BAPL plans manufacturing plant at Rajarhat

Kolkata: Kolkata-based Bajoria Appliances Private Limited (BAPL) is entering the modular kitchens segment through its domestic appliances brand 'Kutchina' and is planning to come up with nearly 50 brand outlets across the country by 2009.

The Rs 45 crore company was eying a turnover of Rs 75 crore for this fiscal and planned to take it up to Rs 100 crore by 2010. It was coming up with a manufacturing plant of over two acres with an investment of Rs 1.5 crore project at Rajarhat for producing the wooden component of modular kitchens. The plant would be operational by August this year, informed Namit Bajoria,director,BAPL.

While eastern India including the North East contributed to around 60 per cent of its net revenue, it planned a foray into southern and western Indian markets through the franchisee route, he added.

The Kutchina brand enjoyed a 35 per cent market share in the East in the chimney segment and a 15 per cent share of the national market, Bajoria claimed. BAPL will also come up with an exclusive Kutchina brand outlet at Rajarhat over 2,200 square feet with an investment of Rs 25 lakh.

Average investment for a franchisee outlet varied between Rs 5 to 10 lakh and the company planned to have over 30 franchisee outlets all over India within the next one year, Bajoria said.

BAPL wanted to ramp up its corporate and retail marketing drives for achieving a 50 per cent year-on-year growth, said Nita Bajoria, another director of BAPL.

It now had an exclusive contract with a German home appliances maker for the products under the Kutchina brand and could eventually enter into a joint venture tentatively by 2010 with the company to set up a manufacturing facility in India itself.