Swedish home furnishing firm readies hiring plan, aims to double local sourcing

Swedish home furnishing major IKEA is readying a staffing plan even as it goes about establishing an experiential centre ahead of opening its first store in the country at Hyderabad in the coming spring.

“It will be [in] spring next year,” John Achillea, Managing Director of IKEA Telangana, said.

Patrik Antoni, deputy country manager, IKEA India, said that the firm was in India for the long haul, “a journey that will see the company, known for quality and design of its products, doubling the sourcing from the country, opening multiple stores and catering to customer tastes.”

To gain better understanding of Indian customers’ requirements, IKEA had deputed executives to visit about 1,000 households in multiple cities, including 200 in Hyderabad where a 4 lakh sq. ft. facility is taking shape.

1,000-seater restaurant

The facility comprises a 100,000 sq. ft. warehouse to ensure immediate delivery of orders, a national contact centre and a 1,000-seater restaurant serving Swedish and Indian cuisines. Senior executives said the store would house hundreds of items unique to India.

Mr. Achillea said there were 66 employees now and by December, 400 more would come on board. Ikea plans to employ 800 at the store and 120 for the contact centre. IKEA will also rope in for part-timers. The experiential centre in Hyderabad, he added, will open in November.

To queries on other stores in the country, Mr.Antoni said in Bengaluru IKEA has got full access to the land for the project, while it expected the construction to begin on Mumbai store by December. Delhi NCR, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat and Kolkata are the other locations where setting up of stores are under consideration.

On sourcing from India, he expressed confidence of the company meeting the 2022 target under which 30% of the volume sold ought to be made locally. It would also export more India, which at present is around Euro 325 million and comprises mainly textiles and metal products.