which are the fear of water/borne diseases breaking out run high

in both urban and rural areas. Safe drinking water, thus, becomes a priority

and this is a cue for the s &&/crore domestic water purification industry to

step up its operations.

)ot surprisingly, various companies involved in water purification and water

treatment are aggressively marketing their products. +ut, in spite of the



tremendous potential for e3pansion and growth, the water purification

industry has not had an easy time, partly because a water purifier is still not

considered a customer durable and partly because of issues of pricing, low

margins and technology.

*he ma4or players in this segment are market leader 'ureka 1orbes, +a4a4,

Kenstar, $oniba anand, Ion '3change, ?ermionics India, Softel $achines

and Sinte3 Industries. +esides, there are a number of local and regional

players in the unorganized sector. 5s much as B per cent of the market is

accounted for by 'ureka 1orbes with its brand 5#ua!uard. *he rest of the

players are fighting for the remaining %B per cent of the market.

*he differentiating factor among various brands is the kind of technology

being used. Ap to now, the ultra violet or the A@ technology, used by

companies like 'ureka 1orbes, Sinte3 Industries and a several other smaller

players, has been the dominant technology. owever, ultra filtration

membrane technology and reverse osmosis are now being used increasingly.

(daptin to local conditions

*he condition of the water and the kind of impurities determine the kind of

technology suitable for a particular area. *here are three main kinds of

impurities M suspended particles, microbiological impurities <which include

bacteria, viruses and pyrogens=, and e3cess dissolved salts.

2*he ideal water purification system should remove all three kinds of

impuritiesE only membrane technology guarantees that,2



A@ o3idation is good at removing dissolved organics and bacteria, but is

poor at removing dissolved ionized solids and gases, particulates and

pyrogens. Altra filtration membrane devices, on the other hand, are e3cellent

at removing particulates, bacteria, pyrogens and dissolved organics, though

they are also poor at removing dissolved ionised solids and gases.2

'3plaining the difference, A@ rays passing through water render bacteria

and viruses inert, but they do not remove them. $oreover, A@ rays do not

change the composition of the waterE the e3cess dissolved salts remain in

your drinking water, as before. 5 A@/based water purifier re#uires certain

clarity of water for it to be effective. If the water is turbid, then a A@/based

purifier will not be very effective. Inlet water has to be of a certain minimum

#uality for a A@ system to work. 0n the other hand, ultra filtration

membranes address all problems.

A@ technology/based companies and membrane technology has a market

only where the water taste is bad <total dissolved solids more than &&=. In

India, the biggest problem for most people is bacteriological contamination,

as D& per cent diseases are water/borne. A@ remains the most cost/effective

and mass marketable technology that there is.

5#ua!uard, the most widely sold A@/based purifier comes in two variants

M Compact Cartridge and i/)ova, 5ll players in the industry, however,

agree that there is tremendous scope for e3panding the market and that thereis room for all. *he compounded annual growth rate of the industry is %& per

cent and growth has been e3hibited even in recessionary times. 2If the

industry is able to position water purifiers as customer durables, marketing

will become an easier 4ob,2



+ut, as of now, the Indian customer seems to be content with calling the

distributor to have a water purifier installed rather than visiting the

showroom for the same.

1. Eureka Forbes

'ureka 1orbes Limited is the outcome of 4oint venture of two

renowned industrial giants that is 1orbes !okak Ltd. and 'lectrolu3 5+

of Sweden. It was set up in 97D9 to market health and hygiene products

to Indian customers. *ill date 1orbes group had a &8 holding and

'lectrolu3 holds N&8 of 'ureka 1orbes shares. 'ureka 1orbes started off

with one product employing %& sales persons and operating in 4ust one

location. *oday, the organization has grown to become a s. &% crores

enterprise employing over N&&& sales personnel and operating out of %&&

locations.

*he company revolutionized the Indian market by introducing products

such as vacuum/cleaners <97D%=, water purifiers <97DN= and 5ir purifiers

<977N=.

