Bloodbath In White Goods Rising input costs, overcapacity, slow growth, and huge losses plague the country's Rs 5,000-crore white-goods industry. Is there a way out?

From the smiles on the faces of pretty women who invariably starin advertisements for refrigerators, washing machines and microwaveovens, it would seem that all is well in the Rs 5,000-crore whitegoods industry. Scratch a little, though, and the happy veneer willscrape off to reveal a painful, tearful reality. Overcapacity rules,slashing prices to the bone is the norm and without adequate salesvolumes to compensate, bottom lines across the board are a deep shadeof red. Pushed to the wall, the tenure of senior managers in the'durable' industry is now counted in months, not years. So much sothat Swedish white goods giant, Electrolux AB is reported to havegiven up on India and is …