India gets washing machine with 'curry' button

Panasonic says it introduced the button after its customers in India struggled to get the food off their clothes

Panasonic has launched a special washing machine in India with a mode to remove curry stains.

The Japanese firm said the introduction of a 'curry' button followed multiple complaints from its customers in India who were struggling to fully get the food off their clothes.



It said development took two years, testing combinations of water temperature and water flow.  Panasonic researchers had to examine the basic ingredients of a typical Indian curry dish as part of the machine’s development, the company said. They later calculated the optimum time and water temperature needed to get rid of the food stains.

The washing machine comes with five additional cycles, designed exclusively for Indian consumers, including one to remove hair oil traces.



Some 5,000 washing machines with a curry button have been sold so far, with a target to sell at least 30,000 by March next year.

Panasonic entered the Indian market in 1990, first producing rice cookers and then expanding its line to also manufacture air conditioners.

The electronics giant hopes its India-focussed machine will help it challenge other South Korean manufacturers dominating the sector.

Panasonic said it was also planning to create similar washing machines for other Asian markets, tackling stains specific to those countries.

This article originally appeared on BBC.