'ureka 1orbes is the pioneer in direct selling in India and the name that is

held in esteem and high regard.

'ureka 1orbes has its manufacturing facilities at +himtal, yderabad, and

+angalore together with an advanced research and development centre at

+angalore. 'ureka 1orbes has a service network of over N&&/response

centre to provide prompt and efficient after sales services.



Present +tatus of the "rani8ation

*he company started with a team of 9B& sales e3ecutives. 6ithin 9&

years the outfit developed in a massive setup with more than N&&& well/

trained salesmen. *hrough their door to door hard sell, the 'ureka

1orbes; sales men now sell more than one lakh vacuum cleaners and

water purifiers per annum bringing in a revenue of more than s.B& crore

per year.

*oday, 'ureka 1orbes Ltd., is 5sia;s largest direct sales organization and

it brings over million customers. *he very best life has to give clear air,

clean water, and safe and secure homes, but more important is that they

bring the reassurance of a friend. 1or life.

New launches of eureka Forbes2

'ureka 1orbes, is now looking to strengthen its position through a slew of

new launches according to $r. S.K.?alekar @.?. <$arketing=, 'ureka

1orbes, G5lthough 'ureka 1orbes is the marketing leader in both the

categories <with a market share of over D&8 in both the air purifier and

vacuum cleaner segment=, the company;s new products will be targeted,

at different segment of people.

1or instance, the new 5#uaguard )ova priced at s.&& will be targeted

at people who have already had an 5#uagurad in their house for more

than a year <i.e. appro3imately a million people=. *he product has

electronic features such as an inductor, which will indicate when it is time

to get the service done.

0ther launches on the anvil include a softener model <for areas which get

hard water=, an arsenic model, an iron removal model, a fluoride



• $icrowave 0ven

• 'vaporative type oom 5ir Cooler

• +lender cum $i3er !rinder

• 6ater ?urifier based on Altra/@iolet technology

• 6et P ry $opper <1loor Care ?roducts=

• Kitchen 5ppliances : / eat 5ppliances / +lender 4uicer

Kenstar has its latest P state of the art factories in various locations in India.

6ith strengths in esign, esearch P evelopment, ?roduction, Quality

Control P Quality 5ssurance, $arketing and Sales, professionals in their

respective fields manage the company. *hese appliances are manufactured

under the most stringent #uality norms and meet the international #uality

standards <AL P *AL=.

Kenstar has a wide distribution network consisting of more than %D company

Sales P Service offices within India. 5part from the company offices,

Kenstar has 9& 5uthorized 6holesale ealers <56= for Sales and

Service of all the products across the country. *hese 56s cover more than

B&& dealer outlets where one can see, feel and buy the products.

*he company has more than && Service 1ranchisees to render service for

the $ass 5ppliances.

6ater filter model9. 6p/7& A@ technology

5. a=a= Electricals ompan,

ompan, Profile



s B&/crore +a4a4 'lectricals LtdMpart of the +a4a4 !roupMplans to

establish the +a4a4; brand in 9B to %& countries in the ne3t few years.

5ccording to +a4a4 'lectricals Ltd chairman and managing director

Shekhar +a4a4: G5s part of the strategy, they are planning to spread

wings in the international market for lighting products such as lamps,

tubes and water purifiersMfrom countries such as South 5frica and

the $iddle/'ast to other parts of 5frica such as )igeria, Kenya,

Libya, $orocco, *unisia and 5lgeria in %&&N. It has lighting and

associated electricals with a market share of above & per cent in

India, e3plained $r +a4a4. '3port activities of +a4a4 'lectricals are being handled by group

company +a4a4 International. +a4a4 'lectricals Ltd is now eyeing

*hailand to enter into outsourcing arrangements with companies

based there. *his is because of certain strategic advantages in terms of

cost and product features. *he move is in line with the company;s on/

going China sourcing strategy for components used in domestic

appliances in India.

