In this age of specialisation, what prompted you to diversify?
We are known for our metal (MS) kitchens. However, in order to enhance our market share, we decided to diversify in to wood-based kitchens as well. We have gradually started shifting our focus so as to position ourselves as the large integrator. In short, we are expanding our manufacturing base and trying to come up with greater options for our customers. We are developing a group of specialised OEMs according to their respective USPs for different kitchen components (such as:shutters, carcasses, worktops, etc.) thereby enhancing our offerings with myriad options. For kitchens, the options will vary from among the available materials like metal, wood-composite panels, particle boards, ply wood, etc. With all this and many more to come, we look forward to cater to a comparatively larger base of customers in near future.
Who are your customers when it comes to metal kitchens?
We have four categories of customers for our metal kitchens. The first category doesn't actually like wood or wood-based kitchen just because they want to do away with the termite and moth problems. The second category comprises a class of customers that prefers long lasting products (metal carcasses/cabinets) cudd- led with aesthetics (wood-based shutters). The third category is of those customers who prefer to have products with extreme durability to withstand rough usage. And the last category consists of those customers who want to shift from wood to metal but need a valid reason to do so.
Which segment of the economy are you targeting?
For our kitchens, we are targeting the bottom of the pyramid wherein we are offering kitchens at a price range varying from Rs.1.25 lakh to Rs.10 lakh, which is affordable to middle and lower middle class. For appliances, we are currently associated with one of the biggest real estate companies to whom we are supplying our built-in appliances for 2000 kitchens for their Gurgaon-based project.
What steps are you taking for enhancing the brand visibility?
We have already set up six exclusive showrooms – four in Delhi and two in the NCR – all these showrooms are dealer-owned. We are trying to come up with more such and bigger showrooms in near future.Our biggest showroom will soon be opening in Faridabad. Floored over 2,000 square feet of space, it will be displaying 7-8 kitchens.
Where is your manufacturing facility? And what is its current capacity?
We have our facility in Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) with a capacity to produce approximately 5,000 metal carcasses in a month. For other materials, we already have tied up many specialised vendors. We have recently set up a warehouse at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan with over 20,000 square feet of space to accommodate most of the ready-to-assemble components to smoothen the supply-chain and more so to avoid any delay in delivery. We will be using this warehouse as the central integration centre. Meanwhile, the diversification has allowed us to offer myriad options within the wood-based kitchens in the forms of acrylic, high gloss and various other finishes and colours.
What is the current market state for modular kitchens? Which regions are showing you the potential?
The market is widely untapped for the kind of products we are dealing in. Almost all the customers are first time buyers of this product called modular kitchen. It is yet to be accepted as the part and parcel of the contemporary dwelling systems. In fact, we are imitating the concept from the West with whom our culture doesn't really match on many fronts – be it living style, eating or cooking habits. No doubt that the concept is picking up gradually, but will take some more time to gain popularity among the masses. This is allowing more players to creep in and try their luck. Players with patience and greater convincing power will succeed. As of now, the market is perfectly competitive and allows free entry for each newcomer willing to take away his share of the pie.
We are concentrating on the Delhi-NCR but we do have a market for our metal kitchens in other parts of the northern region as well. We are also present in Southern and Eastern part of the country. The trend of nuclear family will further push the concept. We are currently selling 150 kitchens a month.
How do you assess the future of modular kitchens in India?
The future holds the opportunities in abundance. The need is to identify them and develop products that can perfectly suit the specific requirement. At a time when apartment-based housing system is giving unified exterior appearance to all the residents of a multi-storey building, the interior is going to play a vital role. Going forward, we are very much sure that this relatively new concept will surely provide the much needed visibility to the country's interior designers' community.
As a manufacturer, how are you helping Interior Designers to gain recognition?
At CATA, we have started a club named Primero Clientes Club. Through this, we are trying to associate with the interior designers' fraternity. It is a kind of community development programme wherein we are currently registering them so as to keep them informed about any new product launch and its specifications. Under this programme, we are promoting the internationally accepted standard dimensions of appliances that we supply to our Indian customers. We also share with them any latest in terms of kitchen designing tips. This is a kind of promotional tool wherein the designers' fraternity, if convinced with our designs, recommend our brands in many of their reputed projects.
