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Jashanmal group eyes India retail presence

E-Tex Staff - Mumbai

The $500-million Dubai-based Jashanmal group is looking at India as a big destination for products in its portfolio. The mushrooming of shopping malls and supermarkets has given the group another channel which it is actively pursuing to take its products further into the country.

The plan involves covering 34 cities in the country by next year through presence in shop-in-shops, stationery shops and supermarkets. Jashanmal Group CEO, Mr Gangu Batra said the shopping malls and supermarkets offered another distribution channel for products which the company distributes in India. “The focus is on shopping malls and supermarkets because of the footfalls that they attract. Stand-alone boutiques and high street shops would also be targeted for our products. These formats are a viable platform for our products,” said Mr Batra. Conventional distribution channels like placing products in stationery shops, cosmetics and electronic shops would also be pursued, he added. The Jashanmal group has interests in retail, distribution and logistics.

In India, the company has the exclusive rights to distribute international brands like Cross, Calvin Klein, Aigner, Boucheron, Yashica and Georgio Armani to name a few. The thrust is to take these products further to many cities across the country. At present, the company distributes its products in 12 cities including Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Chandigarh. By next year, the company hopes to add 20 more cities taking the tally to 34. “The cities on the anvil include Aurangabad and Nashik besides some in the country’s eastern region,” said Mr Batra. The decision to probe further into the market also stems from the fact that the company faces competition from small-time importers who distribute the same products. “Though we have the license, there are small-time importers who sell the products. Therefore, the entry into newer markets would be backed up by investment in infrastructure like logistics and distribution and also implementing Information Technology initiatives,” he added.