Yet another challenge is retail expansion. I, and I am sure many others too, have been learning from our mistakes and experiences. The lack of skilled manpower has a cascading effect on sales too; we don’t have skilled ‘salesmen’ either. We can expand only when we know that we can sell. Here too there should be a few courses that the industry can take advantage of, that not only focus on kitchen design but also impart the necessary sales skill.
Speaking about my company, we have taken it upon ourselves to train our employees depending on their roles – machine operations, joinery, etc; at the same time we also impart training to our valued customers . Also, we are coming up with quality standards based on our own and customers’ requirements. So quality management training is also being provided.
Besides, the non-availability of quality raw material in India is a challenge faced by many of us. We consume a lot of plywood, but there is no quality consisitency from vendors. They are willing to supply other quality of plywood which is not required in our industry. Many plywood manufacturers are not willing to produce of our requirements, as they think that the industry is small. The procurement of raw material is the biggest challenge.
Exhibitions
It is a good sign that industry specific shows and events are seeing the light of day. For us in the industry, such platforms serve the purpose to showcase new product offerings to a large number of visitors – domestic as well as global. The impact of such events is high, not only in terms of trade visitors, but for the fact that the platform can be used for experiential marketing. The display can be designed in such a manner that it allows for ‘touch and feel’, the company personnel explain the functionality of the displayed products, and the visitors are allowed to explore the possibilities. Yes, as compared to placing an advertisement participating in an event is more expensive, but then it gathers mass momentum for the brand. It helps greatly in brand promotion and recognition. Apart from showcasing of products, exhibitions provide a lot of scope in terms of networking. It is for us to choose wisely where we want to be seen.
It is important to be a part of exhibitions, either as an exhibitor or a visitor, for it helps us to know what are the trends and new developments in our own industry; besides helping keep a tab on what others are doing. At the same time, there are knowledge sharing sessions – workshops, discussions, expert talks, etc. These are conceptualised so as to enable the exhibitors/visitors formulate business strategies for the future. Attending your industry specific exhibitions/conferences helps you be ahead of the competition.

Leadership
A humane approach is what matters most to me. As a leader one should have vision and strategies to realise the goals, but then if he is not compassionate and merely treats the employees as machines, it would be tough to meet the objectives. A good leader is one who can encourage people empowerment so that results exceed.
You have to first learn in order to teach. For me it’s the power of knowledge, power of diplomacy, and above all humility that define a leader. When working with a team it is important to focus on the strengths of the individual members, and not necessarily be disheartened by the areas of improvement they possess.

Philosophy
My business philosophy, if I were to put it that way, is centered around five core values – mutual goals, excellence in quality, integrity & transparency, reliability, and social responsibility. I am of the belief that whosoever is associated with us – partners, associates, customers etc – should grow mutually, as the brand Paracasa grows. We can be a brand to reckon with only if our products match the quality of the best in the segment; and at the same time our business dealings should be transparent and based on integrity. It’s only then we can be counted as reliable partners.
Early in my carrier I was fortunate to be a partner in a business venture with Rajesh Ahuja of Sleek International. It is from him that I learnt that one should be sincere and passionate towards one’s goal. Half hearted approach does not work well in business; the commitment must be 100%.

Social Cause
We would definitely like to contribute to social initiatives which touch and make a positive impact on the lives of people. However, we are just an year old and not in position to do much. Over the years, we would like to contribute towards education – funding education for the girl child.

More to Come
Over the next three to four months we would be increasing our product range with commitment to offer innovative and value for money products. While it is true that similar products many be available in the market, our focus would be on reliability in terms of quality consistency and service delivery. Differentiation has to come through service.
Our in-house team has already developed an online order booking portal and we will be launching it very soon. Here, every dealer or customer will have their own dashboard available on the Internet, so they can get everything online, like quotations, ordering status, etc; this would be something different in the industry. The software is ready and in the testing phase.