A kitchen in 48 hours..

Nolte Home Studio, maker of fitted kitchens and bedrooms, is expanding in India. Its director, B V K Rao, talks to Aabhas Sharma

It is three years since Nolte came to India. How has the experience been?
We started operations in Hyderabad and Bangalore and then moved on to Mumbai and Delhi. The experience has been good so far and the response we have got is excellent. We are hopeful that in the coming years, Nolte will become a name to reckon with in the kitchen fittings market.

Do you think the Indian market is ready for such offerings? What is the price range of your kitchen fittings?
Absolutely. Unlike many other international players, we cater to a wide market. The market is well supported by the explosion in both lifestyle apartments and high-end villas. It’s still a niche market, but the awareness is growing and the customers know what they want. We know that our offerings are much better than the competition’s, and the customer response is testimony to that. Our kitchen range starts from Rs 2 lakh and goes up to Rs 35 lakh.

What is the USP of Nolte Home Studio in India?
We offer the customer a chance to experience the difference we can make to their homes by inviting them to get a look and feel of the fittings. And we live up to our promise of getting the kitchen installed in 48 hours, something our competition is not able to manage. We offer a vast range of kitchens — from real wood to high-gloss lacquer, with over 60 types of finishes and colours, which helps a customer to find exactly what suits them the best.

Going forward, how do you think the market will change, and what are your plans?
The market is still in a nascent stage, but has a lot of potential to grow. Our aim is to get a kitchen a day installed by 2011. We also want to expand our retail presence and reach out to more customers. We have tie-ups with real estate companies and want to capitalise on those as well.