Kitchen connoisseur

MY BIG IDEA

In 1996, after spending a few years in his father's wood-working business in Sri Lanka, Sandeep Anand returned to India and started Lispo India, a pioneer in the modular kitchen concept. The business now has a turnover of Rs 7 crore with dealer networks around the country.

Connecting with wood My family is from Jallandhar, which is where I grew up. My father had a small business manufacturing sports products, which was later expanded into making components for sports trophies.

However, seeing that there wasn't much growth opportunity in Jallandhar, we relocated. In 1986, the family moved to Sri Lanka, where my father started a wood-working unit.

Meanwhile, I completed my schooling in Mussoorie and then went to Taiwan for a short course in wooden furniture. I then spent a few years in Sri Lanka, learning the tricks of the trade in the family plant.

Coming home With the ongoing LTTE problems in Sri Lanka, we realised it would be imprudent to put all our eggs in one basket.

Besides, my trips abroad had opened my eyes to the concept of modular kitchens and I realised India was ready for something similar. So in 1996, I returned and my brother and I together set up Lispo India with a plant in Manesar and the head office in Gurgaon.

Father's foresight Incidentally, my father, a man of great vision, had invested in land in Gurgaon way back in the 1970s, when the place was deserted; he believed it would see growth in the future. That foresight has been a boon for our business. Touch wood!

Working with modules The basic premise of a modular kitchen is that we take the bare bones of the room and then fill it with various elements "" modules "" that give it an integrated, harmonious look. So our clients come to us with a brief on what they are looking for, and we provide suggestions accordingly. We specialise in solid wood, including cherry, chestnut and Asian oak.

Working around vaastu In India, of course, there are certain things we need to work around. For instance, some of our clients insist that we follow vaastu shastra principles while designing the kitchen interiors and, to be honest, that is often inconvenient for us. It interferes with providing the best design and is a conflict of interest, but since vaastu is a touchy subject for many people we are the ones who have to adjust.

Right time, right place We set up a showroom in Gurgaon and the response was very good. Our exhibitions have also done well. I think one of the factors in our favour was the timing. Around the time Lispo was set up, a knowledge culture was entering the lifestyle market here.

People were travelling a lot more, there was greater exposure and so it was the right time for us. Besides, we were located in a place that was rapidly turning into a mini-city. You know how many upper-end residential projects are underway in Gurgaon now.

Haute kitchens Another factor is that with changing lifestyle trends among the upper and upper-middle class, especially in metros, kitchens are no longer regarded a merely utilitarian part of the house where servants work. People now want their kitchens to be well-planned and stylish. Men are getting more interested in cooking and it's seen as a place where couples can spend quality time together.

Change and growth We now have a presence through dealer networks in many parts of the country. We also have tie-ups with major builders like the Ansals and Unitech, to design kitchens for their residential projects.

We import our wood-working machinery from Italy and keep updating and refining our techniques. For my part, I attend as many exhibitions abroad as I can, to keep abreast of changing trends; styles change every season and one can't afford to stagnate in this business.