"We'll build four manufacturing plants in India"

Srithai Superware Pcl, Thailand, the world's largest brand in melamineware, has ambitious plans for India. Chairman Sanan Angubolkul spoke to BT'S Shalini S. Dagar on his recent visit to India. Excerpts:

We plan to invest in four manufacturing plants across the country, each with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes. These should be operational in the next five years. The first plant will be operational by 2011. In the first year of operations, we intend to get to about one million households in India. We set up our sales office in India a few months ago.

The four facilities will generate direct employment for 2,000 people and will require an investment of $32 million. Each plant will require an initial investment of $8 million in manufacturing of moulds, raw materials and other things to achieve full business integration. With these plants, we will be able to cut lead time to make faster delivery.

Srithai has some 10,000 designs and 3,000 shapes in its portfolio. The organised tableware market in India, including glass and porcelain, is around Rs 1,200 crore. Of this, the share of 100 per cent melamine products is minuscule. With its premium brand Ektra, Srithai aims to capture a fifth of the market.