MUMBAI, May 15 -- India's consumer durables makers have begun the current fiscal with cautious optimism, betting on a stronger summer and early demand recovery after a bruising FY26 marked by erratic weather, raw material inflation, supply-chain disruptions and weak operating leverage.

"We remain cautiously optimistic about the prospects for FY27," Nikhil Sohoni, chief financial officer, Blue Star Ltd, said during the company's Q4 earnings call, while cautioning that rising input costs and volatile exchange rates would make managing margins challenging.

Expectations of a stronger summer have lifted sentiment, helped by a weak FY26 base and demand strength in March-May. March was one of Voltas's highest-ever sales months, while April and...