Shahed Ali Khan, operations head, Nipun talks about the refrigeration, bakery and confectionery equipment sector
What new products would you be launching this year and/ or showcasing at Food Hospitality World 2015?
Since the beginning of this year we have been focusing on promoting refrigeration equipment and with a series of new launches that we have made since, we continue to aggressively target the hospitality and retail refrigeration segment. At the exhibition in Bengaluru we will also aggressively target the bakery and confectionery equipment sector as there is a strong inherent demand for the same particularly in the south.
Which of your existing products do you see an increased demand for in the Indian market and what reasons do you attribute to this?
There has been an overall exceptional growth in terms of both demand and performance. We have witnessed an increased demand from subscription based online platforms offering fresh packaged food delivered to homes or offices. This is a sector to watch out for and our involvement has been with the largest brands across India. It is both exciting and challenging to have our team work with over a multiple facilities across the country designing and executing as many as two facilities every single day.
This sector has been particularly endearing as well with a large amount of time rendered to engineering efficiency and fluid kitchens each of which caters to over 1000 meals a day.
Which are your major import markets and products?
We have moved from trade to manufacture via the job work process. This essentially means that we move components from the country of origin to facilities in Malaysia and Taiwan equipped with the best of manufacturing infrastructure and produce goods suitable to the Indian environment.
What is your present distribution reach in the Indian market and what are your strategies to increase your penetration into the market?
We now have a virtual pan India presence with offices across the regions of Bengaluru, Goa, Mumbai and Delhi. We have now grown to be a formidable force to reckon with and with a team as ours we shall continue to do better than any other and with principles like none other too. Whilst the previous years have seen us grow a 100 per cent on revenues, the last FY 14-15 has seen us move a notch up with over a 150 per cent jump in revenues. We would be keen on repeating this for the present FY as well.
What are the latest trends in kitchen equipment technology and design?
Comprehensive kitchen design and supply is essential in a high impetus market like India. In order to provide a seamless integration of operation needs and equipment applications it is imperative that design and planning is based on menu, traffic and production processes. We would continue to strive in delivering cutting edge kitchen solutions.