The company’s relentless focus on quality has helped it win the trust of global customers
There is no doubting the fact that home textiles is among the fastest growing market segments in the textile industry. There is also no doubting the fact that slowly but surely it is a market segment where Indian companies are beginning to make a strong mark through their innovative products, design prowess, quality standards and customer service. Coimbatore-based Srisha Fine Linens (P) Ltd. is one such company, which is silently making inroads into some key global markets, winning the trust and confidence of some of the most discerning customers within a short period.
The company manufactures and exports a wide range of home textile products, including duvet covers, quilts, kids bedding, comforters, window panels, blankets, throws, decorative pillows, tote bags, table linen, kitchen linen and fashion accessories.
The Textile Magazine caught up with the husband-wife duo of CEO R. Palvannan and Managing Director Poornima Palvannan at their Coimbatore head office and got to know from them their growth story. The dynamic duo gave insights into the company’s brief history, products, design focus, research and development, product USPs, and plans, among others.
Tracing the roots of the company, Mrs. Palvannan said: “Although our company came into existence formally in April 2018, it was incorporated in 2017. While our main focus is on bed linens, we also do table and pillow products as well.” While the company may be relatively new, the team has 20+ years of combined experience on account of the promoters’ rich and varied background in the textile industry.
R.Palvannan, who has studied both textile technology and fashion, has over 22 years of experience in the textile industry covering an entire gamut of areas including fashion, home textiles, apparel, leather accessories, etc., having been associated with various leading names in the textile business.
Mrs. Palvannan is a management graduate with diverse industry experience and handles the finance and administrative part of the business, while also being the key strategist to take the company to the next level. “You can say our main forte is ‘top of the bed’ (TOB), window and kids. It is an area where we have carved a niche for ourselves. We do comforters, quilts, decorative pillows, blankets, etc. under this category. We also do sheetings. Kids’ products such as crib beds, kids nest, sleeping bags, quilts, etc., make another area of strength for us,” Palvannan adds.
Strong design focus
Design is known to play a key role in the success of home textile products. It is no different in the case with Srisha Fine Linens. “Yes, we are very strong in the design part. When you are focusing on TOB, you have to be good in the design department. Needless to say, we have an exclusive design team, with some of the finest young talents in the industry. We have to constantly think on our feet. We have to be aware of what’s happening in the market – the trends, fashion, colour, texture, fabrics, etc.,” Mrs. Palvannan points out.
Continuing further on the topic, R. Palvannan says: “We sit down and have a detailed discussion with the customers and brainstorm ideas. We give them our inputs. They come out with their ideas. Remember, we also need to take into account things such as the brand image, the history of the brand, their promotional strategies, etc. So, you need to understand what the customer wants.”
Systematic working methodology
For a company that came into existence only about a couple of years back, it is indeed remarkable that Srisha Fine Linens has been able to make significant inroads into the competitive North American market. What is the secret behind this quick progress? Mrs. Palvannan replies: “We are pretty hands-on right from the yarn till the final finished product. We follow a very systematic working methodology. We see to it that all quality parameters are met at every stage. We also see to it that the customers’ requirements are met at every stage. We make sure that everyone in the team is on the same page. This kind of synchronized work has helped us make relatively quick progress.”
Adds R. Palvannan: “As you know, the made-ups industry is predominantly unorganised because it is very labour-oriented. What we have done is to come out with specialised training programs to help the workers understand what the industry wants. We are arranging a lot of classroom sessions for them. We tell them how important quality is for success. We make them understand the importance of professional and aesthetic packaging. Therefore, now they understand the key role that packaging plays.”
Sustainability focus
The company’s modern manufacturing unit is located in Coimbatore where they have had experts in Jacquards and Dobby looms put up the entire process. There are 50 looms now in operation on this site. “Our plant in Coimbatore has got a capacity of 50 machines. We have around 50 team members working in this plant. We also have an exclusive research and development setup also running out of the same premises,” R. Palvannan informs. Given the fact that they are competing in one of the toughest market segments, what makes Srisha Fine Linens stand out from the crowd?
Responding to this question, R. Palvannan states: “The fact that we are willing to take up challenging jobs gives us a competitive edge. We don’t want to run behind the commodity segments just to fill up capacity. Our passion is always to create a new and innovative product line. So, we have made a conscious decision to do more challenging products that customers usually find it difficult to source. We also focus on runner products. The products have been carefully chosen to meet or beat the market demands on price.”
The company also has a strong sustainability focus. Providing details, Mrs. Palvannan says: “We use 100% organic cotton for our products which is GOTS-certified. We are a SEDEX-audited facility.” The company intends to gradually spread its global footprint.” Right now we are exporting to the US, Australia and Europe. We are also working with a few Canadian as well as New Zealand clients. We want to grow gradually and move towards the next level,” Mrs. Palvannan says.
Forward integration
The company’s top management has charted out a clear-cut growth path. “As mentioned to you earlier, we have been putting in efforts to create a niche for ourselves in the market and we have already made significant inroads into the market. We have a professional setup. We also have an external consultant – an IIM graduate with wide knowledge in business – supporting us in strategizing our growth plans. We have plans to go for an IPO in the next five years. Right now, we are in the process of setting up all the base points. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done,” R. Palvannan says.
Continuing further on the subject, Mrs. Palvannan states: “We aim to be an Rs. 50 billion turnover company in the next five years. We are working towards it. We are planning to integrate forward. We have plans to set up an office in the US exclusively to serve our customers better. These are some of the ideas in the pipeline and we are very confident that we are moving in the right direction towards making them a reality.”