Chapter 256 Everyone can afford it
In September, the monsoon season in Mumbai finally ended. The whole city seemed to have taken a bath, and the air suddenly became fresh and sweet.
The trees, bushes, and grass released fragrance, and long earthworms poked their heads out of the soft soil.
People in Mumbai opened their windows, letting the rain-washed air flow into their homes for a good night's sleep.
Housewives and children leaning on the windows, or men standing on the balcony smoking and relaxing, suddenly found that the whole city was dressed in new clothes.
There are giant posters erected in every landmark building and every commercial plaza.
They are affixed to the glass facades of buildings or on top of shopping mall entrances.
The content on the poster is very simple, a TV, a beautiful and trendy TV.
There is a huge slogan on the side: Soul, a TV that everyone can afford.
Where the price should have been written, there were three question marks instead.
Huh? This unconventional advertisement immediately piqued people’s curiosity.
A TV that everyone can afford? Interesting.
In Mumbai, who doesn’t want to have their own TV?
Since 1992, when the media industry was liberalized, there have been more than a dozen private television stations of all sizes in Mumbai.
From news and politics to strange stories, it covers everything.
As a private TV station, their content is more eye-catching and bold than official stations like All India.
Some exciting programs are broadcast late at night, and no man can resist such content.
Housewives also like to watch TV. Most of them do not work and can only stay at home.
Cleaning, cooking and taking care of children only take up a small half of the day, and they do nothing for most of the rest of the day.
The only entertainment suitable for home is television.
However, televisions are too expensive, often costing tens of thousands of rupees, which is unaffordable for ordinary middle-class families.
Sometimes you may not even be able to buy what you want, and the fluctuating production of local brands is hard to understand.
Now the advertisement of Sur Electric Appliances is here, and it has captured people's hearts as soon as it appears.
How cheap would that be if everyone could afford it?
At least it should be lower than the market price, 7,000 rupees?
It is still a bit expensive, Onida and Videocon are priced around 8,000.
Since Sur Electric dares to say this, the price must be eye-popping.
Six thousand? This price is indeed a bit exciting.
The men smoking on the balcony began discussing with their neighbors the possibility of selling the Sur TV for Rs 6,000.
Some people think it is difficult because India’s high tariffs are a stumbling block, otherwise the other two companies would not have held back on price cuts for several consecutive years.
Some people think that 6,000 rupees is very possible. Sur’s fans are cheaper than other brands, so why not televisions?
However, as they talked, they became less confident again, especially after seeing the posters outside the window.
Look at that TV, how beautiful it is.
The black shape is so profound that it makes people fascinated, and the silver frame extends to both sides in a smooth arc, which is elegant and luxurious.
This is obviously a high-end product, how could it be sold for 6,000 rupees?
It’s no wonder people think this way, because local TVs are so bad.
Can you imagine? I spent 8,000 rupees to buy a TV set with a wooden casing!
Yes, that's right, purely handmade.
In order to save costs, the two local manufacturers came up with the idea of using a wooden shell.
The Indian subcontinent has a hot climate and is particularly lush with vegetation, so it has no shortage of resources such as timber.
There is also no shortage of extremely cheap labor. The wooden casing of the TV is made by them by hand.
The shape doesn't need to be elaborate, as long as it's generally acceptable. Cut the wood, sand the edges, and paint it, and you're done.
Plastic is very expensive, several times more expensive than wood. Injection molding machines for processing plastic are even more expensive, starting at 2 million rupees.
Local manufacturers are already paying high prices to import parts, so of course they want to save as much as possible at this time.
It was this kind of wooden, cheap, crude TV that sold for 8,000 rupees.
How much does that black crystal-like TV from Sur Electric cost?
Six thousand was a bit too radical, but the words “affordable for everyone” kept flashing before everyone’s eyes.
The price that is questioned is even more puzzling.
People were so curious that they were discussing it even while commuting to work on the city train.
As a result, when they were on the train and in the office, the newspapers they received contained advertisements for Sur TV.
The front page headlines have content similar to the posters outside, but provide more information.
"A TV that everyone can afford, the price will be revealed in a week."
Almost all the major newspapers in India and local newspapers in several big cities are filled with this advertisement for Soul Electric.
The saturation bombardment immediately made Sur TV a hot topic of discussion.
No one has ever seen this kind of novel advertising and marketing. Whether it is "everyone can afford it" or the suspenseful price, it has attracted everyone's attention.
Traditional Indian advertisements try to put prices right in the faces of viewers, but Sur Electric Appliances does the opposite.
People's thoughts are always strange. The less you say, the more curious they will be.
This topic has become a hot topic among people after dinner and has unknowingly turned into a social hot spot.