G5fter having entered into brand licensing and strategic sourcing

agreement with AK/based home appliance company, $orphy

ichards Ltd, they are now in the process of manufacturing dry irons,

oven toaster grillers, mi3er grinders and new water purifiers with A@

*echnology. ?lans are on the anvil to implement manufacture of food

processors for $orphy ichards in %&&N. 6ith the move, +a4a4

'lectricals plans to become a global supplier of select domestic home

appliances to $orphy ichards,H $r amakrishnan said.

5s part of the marketing strategy, +a4a4 'lectricals is planning to



introduce a concept of in/shop branding for $orphy ichards; brand

within 9&& premium retail outlets across the country. 5t present, +a4a4

'lectricals is in the process of marketing $orphy ichards; products

through %,&&& retail outlets, he added.

+a4a4 'lectricals is planning to e3pand its number of retail outlets

from 9.%B lakh to % lakh within a year. +esides, in the ne3t two years,

the company is also planning to beef up its network from %%,&&&

retailers to &,&&& retailers,

W(TE P)IFIE+ "F (3(3 are

9. 5#ua )aturale

%. 5QA5 LI1'

• LI*' 5QA5 LI1'

•

LI*' SIL@' SA?'$'

>. %"NI( (N(N4 E#ETI(# P'T. #T4. ?%(@

ompan, Profile

• 'stablished /97D7



• Sister concern /ma is a sister concern of waterman industries ltd.

'stablished in 97%

• *urnover present turnover of group is %N crores <usRB. million=

• *otal employees %DD

• $anufacturing plants

waterman industries ltd.

moniba anand electrical pvt. Ltd.

mbh pumps <gu4arat= pvt. Ltd.

mbh electrical pvt. Ltd.

• Sales branches 9& sales branches all over india with service centers

• istributors /distributor for western part of india are pulsafeeder

electronic metering pump, sole selling distributor for blagdon pump

u.k for all over india.

W(TE P)IFIE %"4E#+

9. A.@. 6ater ?urifier 5+S > elu3e

%. A.@.*op Small 6onder

. A.@. Storage ?urifier <)o )eed of *ap 6ater Supply=

N. 0nline ?urifier cum Cooler -)- eater

B. Industrial A.@. 6ater ?urifier

(nal,sis

*he #uestionnaire was designed so as to obtain a good idea of the $arketand to study the GCustomer +uying +ehaviour 0f 6ater ?urifiersH. *he

#uestionnaire was also designed so that it would result in successful

implementation of the recommendations given in the pro4ect report.



ustomers (nal,sis

The +ample

9&& customers were interviewed. So, total Sample Size is 9&&.

*he following tables would help us to ascertain the socio/economic

background of the customers who were interviewed.

*able 9

*he age/wise breakup of the sample size.



Age No. of

Respondents20-30 3330-40 39

40-50 1750 and

above

11

Total 100

!raph 9

3339

1711

0

20

40

60

80

100

N O O

F

R E S P O N D E N T S

20-30 30-40 40-50 50 AND

ABOVE

AGE

GRAPH SHOWS AGE GROUP OF RESPONDENTS

Inference2

1rom the above graph we can infer that most of the consumers are

influenced by the family members and their health, considering their stage in

the family lifecycle. i.e. age group &/N& yrs and %&/& years. *he age group

%&/& years may also imply a new earning member in the family.



*able %

-ualifications of the customers

Qualification No. of

RespondentsUnder graduate 38Graduate 44Post

Graduation

18

Ph.D 0Total 100

!raph %

Qua!"!#a$!%& %" 'u($%)*+(

0

1020

30

40

50

Under

Graduate

Graduate Post

Graduate

Ph.D

,

% " R * ( - % & .

Inference2

ere we can observe that the level of education has a role to play in

the purchase decision considering that most of the consumers are graduates.

*hus social and health awareness plays a part in the buying behaviour of the

consumers.



*able

"ccupations of the customers inter*iewed

Occupation No. of

RespondentsGovt.

