FORMICA, the inventor and World's largest manufacturer of High-Pressure Laminates (HPLs) inaugurated its premier showroom at SouthEx, New Delhi. The company which is known to revolutionize the interior solutions industry with its premium surface solutions, is looking at disrupting the Indian Surface Solutions Market with its flagship products, especially carved around the Indian Market — FENIX and DecoMetal. The inauguration was graced by Mr. Ajay Khurana, MD, Formica India along with Mr. Hemant Sood, President, Indian Institute of Interior Design.
FENIX, one of the most popular products that Formica distributes, is an innovative element that can enhance the look and feel of surface interiors owing to its properties. The sustainable materials used in its production alongside the premium looking matt surfaces with features that make it an obvious choice for premium interiors, FENIX, manufactured by ARPA Industriale and exclusively distributed by FORMICA in India, is expected to be one of the core products that customers can expect at the FORMICA showroom.
On the other hand, DecoMetal is a range of decorative metal laminates manufactured by Homapal in Germany and exclusively marketed and distributed by FORMICA in India. DecoMetal imbibes an urban design philosophy into the vast range of High Pressure Laminates, by combining the visual appeal of a metal with the flexibility and practicality of a laminate. DecoMetal is another key product that can be experienced at the newly inaugurated FORMICA outlet.
At the outset of the inauguration — Mr. Ajay Khurana, Managing Director of FORMICA India said, “We are enthralled to inaugurate FORMICA'S first legacy showroom in India. The outlet would act as a point of interaction and experience for customers looking to purchase FORMICA products. Customers can choose from FORMICA's premium surface solution range that comprises multiple variants of FENIX and DecoMetal, and thus enhance the look of their spaces with premium interior solutions that resemble quality and luxury.”
The outlet that is spread across 3,000 sq.ft. has been thoughtfully designed by MUSA. Musa is a vibrant creative hub that works together with the material technology companies under Broadview and their brands – Arpa, DOS, FENIX, Formica, Homapal, Trespa and Westag.The showroom from FORMICA is expected to attract eyeballs and a lot of positive attention from the Architect & Interior Design community who would be banking on FORMICA's commitment to quality and innovation to deliver excellent customer experiences.
The launch ceremony was live broadcasted on Surfaces Reporter Facebook, Youtube and Insta page, which was viewed by thousands of architects, Interior Designers and Industry Professionals. Excerpts of the conversation with Mr. Ajay Khurana on this occasion.
Q. What is the USP of this showroom?
The product that we have all here is premium class, luxury, and comes from the group companies owned by Broadview Holding. We showcased here the surface material of higher quality; it’s not just ordinary laminates. It’s a global, international range, and the papers used are specially produced for Formica. A lot of these products are recyclable. The touch and feel of Fenix products is unique, and they have an ultra-matte surface with low light reflection made through EBM (Electronic Beam Technology) machines. Besides, the Homapal section has ultra-rich luxury products in texture surface material Decometal and HPL from Europe.
This showroom is for people to come, touch, and feel the applications and products. We are not selling out
We have distributors, a team of young, dynamic, passionate staff, and management and finance professionals, all supported by our people across the country. All are well trained; they know how these products can be distributed. The company also does training for contractors, architects, and interior designers. We are available to answer any queries you may have.
of this showroom. This is just a showcase of premium luxury products. We have distributors across India and a dedicated executive for all these products, which are available across all the major cities, including Tier 1 and 2.
Q. How do you plan to provide customers with support and services?
We have distributors, a team of young, dynamic, passionate staff, and management and finance professionals, all supported by our people across the country. All are well trained; they know how these products can be distributed. The company also does training for contractors, architects, and interior designers. We are available to answer any queries you may have.
Q. How do you see the Indian market for your offerings of high-end products?
We setup a new vision to be a luxury player, and we focused on the top of the pyramid of customers. We made efforts and doubled our sales of Fenix in 2022. Also, we resumed our sales of Homapal with long, strong, and high vision. We are here to stay as Formica 2.0, and we will make Formica a unique, trusted brand in India.
Q.Do you have any plans to cater to middle-of-the pyramid customers in the future?
Our initial focus was to cater to the top of the pyramid because this was the group's strength, and we wanted to leverage that core strength. Also, we have a plant where we produce HPL, where international class global range is made. For that, the paper is designed by Formica, made by Formica, and we produce it here.
The commodity products are being produced, but only for export at the moment. We want to establish there, utilising the full plant capacity, and then we will be looking at the domestic market. HPL is available, so if anybody needs 1 mm, we can sell that. We have distributors across India, and we will continue to feed the market. But the strategy, the vision, and the focus are on premium luxury.
Q. How is this showroom going to benefit those retailers?
We have global products that are produced locally. We have a catalogue available for the classy commodity range. People only need to come here, walk into, get inspired, and we're a Formica partner to use specification distribution.
Q. Do you have any plans to open showrooms in other parts of the country?
It is in the pipeline and part of our long-term budget. This is just the flagship showroom. We have all provided support to the distributors’
With Formica 2.0, we are here to stay. We have already invested in plant, equipment, health, and safety standards. We have just gotten certified for FSC for exports.
showrooms. We are coming up with the next showroom in 2024 in Mumbai and in 2025 in Bangalore. And we make them in Hyderabad as well. Definitely, we will go for it.
Q. What is your message to architects, and interior designers?
With Formica 2.0, we are here to stay. We have already invested in plant, equipment, health, and safety standards. We have just gotten certified for FSC for exports. We have listed a team of young, dynamic, trustworthy people with passion. They are contacting customers’ day in and day out. That is the message I want to give to the industry, especially retailers, distributors, and customers.
