A formal announcement is expected to be made shortly about which segment of air conditioners the joint venture will target. The ETA group is reported to have investments in educational institutions, car dealerships and a host of other businesses totalling more than Rs 120 crore. The air-conditioners are to be sold in the `O General' brand name. Initially, the products will be assembled, for which operations would start in March. The products to be introduced will be in the windows and split air-conditioning segment.

ETA already has a plant in Pondicherry which is making components for central airconditioning systems like air handling units, chillers, fan coils. This facility would be initially utilised to assemble O General air conditioners.However there would be a separate unit set up in December 2000. If plans go on stream then Fujitsu would be the fourth Japanese entrant into India in the airconditioning segment. The other entrant in the south is Matsushita which had recently invested Rs 60 crore to put up an air conditioner plant near Chennai.