Prasad Vasant Sane is the head of international business of Godrej Locking Solutions and Systems (GLSS). As a leading Indian brand, GLSS has been producing and providing critically acclaimed products and services in locking solutions and systems. The company, which started its operations in 1897, has received multiple awards and recognitions in India and elsewhere around the world. The Godrej range of products are also well known among Nepali households and its commercial clients. Recently, GLSS launched new products in Nepali market. In an interview with Sanjeev Sharma and Gaurav Aryal of New Business Age, Sane talked about the presence of GLSS in Nepal and the company's plans to expand its business in the local market. Excerpts:How essential is Nepal’s market for your company?
Nepali market is very important for GLSS. I explained that in my presentation as well. We have presence in Asia, Middle East and Africa. In Asia, we are in Sri Lanka and Nepal after India. And to be frank, Nepal is our number one market. Currently, our market share in the country is 10 per cent. It is significant for a company that is not local.
How do you assess the current scenario of security systems market in Nepal?
Nepali market is growing. Lot of development activities are happening here. For instance, we can see scores of projects in the construction business. Lot of hotels along with residential and commercial apartments are being constructed. I understand that there are issues on security but we are coming out with the latest solutions for that. When we unveil ourselves as GLSS, we are offering solutions to the end consumers who will definitely like our high technology level products, which are much secure and durable.
Who are your targeted customers?
We run our business on two basis —Retail and Institutions. We focus on individual customers on the retail side who buy our products for their personal use. On the institutional side, we deal with the contractors of commercial and residential apartments, hotels, government enterprises and sectors including energy and telecom. Tapping these customers will help us to win the race in security solutions market. Our target is to raise our share in the Nepali market by 30 per cent over the next five years.
In the presentation at the summit, you mentioned that GLSS is looking forward to become the number one security systems solutions company in Nepal. How are you planning to achieve this goal?
We are confident that GLSS will become the number one company in Nepali security systems solutions market. Our growing market presence clearly points to this. I recently visited couple of our major retailers who reported that Godrej is the brand that has a clear presence in Nepal’s organised market. It gave the assurance that there is nobody other than our company in terms of brand perception.
To achieve our goal of becoming the number one brand in Nepali security systems solutions market, we have rolled out a three-pronged strategy. First is to create brand and product awareness. We are going to increase our investments significantly for this purpose. Second is the expansion of our market presence. We are planning to expand our presence to various parts of country. We have planned to increase our retail base in significant proportions. Third is the expansion of institutions base. As there are a lot of activities happening in construction business, GLSS wants to be the first brand to offer institutional customers with various solutions that fit into their needs. If we consistently work along these strategies, then our goal is achievable.
What products and services are you offering to your customers? What are the benefits of using GLSS products?
We have a major leap in our products and services offerings. Currently mortice handle locks, architecture hardware and padlocks hold up to 70 per cent of our Nepali business. We have unveiled and added new products in these categories. Apart from these we have also introduced additional products such as cylindrical, furniture and electronic locks. We have decided to enter the local market in a full-fledged manner.
Our products have various benefits for our customers. Firstly, we have wide range of products that cater to the varied needs of our customers from various economic classes. We offer 300 products to our customers. Secondly, we offer one-year warranty on our products, which gives them peace of mind that they are buying products of decent quality. Thirdly, the whole Godrej portfolio uses the latest technology that meet the security demands of our customers. We are constantly investing in increasing brand’s presence across the country and this will ultimately result in the wider availability of Godrej products.
Our country partner has been investing resources in improving sales and service. This will create an efficient service backup for end customers. We are willing provide customized solutions that fit into the needs of clients. For example, we can provide customized products demand of any requirement or master key solutions to architects and builders.
