Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Nov 2: Adding a distinctive touch of Kannada pride to its iconic watch collection, Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) Limited unveiled four new series of ‘HMT Kannadiga’ watches at a special event held at HMT Grounds in Jalahalli on Sunday, marking Kannada Rajyotsava.
Union steel and heavy industries minister H D Kumaraswamy launched the specially designed watches that are intended to celebrate Karnataka's language, culture and identity.
Priced between Rs 3,500 and Rs 4,500, the new collection is expected to be available across HMT watch showrooms.
The minister described the watches as products offering international standards of quality at affordable prices. "These are top-class watches of international standard quality at affordable prices," he said.
The launch programme also featured a musical evening by renowned music director Arjun Janya.
The latest collection follows the overwhelming response to HMT's special Independence Day watch collection launched in August this year. The company's six limited-edition models, priced between Rs 2,000 and Rs 10,000, were sold out in a single day in Bengaluru, generating sales of more than Rs 35 lac.
HMT chairman and managing director N Ramesh Kumar had confirmed that all 1,750 watches manufactured for the special collection had been sold out. Thousands of customers had queued outside the company's three Bengaluru outlets, with the queue at one point stretching more than 2.5 km, according to Kumaraswamy.
"The affection and goodwill that people continue to have for HMT is deeply encouraging. In particular, young people are showing tremendous enthusiasm for HMT watches," the minister had said.
Kumaraswamy had also described the response as an encouraging sign for the government's efforts to revive the public sector watchmaker, which once enjoyed an iconic place in India's watch industry.
The minister had said the Centre was working towards reviving HMT's manufacturing operations, adding that a high-level committee headed by former NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat had examined the company's revival prospects and submitted its recommendations.
The latest Kannadiga collection marks another effort by HMT to reconnect with customers by combining its heritage with Karnataka's cultural identity.