Eureka Forbes unveils "SPakle" for Indian homes

Chennai, Feb 20: Consumer major Eureka Forbes today unveiled a pioneering product "SPakle", a steam cleaner-cum-sanitizer, for Indian homes.

The Italian made SPakle, a joint development product of Eureka Forbes and Lux International AG Switzerland, would soon be launched in all metros in the country, Eureka Forbes Category Head (Cleaning Solutions) and Deputy General Manager (Marketing) Shashank Sinha told newspersons here today.

Describing the product as a 'new technological revolution in cleaning', he said the cleaning machine, priced at Rs 24,500 would soon be unveiled in Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkota, Delhi and Chandigarh.

After concentrating in the metros for the first six months, the company would enter Tier-II cities, before concentrating on hospitals and institutions with a large capacity.

Presently, SPakle would be imported from Italy and the company would set up an assembling plant in the country, by the end of this year, he said, adding, the unit would either be located in the city or in Nainital.

Mr Martin Jorgensen, the steam cleaner specialist from Lux International AG, who launched the product, claimed that the SPakle would replace all chemicals and detergents, saving a lot of money and giving a home that would be cleaner than ever before.

'You can clean almost everything in your home. It removes bacteria and make your home hygienic,' he claimed.

Eureka Forbes General Manager S Muralidharan claimed that the new product would change the future of cleaning and healthy living.

'No more buckets of water, no more mops, no more stain removers, no more detergents and no more disinfections. It cleans using very little water,' he claimed.

Mr Sinha said the company had posted a turnover of Rs 706 crore during 2005-06 and expected to close the current fiscal with a turnover of Rs 800 crore with the launch of SPakle.

He said the market size for domestic cleaners (branded) was estimated at Rs 180 crore, with Eureka enjoying 80 per cent of the market share.

The sector was growing at seven to ten per cent rate a year and Eureka enjoyed a lion's share in the growth, he added.

UNI