By Arbind Gupta. Assistant Editor, Business India

The Jaquar Group is the undisputed leader in the organised bath fittings category, with over 60 per cent market share, and is all set to maintain its momentum going forward as well. The Manesar-headquartered group, which has also diversified into lighting solutions in the last few years, is looking to be a $1 billion entity in the next three to four years, from Rs3,560 crore in FY20. Despite Covid-related headwinds, the company, which turned 60 last year, is one of the fastest growing bath brands in the world, and is expected to close the present year (FY21) on a positive note with at least five to 6 per cent growth.

In the last few months, an impressive surge in demand has been observed in both Tier I and II cities, even as both B2B and B2C segments are on the recovery path. The bath fitting major’s products are added to over 2.4 million bathrooms every year; it makes over 28 million fittings annually. The group has grown at a CAGR of 15-20 per cent in the last five years. Jaquar has a presence in over 60 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Africa.

 “What differentiates us from other brands in the market is our strong manufacturing capability to produce quality products as also our agility to respond to changing market dynamics. During the Covid-related market scenario, though we too had our share of challenges, we managed to further strengthen our position in the market. Going forward, we will leverage our understanding of the local market and continue to pursue our set strategy,” says Sandeep Shukla, head, marketing & communications, global, Jaquar Group.

 Bath verticals

Backed by a dedicated workforce of 10,700 employees across the globe, the Jaquar Group boasts of six modern manufacturing facilities in India and one in Korea. It is probably the only company to emerge as a complete bathroom solutions enterprise, successfully diversifying into various bath verticals like sanitary ware, shower enclosures, water heaters, concealed cisterns and a wellness range of products including whirlpools, shower panels, showers, steam cabins and spas. 

The Jaquar Group has also forayed into concept lighting solutions for all residential, commercial and outdoor applications. As a one window solution, Jaquar concept lighting offers a wide range of high-quality products, design consultancy, installation and post care. The company recently put up a state-of-the-art facility at Bhiawadi, Rajasthan for lighting solutions, which currently contributes around Rs400 crore to its turnover. This is expected to reach around Rs1,000 crore in the next three to four years.

Apart from lighting solutions, the company, as part of its strategy, is looking to ramp up its export business as well as its value-for-money Essco brand. Though the company has been in the export business for some time (with an initial presence primarily in the Gulf region), it is now looking to expand this business significantly. In the next few years, it plans to more than double its overseas business from the current four to 5 per cent of total revenue.

“On our way to become $1 billion company in the next three to four years, three verticals, namely lighting solutions, Essco (our affordable brand) and overseas business are the triggers identified as per our set strategy. As a company, we have always stayed ahead of the competition on account of our edge in manufacturing and our understanding of the market and applications,” adds Shukla.