Ashish admired his boss's intelligence very much. As soon as he left the house in the morning, people came up to him and asked how much the televisions in the factory sold for.
Although Kama Compound is designated as a slum, most of the people living here are workers from Sur Electric Appliances.
With their two months' salary combined, they are fully capable of purchasing high-end products like televisions.
There is water and electricity in the building, and the family has beds to sleep in, no longer having to sleep on the floor. This kind of life is very close to the legendary middle class.
Now all you need is a TV, which will prove that you have joined the middle class.
The Taj Mahal is the stepping stone for those who strive for self-improvement, and the Sur TV is the symbol of a middle-class family.
Everyone was eager to make a move, but Ashish kept his mouth shut.
This is Suer Electric's trade secret, how can it be leaked so easily?
According to the strategy formulated by Ron, the news should not be released until the last day of this week, by which time the word of mouth will have almost completely fermented.
After making a few perfunctory remarks, Ashish hurriedly left the Kama compound.
Today was his day off, so he didn't have to go to work. He was going to Mira Road, where the house had been renovated.
The apartment was a bit far from Kama Court, so he had to take the city train. The station advertisement was for migrant workers desperate to escape Mumbai: "Looking for a job overseas? Just look in the XX newspaper."
Station advertisements are also for urban people who yearn to return to the countryside. Most of them are framed in glass frames and hung on the wall, next to stray dogs napping in the alcoves.
"Ankor Farm in Tukash village (farmhouse for sale) has 20 mango trees, 10 cashew trees, and 10 other fruit trees (a total of 40 trees), and is being sold for only 20 rupees per square meter."
People come and go in a hurry in the morning and leave in a hurry at night. They glance at the advertisements in the station and imagine that they have just silently endured the boss's arrogance and just gritted their teeth to endure the crowded train carriage on the way back.
They kept telling themselves: There would be a small village, and in the village there would be a small house, surrounded by densely populated fruit trees, with branches bent by the heavy fruits, waiting for people to pick them. The orchard would be peaceful and tranquil, just like the childhood they spent on their grandmother's farm.
Ashish used to have such fantasies, but not now, as he has reached a higher level.
Whether you can live comfortably in this city depends entirely on whether you have money.
If you have money, you don’t need to work overseas or go to the countryside to enjoy a pastoral life. Mumbai has everything you want.
Of course, most of the city’s residents are ordinary people who hope to buy the most cost-effective goods with the least money.
Like the huge poster in the station square, the poster of Sur TV.
Everyone can afford it, what a kind word.
Three beautiful office ladies were pointing at the poster in English, seemingly commenting on the stylish appearance of the TV.
A middle-aged man with thinning hair also tilted his head back without blinking.
The child grabbed his mother's hand and refused to move from under the poster, crying and demanding to take the big toy home.
The young man with earrings also looked fascinated. He really liked the program on a private channel, but he could only squeeze into a roadside shop to watch it.
Ashish smiled, he heard the call of longing, the whole city was whispering.
There were also advertisements for Sur TV in the carriages, and the passengers, squeezed so tightly that they couldn't move, could only stare at the advertisements and kill time.
Maybe you don't take it seriously at first, but as long as it appears in front of you long enough, you will eventually take it seriously.
Ashish sighed with satisfaction. His emotional value today had been maximized.
The new home on Mira Road, like the apartment where Lazhu lived, was very Western-style.
The nearby developers may want to create a European atmosphere, so they gave it a European name, even if it was spelled wrong.
For example, Tanwar Highland should actually be "Tanwar Highlands", and Chandreshmean should probably correspond to "Chandresh Coast".
But they were built after all, with hundreds of buildings scattered everywhere, while some were left unfinished, waiting for housing prices to soar one day before construction could resume.
The seemingly magnificent appearance of the community buildings gives residents the illusion of luxury and being in a foreign country. The exotic atmosphere they imagine must be "luxurious".
Ordinary people in Mumbai can do without continuous electricity, 24/7 running water, or wide, smooth roads, but they cannot lose their dignity or face.
Ashish took a good look at this unique European-style community before preparing to walk through the gate.
But someone stopped him, a neighbor who lived in the same unit as him and specialized in dealer business.
"Dude, everyone's talking about your TVs. So what's the price? I'm going to buy a bunch."
"Don't you sell perfume?" Ashish asked curiously.
"I don't decide what to sell. It depends on what the market needs. Just tell me if this is viable. I'm ready to go big."
"All I can say is that it's unique and it will cause a major earthquake."
"Really?" The man's eyes lit up.
"We'll start accepting orders tomorrow. Don't blame me for not reminding you."
Ashish is confident that Sur TV sets will be on sale soon.
They have been stocking up on goods for a month, with two production lines running day and night.
(End of this chapter)
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