German kitchen maker in India

The euro 650-mn Alno also plans plant.

After making a name in China and Southeast Asian countries, Germany's euro 650 million kitchen manufacturer, Alno, is now in India.

"The non-availability of the right partners to market our products kept us from the Indian market," said Peter Esser, area manager, Alno. It was also the non-availability of scale which did not make it economical for Alno to consider it reasonable to enter India.

In about two years, the company aims to set up a plant to manufacture its range of kitchens priced from Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. With volumes of high-end goods being sold in the country going up, high-end kitchens are also catching up, said Esser.

If volumes are good enough, Alno may also consider setting up a plant in a joint venture with Bangalore-based Trident Interwood, said Hardeep Sawhney, its managing director. Interwood has invested Rs 10 crore in its showroom, which will also has Alno's line of products.