Noritake focusing on Indian market

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Noritake will focus on the Indian market this year as there is a huge potential for Bone China products which were introduced to Sri Lanka last year. Noritake Lanka Porcelain Executive Consultant Nimal Perera told Daily News Business that the number of Indian visitors coming to Sri Lanka has increased remarkably and most of them go back to India at least with a 17 piece tea set which costs Rs 40,000 purchased from Noritake show rooms.

“Indians are crazy over our Bone China products, and we don’t have to do any marketing there because it is well-known to them since 1944” he said. There are five Noritake show rooms or agents in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hydrabad, Chennai and Kolkata at present but this is not sufficient at all because it is a massive market and also the Indian economy is developing and they increasingly look for more Noritake Bone China products.

Last year the country has earned foreign exchange worth more than US $ one million only from the Indian high end market, he said. Noritake is certified as free from health hazards causing cancer unlike some imported ceramicware and that is another reason for the high demand, he said.

Meanwhile, three out of the five highly branded ceramic companies in the world have been closed and Noritake is one of the two surviving which is another advantage for the country. This is the opportune time to increase production and catch up new markets.

However, the production cost has gone up recently due to the eight percent increase of electricity tariff and the 11 percent increase in LP gas prices.

In addition, 20 percent out of the total cost goes to labour. Perera said that if the Government considers these factors seriously and takes necessary measures to reduce the production cost it will be a great success in the long run because Noritake is one of the oldest and valuable industries in which 55 percent of raw material such as Quartz is available in the country and 53 percent value addition can be done.

Noritake Deputy Marketing Manager Kumara Wickrama said even the local demand for Noritake products has increased during the recent festival time and the company is planning to expand business to the North and the East shortly.