Chennai Industrial and automotive battery major, Amara Raja Batteries (ARBL) has launched a new retail concept — Powerzone — for the rural market. The idea is to cater to the growing need for better technology, at affordable price, in the rural market. The company inaugurated the first franchisee Powerzone store at Chengalpattu, near Chennai. Through the Powerzone retail chain, ARBL will sell a special economy range of `Powerzone' automotive batteries, invertors, batteries for home UPS and so on.

This initiative is to take on the company in to unorganised sector in the rural market. The new Powerzone range of batteries is designed to offer `value for money' in the low-end segment. These outlets will also sell other "electrical appliances" sourced from other manufacturers under the brand Powerzone. ARBL plans to open at least 50 Powerzone stores by the end of this month and aims at 500 stores across the country by the end of the year. The target of the company is to have at least one outlet in every taluk in India in the next two years.