Oi!ia"s

12

Pvt

oi!ia"s

29

O#n

business

55

$etired 4Total 100

!raph

10

0A

66

>

B1B0B5B>B6B9B:B;BAB

1BB

N" "F

&E+P"N4ENT+

G "

' T . E % P #

" $ E

E

P ' T . " N

E & N

" W N 1 )

+ I N E

+ +

& E T I & E

4

")P(TI"N

G&(P! +!"W+ ")P(TI"N "F &E+P"N4ENT+

Inference2



It is clear that the ma4ority of the consumers were those having their own

business and the people working in private companies came second. 6e can

imply that their 4ob status has a part in the buying decision.

*able N

Income le*els of the customers inter*iewed

Income group

in Rs.

No. of

Respondents1000-5000 115000-10000 3310000-20000 4120000-30000 13%ore &han

30000

2

Total 100

!raph N

11

33

41

13

2

0

1020

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

NO OF

RESPONDENTS

1000-5000 5000-10000 10000-20000 20000-30000 /ORETHAN

30000

N'O/E EVES

GRAPH SHOWS N'O/E GROUP OF RESPONDENTS



Inference2

6e can observe that the high income levels do not mean that the consumers

are ready to spend. +ut the consumers in the income bracket of s B&&&

s %&&&& per month are the most likely to buy.

*able B

ustomer/s preference and usae of water purifiers

Company nameNo. of

Respondents'ure(a )orbes 100*enstar 77%oniba 12Usha 22

$esi"ine 10

+a,a, 11

esponses do not add up to 9&& due to multiple responses

!raph B

GRAPH SHOWS PREFEREN'ES OF WATER PURFER

100

10 1112

77

22

0

20

40

60

80

100

E U R E 2 A

F O R B E S

2 E N S T A R

/ O N 0 B A

U S H A

R E S 0 1 0 N E

B A 3 A 3

'O/PAN

N O O

F R E S P O N D E N T S



Inference2

Customers; preference lies towards 'ureka 1orbes and almost all the

customers preferred it. *his also shows the trust and brand image the

company commands. Kenstar came a close second while the others are

almost unknown to the market.

*able

Features affectin the purchase decision of water purifier

+l.No Features No. of respondents

9 Quality 9&&

% +rand name DD

5vailability 9&&

N ?rice 9&&

B ?ackaging &

5fter sales service 7

esponses do not add up to 9&& due to multiple responses

!raph

GRAPH SHOWS RESPONDENTS OPNON ON FEATURES THAT ARE

'ONSDERED WHE PUR'HASNG WATER PURFER

100

88

100 100

60

97

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

QUAT BRAND NA/E AVAABT PR'E PA'AGNG AFTER SAES

SERV'EFEATURES

N O O

F R E

S P O N D E N T



Inference2

5ll the customers said that #uality, availability and price are the most

important features that they considered while purchasing a water purifier.

*he ne3t important features mentioned are after sales services, brand name

and packaging.

Since the customers regarded #uality as an important feature while

purchasing a water purifier, they were asked if they checked for the ISI mark

before purchasing a product

*able

The familiari8ation of the water purifiers

CompanyNo. of

Respondents

'ure(a

)orbes100

*enstar 80%oniba 15Usha 1

$esi"ine 07

+a,a, 08



!raph

1BB

;B

16 19

: ;

B

1B

0B

5B

>B

6B

9B

:B

;B

AB

1BB

N " " F & E + P " N 4 E N T

E ) & E < (

F " & 1 E +

< E N + T ( &

% " N

I 1 (

) + ! (

& E + I #

I N E

1 (

3 ( 3

F(%I#I(& WIT! %(N$ "%P(NIE+

G&(P! +!"W+ F(%I#I(&I+E4 WIT! +"%E "F T!E W(TE& P)&IFIE&+

Inference2

$ore than B8 of customers familiarized with 'ureka 1orbes and Kenstar

*able D

espondents/ preferences for information about water purifier

+l.No %ode No. of espondents

9 *hrough advertisement %9

% elatives 9%



*hrough word of mouth %

N *hrough sales e3ecutives N9

B Company image

!raph D

PIE !(&T +!"W+ &E+P"N4ENT+ CP&EFE&ENE "F +")&E+

F"& INF"&%(TI"N (")T W(TE& P)&IFIE&D

T!&")G! +(#E+

EE)TI'E+ >1

T!&")G! W" &4 "F

%")T! 05

&E#(TI'E+ 1 0

" %P(N$ I%(GE 5"T!E&+ B

T!&")G!

