Sintex plans foray into France, Japan

The Ahmedabad-based Sintex Industries, manufacturer of plastics and textiles, is planning to foray into France and Japan with its range of textile products - shirts.

Amit Patel, managing director of Sintex told Business Standard, "We are looking at France and Japan to launch our textile products", he said. The company will initially start with shirting fabric for ladies and then at a later stage add other products like structured shirts and men's shirts amongst others.

The company plans to enter into both the markets within next 12 months. "Before April 2008 we will foray in these markets", adds Patel. The company markets fabrics within India and aboard.

Presently, it does not manufacture shirts. The company is coming up with a shirts manufacturing unit at Kalol (Gujarat) that will probably begin its production by end of May 2007.

The shirt manufacturing unit will have a production capacity of 10,000 shirts per day. The raw material - cotton, will be imported from the US. The company has yarn unit with a 28,000 spindle per annum capacity.

In France, it aims to enter alone through acquisition of a local design studio or will go for joint venture (JV).

"The best and easiest way to enter France will be to buy out design studio and if it doesn't work out then we will enter through long term joint venture with marketing and design studio company in France", said Patel.

While in Japan, the company plans to go through distributors, those having strong presence in the domestic market, Patel said. The company expects to market 2 million metres per annum in each of the country.

However, the company presently has no plans to market its range of shirts in the domestic market.

"It is a high end product so it is for overseas market, but at later stage we might look to market it in the domestic market", adds Patel.