Nanotech tennis anyone?

ZOOMING IN

You may have heard of nanotechnology in textiles. Now get ready to play tennis or golf with equipment enhanced by this technology.

US sports goods manufacturer Wilson is introducing a new series of nanotech-based badminton and tennis racquets as well as a new golf brand ""Wilson Staff "" in the Rs 500 crore Indian sports goods market.

"Nanotechnology is a bonding agent in carbon graphite and research shows that it makes racquets twice as strong as those made by traditional designs," explains Paul Gibbons, golf marketing director, Wilson Asia Pacific.

The nanotech racquets are priced between Rs 8,000 to Rs 13,000 while regular graphite racquets retail for between Rs 1,400 to Rs 7,000.The company started manufacturing this equipment under the nCode label six months ago.

Leading tennis stars like world number one Roger Federer and the Williams sisters are said to have moved swiftly and switched to nanotechnology racquets before Wimbledon this year.

In India, Wilson's products are distributed by Planet Sports, which has over 17 outlets around the country. While it makes sporting equipment worldwide, it is focusing on racquets and golf equipment to penetrate the Indian market.

The company currently has sales of around $3 million in the Indian market and it expects a 20 per cent to 25 per cent increase in 2004-05. Of this, around two-thirds will come from tennis and badminton racquets, and one-third from golf equipment.

"For the Indian market, we are focusing on the racquet sports and to a lesser extent on golf," says Gibbons. There are no plans for now to introduce equipment for other sports, so don't expect to see a "Mr Wilson" volleyball of the sort made popular by the Tom Hanks starrer Castaway. Even golf, though popular in India, is "still largely restricted to the affluent", says Gibbons.

Wilson also hopes to be more actively involved with tennis and badminton players at a junior level, through increased participation in junior tournaments.

"We are working closely with the All-India Tennis Association for sponsorship of junior-level players and other similar initiatives," says Gibbons.

Building businesses

Diversification is the name of the game, and the latest company to expand its business footprint is the Rs 450-crore Mumbai-based real estate player Hiranandani Constructions.

It recently entered into a joint venture with PLM Property Services (Australia) to start a facilities management business in India branded PLM Property Services (India).

PLM, a specialist in facility management Down Under, is the majority stakeholder in the Indian firm. It also operates in neighbouring Sri Lanka.

"With so many quality constructions coming up, we need to make sure that they are maintained by specialists post construction," says Niranjan Hiranandani, managing director, Hiranandani Constructions. Adds Paul Cox, chief executive officer of the Australian company, "The opportunity for growth in India is better and bigger than it is in Australia, because that's an almost saturated market."

Along with a team of three engineers, Cox is in the process of selecting vendors and training them. "Most people don't look at facilities management in a pro-active way, but we're here to change that," he says.

He is currently in talks with call centre companies like Spectramind as well as the Taj Group of Hotels to manage their properties.

PLM will face a slew of large and small players already in the market. Real estate advisory firm Knight Frank, for instance, has a large number of clients so, breaking into this market won't be easy.

But for starters, PML already has a captive client in Hiranandani's complexes in Mumbai's Thane and Powai suburbs. That's enough for a flying start.

Herbal battle

The never-ending quest for beauty with a herbal touch is turning brutally competitive. The newest player to enter the field is J R Herbal Care which has just launched its range of herbal skincare products branded Jovee.

Its 25-product range includes cleansers, astringents, exfoliators, acne and blemish treatment""targeted mostly at teenagers"" as well as products for other age groups, such as anti-aging creams.

National sales manager, Rakesh Misri hopes to penetrate the Rs 1,300 crore market relying on "the quality of the product and not the quality of the distribution network".

But it won't be easy making it to dressing tables around the land. Jovee will be up against market leaders like Biotique, Shahnaz Hussain and Kama. And then there are other established players like Hindustan Lever's Ayush range, Dabur's Vatika and Himalaya's Ayurvedic Concept.

How does it plan to take them on? Rakhee Ahuja, CEO, dismisses the competition and says Jovee will rely on the quality of its products. The products launched nationally retail for between Rs 70 to Rs 245. They are being sold through branded stores like Health & Glow, Food World, BiBazar, Pantaloon, 3 C, Ebony and Lifestyle.

Additional reporting with
Arti Sharma and Samyukta Bhowmick