(4'E&TI+E%ENT 01

Inference:

5round N98 of customers prefer sales e3ecutives as the best source for

getting information about the water purifiers. +ehind their minds, they think

that they can get answers for every #uestion through this source. 6ord of

mouth and 5dvertisement also can be good source of information.

!,pothesis2

!B sales e3ecutives are the most important source of information. <B&8

of customers find out about product through sales e3ecutives.=

!1 sales e3ecutives are not the most important source of information.



*able 7

+ome of the main criteria while choosin water purifier

+l.No Products No. of espondents

9 ?rice 9&&% iscount sell 9&&

@arious scheme DB

N +rand name D7

esponses do not add up to 9&&8 due to multiple responses

!raph 7

'HART SHOWNG /AN 'RTERA 'HOOSNG WATER PURFER

PR'E 100

DS'OUNT SE

100

BRAND NA/E 89

VAROUS S'HE/E

85

75 80 85 90 95 100 105

PR'E

DS'OUNT SE

VAROUS S'HE/E

BRAND NA/E

Inference2

5ll customers said that the main criterion for choosing a product was the

price of the product and the discounts being offered.

D78 of the customers felt that brand name was important while choosing the

product.DB8 said that their choice depended on the various schemes that were being

offered to the customers by the companies.

Indians are price sensitive. *herefore, purchasing decisions are mainly

driven by considerations of prices and discounts.



*able 9&

Preferences of schemes durin festi*al season.

Since all customers responded that they were looking out for the schemes

being offered by the company, they were asked if there was any strong

preference for any particular scheme being offered during the festival

seasons.

+l.No Products No. of espondents

9 iscount facility 9&&

% Installment facility 7

Credit facility 7

N on;t know> can;t say N7

!raph 9&

G&(P! +!"WING P&EFE&EN E+ "F +!E%E+ 4)&ING

FE+TI'(# +E(+"ND

1BB A9 A:

>A

B

0B

>B

9B

;B

1BB

10B

4iscount facilit, Ins tallment facilit, cre dit facilit, 4on/t knowH can/t sa,

'(&I")+ +!E%E+

P & E E N T ( G E

& E + P " N 4 E N T

Inference2

$ost of the customers believe that discount facility during festival season is

the best scheme. 5ll customers said that they would like to have discount

facilities offered to them during festival seasons. 78 and 78 of the



customers wanted credit facilities and installment facilities being offered

during festival seasons.

*able 99

ustomer knowlede about a sales promotion scheme

CompanyNo. of

Respondents'ure(a

)orbes

5


$esi"ine 03

+a,a, 02

Others 05

!raph 99

GRAPH SHOWS NO OF RESPONDENTS NOW ABOUT THE

'O/PAN S'HE/ES

65

45

12 103 2 5

0

20

40

60

80

100

E U R E 2 A

F O R B E S

2 E N S T A R

/ O N 0 B A

U S H A

R E S 0 1 0 N E

B A 3 A 3

O T H E R S

'O/PAN

N O

O F R E S P O N D E N T S



Inference2

$ore 5dvertisement needs to be done to inform the consumer about the

festival schemes or other sales promotion especially by the companies other

than 'ureka 1orbes and Kenstar.

*able 9%

ustomers/ purchase of the water purifier

CompanyNo. of

Respondents'ure(a

)orbes

44

*enstar 33%oniba Usha 7

$esi"ine 3+a,a, 4

Others 3

Total 100

!raph 9%



I zcali X zk &.&%BU9.7

@alue is significant enough to say that ho is acceptable.

