The country’s ceramic and vitrified tiles major Kajaria Ceramics Ltd – which forayed into the bathroom space in 2014 by rolling out sanitaryware and faucets under the Kerovit brand – has completed the bath solutions track by unveiling a range of vanities, counter tops and water closet. Besides, it has ramped up its faucets portfolio by launching a new series ‘Joy’. The company’s associate vice president for bathware business Dhirendra Joshi spoke to SH on diverse issues including consumer behaviour, manufacturing, and channel partner support.

By Mrinmoy Bhattacharjee

Consumer Behaviour: Opportunities Galore
The changing behaviour of the consumer led us to foray into the bathroom space. The Indian consumer is far better informed, and is inspired by changing trends of home décor. The domestic Indian bathware industry has seen an intense shift in the preferences of people, from the conventional taps to modern and high quality faucets and sanitaryware. Kajaria, being a major in tiles and keeping the behavioural shift in mind, has a vision to empower consumers in achieving aesthetic benefits from products for home modernisation.

Made in India: Building Manufacturing Muscle
Kerovit faucets are made in India. They’re brought out from our state-of-the-art plant commissioned at Gailpur, Rajasthan in 2015. Our plant is spread over 21,5200sft, and has a capacity of one million pieces a year. Our faucets are manufactured with a solid metal that provides great strength, durability and higher quality of finish. These faucets are chrome-plated with perfection to withstand years of use, and are 100% tested against dripping and leaking.

Kerovit sanitaryware was launched in 2014. These sanitaryware products are manufactured at a facility in Morbi, Gujarat. The plant has an annual capacity of 7,00,000 pieces. Our sanitaryware is made with the finest of clay, added with silica. The plant maintains international standards of manufacturing processes in mould making and glazing pressure die-casting.

USP: ‘Definitive’ Products
Kerovit boasts of an exhaustive range of bathroom products. A definitive expression of contemporary design, our faucets assert themselves with refined angles and strong architectural lines. They are focused on design artistry and innovation, to match individual tastes and décor of bathrooms. Our sanitaryware products are made with utmost precision and bring wellness into homes with great style and panache. With an assured warranty of up to 10 years, Kerovit offers an array of products which are suitable for modern living spaces. It focuses on quality, aesthetics and higher performance in terms of longevity, smooth operation, maximum energy saving, maximum water saving, stain resistance, bacteria resistance, water flow control, and so on.

Positioning: Playing Budget & Premium Game
We are focusing on the premium and budget segments. Kerovit aims to reach the last consumer. India’s changing demographics has led to increased home ownership among a substantial population in the age group of 25-40 years. Their aspiration for owning a dream home, be it a villa or small house, inspires us to contribute to their success. Therefore, we have products in both premium and budget segments.

Supporting Backbone: Channel Partners
Kerovit’s dealer network is mushrooming gradually. Currently, we have more than 900 dealer showrooms across India. And we’re still counting. We are fully focused not only on the company’s future, but also in channel partners’ development. The company is firm on its policies and schemes that offer clear, sustainable benefits. We also organise timely factory visits, channel partner meets, and provide strong logistics and communication to be able to form a thick bond with our partners.

Revving up Revenue
In the last financial year, we recorded Rs 130 crore. Having provided best-in-quality products and services to customers, we aspire to record Rs 200 crore this year.