The Hindu Business Line : Alps Ind plans Rs 18-cr marketing plan

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Kolkata Feb. 20 The Rs 250-crore home furnishings and fashion home products major Alps Industries Ltd (AIL), with a niche presence in window-dressings through the `Vista' brand of products, has chalked out major plans to double turnover by 2007-08 financial year.

Accordingly, the company has planned to invest Rs 400 crore for both additional spindlage and new eco-friendly products at the company's spinning mills in Uttarkhand and Sahibabad in UP. Besides increasing the production capacity, Alps also plans to launch a new national marketing campaign for its new organic cotton home furnishings such as bed-sheets, pillow covers, towels etc.

Mr Sanjay Gupta, the company's all India GM, told Business Line over and above the Rs 400-crore, Alps intended to invest an additional Rs 100 crore on Jaquard (a kind of weave) loom products for both domestic and export markets. He said Rs 18 crore was being spent on the new marketing plan, which would see more Alps franchisees coming up in the near future. Mr Gupta put the company's exports during 2006 at Rs 60 crore.

Putting the current total market size for branded home furnishings in the country at Rs 5,000 crore, Mr Gupta said the organised market out of this constituted only Rs 200 crore, indicated substantial scope for the company. As per estimates by experts, the market is expected to touch Rs 20,000 crore by 2010. "We intend to cash in on this retail boom, as changing life styles can throw up substantial opportunities," Mr Gupta said. Alps now had nearly 1,050 distributors all over the country, with eastern region alone (excluding Bihar) having 230.

"Besides the multi-brand outlets, our products will now be made available in some 600 franchisee outlets across the country within the next 3 years."