Inference2

It is significant that 'ureka 1orbes controls B&8 of the market

*able 9

ustomers who bouht in festi*al +eason

+l.No

No. of

espondents

Percentae

"f respondents

$es No $es No

9 N7 B9 N7 B9



!raph 9

GRAPH SHOWS THAT 'USTO/ERS PUR'HASED THE PRODU'T N

FESTVA SEASON

49 51

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

ES NO

FESTVA SEASON

N O


Inference2

0nly N78 of the customer bought the product in festival season, which

means more advertisement is needed for festival schemes and still better

offers need to be devised by the companies to take advantage of the festive

season.

!,pothesis2



& B&8 of customers bought in the festive season <ho: pU&.B=

9 B&8 of customers have not bought in the festive season

5nalysis:

T U P V

/ P & > n P P >=9<&&

−

TU&.N7/&.&B> h<&.BW<&.B=>9&&=

TU/&.%



Inference2

It is significant that B&8 of customers bought in the festive season



!,pothesis2

& B&8 of customers buy through direct selling <ho: pU&.B=

9 B&8 of customers don not buy through direct selling

5nalysis:

T U P

V / P & > n P P >=9<

&& −

TU&.N9/&.B> h<&.BW<&.B=>9&&=

TU/9.D



Inference2

It is significant that B&8 of customers buy through direct selling



*herefore J

0

(#

M J

0

9 B.B6

*herefore @alue is significant enough to say that 9 is acceptable.

onclusion2

$ode of buying is influenced by the source of information

1rom the table it is clear that the sales e3ecutives; affect the buying

behaviour.

*able 9B

%ode of pa,ment

+l.Noustomer

Pa,ment %odeNo. of espondents

9 Cash

% Che#ue %

Installment 9N

N Credit card %

B Credit &

!raph 9B



'u($%)*+ /%.* %" Pa<)*&$

Cash

36%

Cheque

2%

!nstall"ent

14%

Credit card23%

Credit

0%

Inference2

8 of the customer purchased through cash and %8 purchased through

che#ue.

*able 9

ustomers/ opinion reardin the pricin of the water purifier.

+l.No Price Ta No. of espondents9 @ery high B7

% easonable N

Low

!raph 9



PE 'HART SHOWNG PR'E TAG OF WATER PURFER

VER HGH

59,

OW

7,

REASONABE34,

Inference2

N8 of the customers felt that the prices of the purifier were reasonable, 8

opined that the prices were lower as compared to the other similar products

available in the market. owever, B78 of the customers said that the prices

of water purifier were high. *his shows the price sensitivity of the customers

interviewed. ence cost cutting has to be thought of seriously by the

companies involved.



product. *his could result in good opinion to other prospective buyers

through word of mouth.

*able 9D

elationship with the compan, eecuti*es

+l.No +atisfaction No. of espondents

9 '3cellent &

% !ood 7

5verage 9N 1air &

B ?oor &

!raph 9D

GRAPH SHOWS @REATONSHP WTH 'O/PAN EE'UTVES@

0

39

61

0 0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

E'EENT GOOD AVERAGE FAR POOR

REATON SHP WTH EE'UTVES

N O O


Inference2



$a4ority of the customers interviewed rate the relationship as GaverageH.

Since direct sales are one of the most preferred modes of purchase, the

relationship needs to be improved.

*able 97

The effecti*eness of the competitors in ad*ertisin the products

CompanyNo. of

Respondents'ure(a

)orbes

100


$esi"ine 2

+a,a, 3

Others 0

!raph 97



GRAPH SHOWS @ADVERTSNG SUPPORT OF VAROUS

'O/PANES@

100

78

7 82 3

0

20

40

60

80

100

E U R E 2 A

F O R B E S

2 E N S T A R

/ O N 0 B A

U S H A

R E S 0 1 0 N E

B A 3 A 3

ADVERTSNG SUPPORT

N O

O F R E S P O N

D E N T S

Inference2

Kenstar is the main competitor for the market leader 'ureka 1orbes. but the

competition from the rest of companies seems to be non/e3istent.

