 "Changing times call for innovation")
With plenty of time-telling devices available, wall clocks are gradually using their basic utility. This has forced manufacturers to tweak the products and offer the same as designer and decorative pieces with aesthetic value in homes and other premises. The move, say industry sources, is also a result of a shift in consumer preferences for such products. Customised products in the form of wooden and metal built designer wall clocks, at times jaded with gems and jewellry, are in demand from consumers.
Leading wall clock makers such as Ajanta, Rikon and Sonam, based at Morbi in Gujarat, are now producing high valued and customised designer clocks even as other small players follow suit.
"Demand for regular design wall clocks has fallen drastically by 65 per cent in last couple of years. In order to maintain our business, we are now focusing on designer clocks even as demand for decorative wall clocks has gradually increased worldwide," said Jaysukh Patel, managing director of Oreva Group, which manufactures the Ajanta brand of wall clocks, touted as the world largest such manufacturer since last two decades.
As against a global demand of 150,000-175,000 clocks per day, Oreva Group's Ajanta Clocks used to manufacture 100,000 wall clocks in a day in early 2000s. However, declining demand for wall clocks has brought down the company's manufacturing to about 30,000 pieces in a day, a mere 30 per cent utilisation of its production capacity.
"Other resources now available to check time, we have been engaged in value addition of our products. Wooden or metal body designer wall clocks are in demand. Consumers are also demanding wall clocks jaded with gems and jewellry. We are looking to tap this business by serving customised wall clocks," said Patel.
One of the late entrants into designer and decorative wall clocks manufacturing, Morbi based Sonam Clock Private Limited has already been exporting conventional wall clocks to over 20 countries since last two decades.
"Looking at the new demand, we have lately begun producing designer wall clocks. Since we have a ready export market, we will look to tap the same for our designer products," said Jatin Movani, production head of Sonam Clock.
The company produces about 20,000 clocks a day, of which 60 per cent are exported to regions like Africa, West Asia and Europe.
Traditionally, Morbi has seen bulk production of acrylic-based wall clock, while customised products tend to be in small quantity. Most of the Morbi-based clock manufacturers being small and medium, bulk production of customised metal and wood based products were not viable. However, recent changes in trend in wall clocks has led to some of the players attempt bulk offering of high-valued designer clocks to corporates.
"People prefer to buy designer clocks that look expensive at affordable prices. So we have to design such decorative pieces accordingly. Sales of designer clocks have grown up by 20 per cent in the last three years and we expect the same to go up to 50 per cent in the next two years," said Punit Shah, marketing manager of Rikon Clocks Manufacturing Company.
With clock no more being a necessity item, the overall state of clock industry is not well. According to Morbi Wall Clock Association, clock production has declined by almost 50 per cent in last five years. Number of manufacturers too has decreased even as the business becomes unviable for smaller players.
"Five years ago, Morbi produced over 120,000 pieces of wall clock a day. Today, the figure has fallen to around 55,000-60,000 a day. Many small manufacturers have shifted to other business such as ceramic tiles production," said Shashank Dangi, president of Morbi Wall Clock Association.
Currently, Morbi has around 90 wall clock manufacturers and is India's largest wall clock manufacturing region with almost 70 per cent market share in clock production and about 75 per cent share in sales in India. The industry employs roughly 22,000 people, of which 95 per cent are women workers.