Although a relatively new entrant in the towel manufacturing segment, Nandan Terry has already carved a niche for itself with rising domestic and international sales. It now plans to expand its production capacity
Set up in 2016, Nandan Terry, the latest entrant to the towel industry, has managed to create a strong buzz in a short span by delivering top-quality towels to the who’s who of the global towel trade. A very well known name in the Ahmedabad textile fraternity, Nandan Terry specialises in terry towels, becoming one-stop shop for any kind of towel such as fashion towel, beach towel and basic towel. Keeping up with contemporary times where the world has been facing a deadly pandemic, Nandan Terry has been driven by innovation to develop ‘Shield’ towels that are crafted from superior OSMOSE yarn technology, thus creating oxygenated loops of cotton which fluff up after every wash and also dry faster.
Shield towels are luxurious towels that stay soft throughout and have an anti-viral finish on them, preventing accumulation of viruses and bacteria on the surface of the towel. Elaborating about their product strategy, Ronak Chiripal, Director, Nandan Terry, says, “We keep stressing on quality and customer services because we know that it is a highly competitive market.”
An MBA from the US, Ronak talks with passion about how even though the company is in its infant stages it has the experience of over 50 years because of the guidance of his immediate family and the entire management team that have been running other textiles companies in the Chiripal Group, dating back to 1972.
He further emphasises on the importance of customer relations, making it a point to meet the customers once or twice every year which is integral for a company’s growth. Though the pandemic has brought everything to a halt, Ronak interacts with customers very frequently through Zoom calls, keeping in touch and taking their feedback regarding the quality, services and new products.
Further, due to the fact that Ronak Chiripal’s family has been engaged with the textile business for the past 50 years and have played a key role in the overall development of the Indian textile industry, Nandan Terry has access to and a stronghold on the cotton supply chain, thus enabling them to source good quality cotton. “The concept of quality is deeply ingrained in every member’s mind and therefore orders are not accepted if the quality of cotton is not up to the mark,” Ronak states. “We want our customers to trust us for reasons like price, quality and services,” he adds.
Expecting the pandemic to have a backlash on the company’s overall turnout, Nandan Terry was in for a surprise to see exports still holding up and rising. In fact, there were more demands for fresh towels as everyone wanted to replace the old towels. As Nandan Terry deals internationally and the US was still selling a good number of home textile products, this was reflected in the company’s order book. Nandan Terry was able to deliver in time, thus concluding the year 2020 in a relatively positive manner and charting a smooth road ahead for 2021. A major role in Nandan Terry’s success is its state-of-the-art vertically integrated production process. Just like how the company carefully picks out quality grade cotton, Nandan Terry operates with the latest technology and does not compromise on the quality of machines or the skills of the operators.
It generates 28-29 tonnes a day and can stitch up to 27 tonnes day. “We have learned a lot from both the pioneers in this industry as well as our competitors,” Ronka says. Since the last year and a half, the company has been using Egyptian cotton, the finest cotton the world has to offer when it comes to quality, thus attracting customers from Europe, United States and a few from Australia. Australian cotton, which is known to be the most water-efficient cotton in the world, is also what Nandan Terry makes their towels out of. Overall, 15% of the cotton they use is Egyptian and the rest is Indian cotton which comes from Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan. Ronak also credits the company’s success to its dedicated employees. “We create a win-win situation for all of us as we respect and take care for our employees,” he states.
Even at the height of the pandemic and the resulting lockdown, the company did not lay off a single worker. In fact, the management ensured that all its employees and their immediate families were inoculated at the earliest at no cost. Nearby villagers were provided with employment opportunities and essential supplies during the lockdown. And now that the worst of the crisis is over, the company is all set to rekindle its expansion plans.
“We have planned for 25% expansion in 2021 and intend on adding 70% to 80% more capacity by adding 24 looms to our existing 102 looms. We want to be the best when it comes to towel manufacturing,” Ronak concludes.