*able %&

ustomers/ preferences of fre7uent *isits b, compan,/s sales personnel

+l.Noontact from

compan, personnelNo. of espondents

9 $onthly %

% Quarterly %%

alf yearly N7N Yearly %

!raph %&



2

22

4*

2

0

10

20

30

40

50

N % > % " R * ( - % & . *

+onthl% ,uarterl% -al& %earl% earl%

Inference2

N78 of the customers think that #uarterly visit by the sales personnel is

better, followed by %8 for yearly.

*able %9

+atisfaction with companies after sales ser*ice

+l.No

+atisfaction with companies

after sales ser*icesNo. of espondents

9 '3ceptionally satisfied &

% @ery much satisfied N

Satisfied 9

N issatisfied N

B @ery bad 9



!raph %9

0,

19,

55,

23,

3,

0,

20,

40,

60,

80,

100,

PER'ENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS

E ' E P T 0 O N A 1 1 4

S A T 0 S F 0 E D

V E R 4

/ U ' H

S A T 0 S F 0 E D

S A T 0 S F 0 E D

D 0 S S A T 0 S F 0 E D

V E R 4

B A D

SATSFA'TON EVES

GRAPH SHOWS SATSFED WTH AFTER SAES SERV'ES

Inference2

$ore than B&8 customers are satisfied with the product and after sales

service, followed by unsatisfied %8 of the customers. *here is still scope

for improvement in after sales service.

*able %%

The classification of the respondents based on the epected time within

which repair has to be done.

+l.No (ttendin repairsNo. of

espondents



9 %N hrs N&

% % hrs B

6eek 9

N 1ortnight 7

B $onth &

!raph %%

0

10

20

30

40

N % > %

"

R * ( - % & . * &

24 hrs 2 hrs /ee ortniht +onth

'a((!"!#a$!%& %" R*(-%&.*&$(

Inference2

In case of any problem in water purifier, ma4ority of the respondents i.e.

N&8 prefer to get the water purifier repaired within %N hrs. It is #uite

understood that customers always look for #uicker responses.

*able %

hanin of water filters which is prescribed b, the compan,

+l.Nohanin

"f

No. of espondents

$es No

9 %



Water filters

!raph %

23,

77,

0,

20,

40,

60,

80,

100,

PER'ENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS

ES NO

'HANGE OF WATER PURFER

GRAPH SHOWS @'HANGE OF THE WATER FTER@

Inference2

0nly %8 of the customers change the water filters as prescribed by the

company. ence customers need to be educated more about the importance

of changing the filters and the ill effects of not changing it.

*able %N

ustomers propose to chane the purifiers after



+l.No Propose to chane after No. of espondents

9 % years &

% years

B years 9

N 9& years B )ot re#uired &

!raph %N

GRAPH SHOWS @RESPONDENTS PROPOSE T O 'HANGE THE

WATER PURFER@

0 3

31

66

00

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2EAR 3EAR 5EAR 10EAR NOT REQURED

PROPOSE TO 'HANGE THE WATER PURFER

N O


Inference2

8 of the customers propose to change after 9& years and 98 customers

propose to change after B years. 6e can conclude that customers do not

prefer to change the water purifier early. *hey look at it as durable product.

*he more enduring the better.

*able %B



Post purchase beha*iour of customers

+l.No Post purchase eperienceNo. of

espondents

9 '3cellent % !ood DD

5verage

N 1air &

B ?oor &

!raph %B

GRAPH SHOWS @POST PUR'HASE EPEREN'E ABOUT T HE

WATER PURFER@

6

88

60 0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

E'EENT GOOD AVERAGE FAR POOR

POST PUR'HASE EPEREN'E ABOUT THE WATER PURFER

N O O


Inference2

$a4ority of the customers interviewed rate the purifier as GgoodH.

