COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s Deko Partitions is set to start manufacturing in India, with its first unit set up in Maharashtra. The company has been present in India for around seven years, through partnerships with local players, having completed about 300 projects.
In an interaction with DH, Deko Partitions Managing Director Peter Krogh said, “The Indian market has often surprised manufacturers with its quick acceptance of performance range products, which are expensive, but deliver value. Coupled with the clear policies of the government, it is a healthy environment for companies from other parts of the world to join hands with the Indian business community. We had been exposed to the ‘Make in India’ drive, and have decided to explore this market in more detail.”
The company started trial manufacturing in Maharashtra a month ago. “Deko is an ISO-certified company, and the documentation required to establish the same standards and processes that we follow in Denmark will take a little more time. But I am confident that we’ll achieve our high standards,” he said.
Deko currently manufactures out of its units in Denmark and China. While its China unit caters to most of its exports, Deko India will cater to the Middle East and Africa. It may also cater to markets in Australia or New Zealand initially, he said. “Our initial quality tests have come out with excellent results, and we now plan to have some products manufactured for the European market also from India,” he added.
Deko Partitions exports to over 40 countries, and claims a market share of 65% in Scandinavian countries. The company’s product range includes regular gypsum partitions to demountable walls, glass walls and fire partitions. It has recently started a range, which specialises in partitions for ships and cruise liners, where moisture and weight are major deciding factors.
On further plans for India, the MD said, “We hope to have not only manufacturing, but also development of the product for many specific needs for other markets.
Knowledge-based work is possible in India, and I think in the near future, we can have design and development too, which naturally becomes a portfolio in Deko India,” adding, “Even today, I take back many learnings from this market which we can apply globally in our business.”
