India Kitchen Congress keeps getting better as it matures, and this year was no different.
India’s longest running conference for the modular kitchen and cabinetry industry – India Kitchen Congress – returned to physical form, becoming the first instance after Covid when over 200 industry professionals met face to face. The objective of the conference – presenting strategies for modular kitchen and cabinetry business – was strong enough for them to come to a common place where they could learn from achievers, share their concerns and offer solutions, listen to innovators and disruptors, and gain insights from ground-breaking research.
The other high point of the daylong event was the composition of the audience. The delegates in the hall represented 114 organisations. Of these 54 (47 per cent) were into manufacturing and retail of kitchens, wardrobes, and other cabinet furniture, with most of India’s top brands present; 20 (18 per cent) were component suppliers (panel materials, finishes, appliances, furniture components, hardware, sinks, faucets, etc); 15 (13 per cent) were business and design consultancy firms, while the rest were in the business of equipment, installation services, software, and retail and distribution. It’s not difficult to imagine the quality of dialogue and networking amidst such a powered audience during the presentations, at lunch, and over tea breaks.
No business conference is worthwhile if it does not offer some great knowledge or insight to take back home and implement right away. India Kitchen Congress 2023 did just that with its panel of speakers, who were some of the finest minds in the business. They were achievers and challengers, and strategic thinkers who create their own future.
Keynote addresses from Hettich (state of the industry), Crompton (how appliances are shaping lifestyle and kitchen architecture), and Furniture & Fittings Skill Council (skilling strategies for sustainable growth) presented the mega trends that are going to impact the industry in the short and mid-term.
Two panel discussions – manufacturing for flexibility and efficiency, challenging the status quo – confronted the challenges being faced by industry and threw up innovative solutions.
Research reports from Anarock (how the residential real estate sector is expected to perform in 2023), Boston Consulting Group (tapping into the exciting kitchen space), Technopak Advisors (retail strategies in home improvement business) and Schuler Consulting (best practices in kitchen manufacturing) provided the basis for any strategic planning that the industry would undertake in the immediate future.
Other experts spoke about going omnichannel in retail, building design quotient, techniques of experiential selling, and innovating the home improvement industry – covering nearly all aspects of the business. There was enough food for thought on the table for a year’s worth of development, planning and execution.
And finally, the honours. At the annual India Kitchen Congress Awards, the industry honoured its stalwarts and recognised its achievers. The winners of the 9th India Kitchen Congress Awards were indeed best of the best, selected by a jury comprising of highly respected leaders and thinkers. Every trophy handed out was also a reminder to others to become conscious of their talent, accomplishments, and contributions to industry, and file their nominations for the next year’s Awards.
The success of India Kitchen Congress is the success of its partners and sponsors – Furniture & Fittings Skill Council, Hettich India, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd, Panasonic Homes and Living, Creaticity – who came together for collective growth of the industry. Their teams collaborated with us to create beautiful content and foster a knowledge platform that is unparalleled in this industry.
That’s why IKC clicks.