*his indicates that water purifier is performing well and getting good

response from the customers.



$ore than D&8 of customers were satisfied with overall performance of

water purifiers.

It was found that the company;s sales personnel meet the complaints

within %N rs. which is a challenging service.

Companies are adopting different modes of attraction

Companies should increase esearch and evelopment activities because

customers are looking for modern and latest technology and different

designs in the products.

$ore than 7&8 of the respondents feel that #uality of the product is

good.

$ore than N&8 of the respondents feel that overall performance of the

water purifier is very much satisfactory.

In purchase of a product or service, there are few influential people who

influence the buyers; decision making. *his #uestion helps us to find the

people who will influence the purchasing. It is clear from the table andgraph that 5dvertisement, iscount sale, direct sale etc. are the front/

runners in influencing the decision/making process.

$ore than DB8 of respondents were satisfied in their post purchase

behavior.

$ost of the respondents were available at different times due to their

busy work but they were helpful in the completion of my pro4ect in a

successful way

6.0 ecommendations



0nly 'ureka 1orbes is following direct sales as the best strategy for their

marketing. *his marketing strategy has been very effective but other

companies also need to follow and every company should concentrate

more on direct selling and dealership marketing which increases the

awareness and importance of water purification.

Indian customers generally make higher purchases during festival

seasonsE hence the companies should give package deal to increase the

sales.

Companies should consider manufacturing of water purifiers for lower

middle class families that is at a price which is affordable. 5mong all the promotion schemes, customers prefer discount scheme as

the most effective one so companies should offer the scheme at least once

in a year.

Companies should concentrate more on advertisement both through print

and electronic media which would help to increase awareness program on

health and hygiene.

*here should be periodic meeting with prospective customers, which

would help in customer loyalty.

*he company should go for promotional campaigns in schools, colleges,

hospitals, religious places, and meeting halls for creating positive

awareness of safe purified drinking water.

Companies should participate in social service and thereby gain publicity.

Sometimes it may be hard to believe the reasons the customer has given

for his satisfaction or dissatisfaction conditions. So companies may

conduct market research periodically at least once in si3 months.



Companies should participate in trade fairs and customer fairs doing

which will increase the sales and brand awareness among the mass which

definitely influences the buying of water purifiers.

Companies should think of marketing strategy for boosting e3port and

increase market share.

Customer must be communicated at every stage of sales encounter

because better communication gives better results

?rice of the water purifier is an important factor for the customer value

and also competition, organization has to impact necessary care to give

discounts and gain competitive advantage.

!iving the customers better financial options would increase the sales

Companies have not been into much of promotional activities, it is time

to promote in better manner to position itself in the minds of customers

Customer feedback and suggestions should be given first priority to

increase customer loyalty.

6.5 "N#)+I"N

1or a company to create a leadership atmosphere in a nation where

everyday a new competitor will come to light is a very difficult and

committed task.

6hen it comes to marketing strategy and brand awareness used by

'ureka 1orbes particularly towards the water purifier, it is very

effective and dependent on one source i.e., direct sales

)owadays dealership marketing is becoming more popular and less

risky as compared to the direct selling because in the latter the

company will take every risk to attract customers and to maintain the



good relationship and loyalty, but in case of dealership this

responsibility partly decentralizes among company and dealers.

Companies should also concentrate on dealership because it has to

send its product to such a place where direct selling is not possible

and direct control cannot be done. So it should concentrate on

different channels of marketing.

$any companies are still concentrating only on upper>upper middle

class but not on lower middle class which can provide a large market

if they have a water purifier within their reach.

In India the importance of purified water is not understood by the people e3cept educated society, so the companies should do

everything to fill up this information gap so that it can have a potential

market as well as a social satisfaction.

$ore concentration towards after sales service needs to be

implemented.

Still #uality has to be increased with 9&&8 safe and free to drink

water with 'conomical price.

An Analytical Study

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