Samsonite, the well-known global luggage manufacturer and retailer intends to expand its production capacity in India by establishing the largest manufacturing operation in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. The corporation has two operating units in Belgium and Hungary in Europe.
According to Jai Krishnan who is the CEO of Samsonite South Asia Pvt. Ltd in India, the company expects the Indian unit to meet the company’s global luggage requirements as it works on its ‘China Plus One’ strategy to deal with supply chain disruptions.
“The unit at Nashik will be Samsonite’s biggest manufacturing base in this year itself. In the last two years, we had invested Rs 150 crores to double production capacity to cater to local demand. Now, we are planning to invest another Rs 100 crores to further expand capacity at the same location,” said Krishnan.
He also added that the Indian unit would help the company to meet the long-term requirements of the company globally. According to the reports, the company would install 10 machines and eight more assembly lines which would be ready for production by January 2024.
“Now we are again going for a second expansion, we will start construction most probably in January or February (2023). We will complete that in one year. So by 2024, we are going to be ready for that when it booms further. In three years it will keep doubling, that’s my view’, the CEO was quoted.
Krishnan stated that demand for the company’s products was increasing in India due to pent-up demands for marriage and luxury travel. In comparison to the first half of the previous year, growth in the first six months of 2022 was 109 percent. “In 2022, we are expected to grow by 35 percent as compared to our best year ever. 2023 will be better than this year and this trend will continue for one and half years. The Indian market has rebounded faster than expected,” he added.
Meanwhile, the company introduced a new, durable, and lightweight luggage collection made from recycled material named Magnum Eco. Reports mention that around 483 yogurt cups and 14 plastic bottles worth of recycled plastic trash is used to create one large Magnum Eco luggage.
“The Magnum Eco range help reduce carbon footprint while ensuring high performance and durability. The launch represents a significant innovation advance for the luggage sector and advances Samsonite’s efforts to become the most environmentally conscious manufacturer of travel and lifestyle goods,” the company said.
“Sustainability is built into our 112-year heritage. While products like Magnum Eco, and our new range of hard-side cases made with recycled materials are recent innovations, we have always used resources respectfully. We have always been focused on making durable, long-lasting, high-quality products and promoting product repairability as an alternative to disposal and replacement”, Krishnan was quoted.
Samsonite, the world’s largest luggage company and the second largest in India, has stated that the group’s sales in the first half of 2022 increased by about 40 percent over the pre-Covid high of 2019, and by 110 percent over the same time the previous year. Samsonite, which has a global history of 112 years, opened its first facility in Nasik in 1997. It has 21 branches in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, as well as four regional offices.
