Flipkart aims to net a fifth of overall TV sales in next 18 months

India's largest online marketplace Flipkart has planned several measures to ensure it nets at least a fifth of the overall TV sales, both offline and online in the next 18 months, The Economic Times reported.

Flipkart expects a quarter of all televisions sold in the country to be retailed online.

The online retailer aims to accomplish the goal through exclusive tie-ups with large brands, easy loans for consumers and improved after sales service for installation of these appliances through its after-sales unit Jeeves Consumer Services.

Televisions are expected to contribute the most to the growth of the large appliances category, which also includes air conditioners, refrigerators and microwaves.

"A consumer who buys an appliance will trust the platform to buy everything from grocery to fashion. So this category is not only important from the units sold or GMV, but also customer trust," said Sandeep Karwa, head of large appliances, ET reported.

According to estimates of research firm, Counterpoint Research, Flipkart accounted for about half of the nearly about 31 million smartphones sold online  in India during 2015.

Meanwhile, customers who faced technical issues with their newly purchased smartphone from Flipkart can now expect to have them addressed by an engineer, who would visit their home.

The programme, launched in March, is aimed at cutting down the number of return requests by customers after a purchase. According to the company it had been successful in meeting that objective.

"Often buyers return the phone because of issues like the phone getting heated up or the battery draining out fast. In many cases, the problem is not with the handset, but with the way the customer is using the phone. We realized we need to educate the customer about their smartphones," said Sachin Kotangale, head of customer operations in Flipkart.