Home textiles major aims to create brand impact as it plans to expand domestic business

Export-oriented home-textiles maker Welspun India is looking to use the Kumbh Mela to work its way into the hearts and minds of Indians.

The company, which exports towels, bedsheets, bathrobes and rugs to 50 countries from its production bases in Gujarat, is planning to hand out towels to women for use in the changing rooms during the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) which started on Monday and goes on for 55 days.

3,000-people target

Welspun plans to reach out to at least 3,000 people daily, deploying 10,000 towels to be re-used in multiple cycles over 45 days. In all, it will be targeting about five lakh customers for its activities and engagements. It will put up stalls and also mount the Welspun brand displays outside changing rooms and police booths.

“We at Welspun felt that it could be a good opportunity to run a campaign projecting our towels as one which dries the user and dries itself fast (jaldi sukhe jaldi sukhaye) ,” Manjari Upadhye, CEO and head of domestic business, told The Hindu. “Ours is a 100% cotton towel,” she said.

“We are trying to grow our domestic focus which was not there earlier,” Ms. Upadhye said.

To a question on whether the Kumbh Mela, attracting pilgrims from all walks of life, is an alluring launch pad for a towel priced at ₹249 apiece, Ms. Upadhye said the congregation was a good mix of people from all strata of society.

“Our aim is to create awareness (through first-hand experience of the product), while triggering a will to purchase,” she said.

The Kumbh Mela typically sees a congregation of several millions. This year’s gathering is expected to bring in more than 70 million people.

A Welspun official said that this sets a good platform for the brands to showcase products.

Currently, Welspun India is largely an export-oriented company. The firm has manufacturing units in Vapi and Anjar in Gujarat.

Five-year plan

Welspun is targeting to increase its domestic sales to 20% of its turnover in five years from 5% now,” Ms. Upadhye said. Towels, now accounting for one third of its revenues, are seen to be a major vehicle in this aspiration.

The company’s products are retailed in large format and multi-brand stores in 20 cities. The organised sector has a 10% share in the ₹3,200 crore Indian towel market.