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R. Savitha

Pune , Dec. 16

THE Pune-based Abee Info Consumables Ltd plans to set up a supershop for printer cartridges.

Talking to Business Line, Mr B.B. Somani, Managing Director, Abee Info, said the company would set up a supershop under the brand name of Abee Shoppee in Pune. It is expected to be launched by the end of the current fiscal and cater to the entire gamut of products for the cartridge industry. He said the company, as part of the expansion plans, proposed to set up 126 such brand shops in the country. The total investment for the project would be Rs 20 crore.

Mr Somani said for this purpose, the company had sought the approval of its board of directors to accept foreign equity investment proposal up to 25 per cent of the paid up capital.

Abee Info has launched refill packs for Rs 250, which is what the customer receives once he places a call to the customer care centre. He said the company was in talks with three potential candidates, from UK, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. He said the company had set up a supershop in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia about six months ago. .

The total market size of the cartridge industry in the country is around Rs 2,085 crore (for 2002) and has been growing 15 per cent rate. Of this the refill market catered to Rs 433 crore. In the refill market, 95 per cent was unorganised players and five per cent organised players.

Mr Somani said the company had also signed up an agreement with the Bangalore-based Select Technology Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of WeP (formerly Wipro ePeripherials Ltd) for the outsourcing of cartridges from its Parwanoo (near Chandigarh) factory. The factory has become operational since October and a consignment of 15,000 cartridges had already been sent to Select Technology.

He said the company would be making its Pune plant an export-oriented unit. The unit would cater to the global demands of dot matrix printer and and domestic demand of inkjet and laser printer.

For the dot matrix printer, the company was targeting the markets of West Asia, Russia, SAARC countries and China.

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