EMIs fuel festive electronics buying as repair costs raise the stakes for consumers
OneAssist co-founder Subrat Pani says 60%–70% of high-value durables are being bought on EMI this festive season. Repair bills can reach nearly half a product’s original value, creating an opening for purchase-time protection plans.
The development
OneAssist co-founder Subrat Pani said between 60 per cent and 70 per cent of high-value durables this festive season are bought on EMI. Repair bills can reach nearly half a product’s original value, and OneAssist promotes protection plans at purchase.
The numbers
- 60 per cent
- 70 per cent
- nearly half
- millions
- Tier II
- Tier III
Why it matters to operators and investors
Explore partnerships with retailers, lenders, and repair networks to embed protection plans in financed durable purchases.
What to watch next
- Festive-season disclosures of EMI share and protection-plan attachment rates from large retailers and e-commerce platforms.
- Changes in no-cost EMI availability, lender offers, consumer durable financing approvals or delinquency indicators.
- Plan pricing, coverage terms and bundling changes from retailers, OEMs, insurers and service providers.
- Customer reviews and complaint trends involving claim rejection, repair delays, exclusions and refund handling.
- Reported repair costs and protection-plan claims ratios for major durable categories.
- Track protection-plan attachment rates by product category, ticket size, sales channel and EMI usage rather than relying on overall plan sales.
- Test transparent checkout offers showing the plan price, covered failures, exclusions, repair turnaround and claim process before purchase.
- Compare the total monthly EMI-plus-protection cost with the cash price to identify whether the bundle expands demand or merely adds friction.
- Monitor claim frequency, approval rates, repair costs and customer satisfaction to assess whether growth is profitable and sustainable.
- Prepare distinct offers for premium phones, televisions and appliances, where repair economics and consumer replacement decisions differ.
The counter-case
The 60%–70% EMI figure comes from a protection-plan provider’s co-founder, with no sample, category breakdown, or comparison to prior years. It shows how purchases are financed, not that EMI is causing more purchases. Repair costs approaching half of original value may describe costly cases rather than typical bills, and do not establish that protection plans are worthwhile.