Festive season sales: ACs, TVs, appliances to get costlier by up to 8% from October 1

Soaring metal prices, fluctuating currencies, and geopolitical turmoil in West Asia are coming together to deliver a festive blow to Indian consumers. Leading home appliance and consumer electronics manufacturers are set to hike prices of air conditioners, LED TVs, and washing machines starting October 1.

The move marks the industry’s third round of price increases in 2026, driven by an unavoidable surge in the costs of key raw materials like copper, steel, aluminium, and crude oil derivatives alongside escalating freight charges, according to a report by PTI.

While air-conditioner prices will witness an immediate 5-8% jump, several manufacturers are also pushing up rates for washing machines, refrigerators, and LED TVs by 3-4%. Others are currently assessing the situation to gauge the total impact.

Pre-buying schemes in August and September mean channel inventory procured at older rates should keep retail prices stable through Diwali, with new tags taking full effect post-festivities.

Major market players including Blue Star, Godrej Appliance, Haier, Daikin, and Super Plastronics (SPPL) have either confirmed or already executed price adjustments ranging from 4-10%, as per the PTI report. Industry sources also indicate that LG and Bosch Home Comfort (Hitachi) have raised AC prices by approximately 5%. Panasonic, on the other hand, is evaluating conditions before taking a call, the report added.

Blue Star MD B Thiagarajan pointed out that prices of ACs and deep freezers have already climbed 5-8%. "All the commodity prices have been going up because of the war. Copper, steel and plastics have all become costlier," he told PTI, noting that while costs are up roughly 15% compared to last year's festive period, GST benefits of around 10% will reduce the net impact on buyers to about 5%.

Godrej Enterprises Group Business Head and Executive Vice President (Appliances Business) Kamal Nandi labelled another round of price hikes "inevitable" after input costs rose 8 to 10 % since the last update. "Price hikes of 5-7% across categories will happen. The timing may differ from brand to brand, with some implementing it from October and others from November, but it has to happen," Nandi told PTI. He added, "Diwali should largely get covered with old-price inventory. Post-Diwali, the new prices will certainly take effect."

Haier India President NS Satish echoed the sentiment regarding margin pressures. He detailed plans for a 5% increase on room air conditioners from October 1, alongside a 2-3% hike on LED TVs and washing machines, culminating in an overall 15% increase by January. Highlighting the critical role of copper in AC manufacturing, Satish told PTI that copper prices climbed from $8,000-9,000 per metric ton last year to $14,500, with an individual unit requiring 3-4 kg of the metal.

Daikin Airconditioning India CMD Kanwaljeet Jawa, whose firm initiated an 8-10% price raise on September 16, emphasised the broader economic strains. "Copper prices have gone up by almost 25-35%. Companies are under tremendous pressure," Jawa said.

SPPL, which manufactures Thomson, Kodak and Blaupunkt televisions in India, is targeting a 7% rise on TVs post-October, having already bumped appliance pricing up by 4-5%.

Panasonic Life Solutions India Head of Product Marketing and Planning (AC category) Abhishek Verma noted that the firm is treading carefully. "The industry continues to witness unprecedented cost pressures and we are evaluating the situation carefully," Verma said.

With the extended festive stretch from Onam through Dussehra and Diwali traditionally accounting for 30 to 40 % of annual appliance sales, manufacturers face a delicate balancing act between managing soaring input costs and sustaining consumer demand.