Low-key heroes of the lockdown - Dishwashers!

• As the lockdown turned many of us into overnight chefs, the only thing to bring our spirits down would be the mounting pile of unwashed dishes in the kitchen.
• However, dishwashers became the heroes of the lockdown, writes Neeraj Bahl, MD & CEO, BSH Home Appliances.
• Despite the category adoption and awareness still being at a nascent stage in India, the lockdown led to more and more people realising the need for the product.

We are living in extraordinary times. To contain the spread of Covid-19 the Government has made #SocialDistancing the mantra in the new normal. Restricted to their homes, consumers are adapting to the 'new normal' by making use of appliances to support them in their daily chores. As the fear of the novel Coronavirus continues, the importance of basic hygiene has become of paramount.

Covid-19 has changed many things both in the external world as well as dynamics at home. Once considered a luxury appliance, today dishwasher has become an essential product in many urban households across India. Over the last couple of months, demand for dishwashers has seen an exponential growth with increased need for convenience and trust on hygiene. According to an industry report, the demand for dishwashers has jumped by 70-80 per cent this year (2020) with searches on Google Trends also indicating the increased interest in the term 'dishwasher' between April and June.

Amidst the pandemic a lot of us have become chefs overnight, but with great cooking comes great cleaning. Dishwashers can be best friends to all the new chefs in town. A dishwasher is an ideal kitchen appliance for all modern Indian households, especially it’s a champion when it comes to taking care of Indian curry/milk/tea/coffee stains or Indian utensils like pressure cooker/kadai etc. As people grapple with their busy lives juggling professional and house commitments, appliances like dishwashers can bring significant ease and comfort while removing the stress associated with rising pile of dishes.

Maintaining high level of hygiene, Bosch Dishwashers uses water at 70 degree Celsius ensuring 99% germ-free utensils making the wash more hygienic and precise. It also uses up to 85% less water and saving about 1200 litres of water per year, as compared to hand washing making dishwashers a compelling alternative amidst rising water crisis.

While the category has seen unprecedented growth in the recent months, the dishwasher category is still at a nascent stage in term of consumer awareness and adoption. Amidst heightened need for personal hygiene and convenience as an outcome of COVID-19, has accelerated the category giving aspirational customers an opportunity to live a hassle-free lifestyle.

In the Indian context, dishwashers have always presented a significant opportunity with the potential of revolutionizing homes like washing machines did a couple of decades back. With the onset of the pandemic, dishwasher category already seen an upward trend with users realizing the varied benefits of the product. It is safe to say that the sales of dishwashers have finally taken off making them the low-key heroes of the lockdown!