The two-phase programme would raise the total investment of the chabeol to about $290 million that would help make India an export base for the region.

Under the first phase of $100 million investment programme, the company has already put in $60 million for setting up production facilities for its range of televisions, washing machines and airconditioners, top company officials told visiting journalists from India.

As part of the programme, LG Electronics will soon invest at least $15 million to set up production facilities for fully automatic washing machines and refrigerators at its Greater Noida plant near New Delhi, said LG Electronics' senior vice-president Young Soo Kim.

At the end of the first phase of investment, the company would have annual production capacity for seven lakhcolour television sets, four lakh refrigerators, one lakh washing machines and five lakh microwave ovens.

The Greater Noida facility commenced production in April last and has been catering to Indian market since then. The company had reported a turnover of Rs 580 crore in the last 20 months of its existence in India.

During the second phase of investment beginning 2002, the company would set up in-house research and development (R&D) and HRD centres to train employees from India, south-east Asia and north Africa.

Kim said a task force that visited India had reported to the company headquarters last week that the company should set up production facilities for frost-free refrigerators and fully automatic washing machines in India considering the growth of the market. A final decision, however, is awaited.

The company would also produce ceiling and ductable airconditioners soon from India. "By selling 17,000 airconditioners during the first four months of the year, LG has become the second largestcomany in the sector," an LG official said.

Presenting marketing statistics, company officials claimed that it had overtaken Samsung and has become the top multinational company in consumer electronics in India and among the first three companies in the industry.

LG would spend $3 million for World Cup cricket sponsorship, Kim said, adding, brand awareness of its television sets would go up by 90 per cent after the event.

LG currently has a market share in India of 37 per cent in frost-free refrigerators, 15 per cent in semi-automatic washing machines, 35 per cent in fully automatic washing machines, 17 per cent in microwave owens, 13 per cent in airconditioners and 6.5 per cent in colour television sets.