Panasonic Corp is aiming to grow 30 percent in washing machines sales in fiscal 2012 from 2009 standards by expanding its product line-up priced for middle-income households in emerging markets, the Nikkei said.

The company targets sales of 5.3 million units in the year ending March 2013, the paper said.

In China, the company introduced a vertical washing machine in April priced at less than 1,500 yuan ($225.4), or around 20,000 yen ($238.5). Most of its machines in the past have been high-end models priced from 1,500-2,000 yuan, the business daily said.

But models priced at less than 1,500 yuan account for 40 percent of the demand and the company aims to boost its market share in the lower price range to 8 percent in 2012 from 2 percent in 2009, the Nikkei said.

In India, Panasonic will begin operating a washing machine plant by producing 100,000 units a year from August 2012 and in Brazil, the company will begin producing 200,000 machines per year from March 2013, the paper said.

Panasonic is looking at 13 countries as priority markets for white appliances, including Vietnam, Mexico and Indonesia as well as the BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China, the Nikkei said. (Reuters)