Welspun to launch Umbro brand in US

Welspun India is all set to launch its towels and bed liner products in North America under the umbrella of the US-based Umbro brand. The products will be launched in the US market in the next 20 days.

"Once these products succeed in the US, we will be export them in the European market. Earlier, Umbro was only into sports jersey and shorts, but now it will also sell towels and other bed liners focusing on the higher-end category," said Akshay Jindal, president, Welspun India.

He also said, with the Umbro brand, the company will initially focus on towels only. "Gradually, we will add bed liners under the Umbro umbrella," Jindal said, adding that another US brand, Nautica, is already selling Welspun's bed liners.

Jindal further said Umbro is more popular among sportsmen, especially soccer player. "European market is highly influenced by soccer game; so we will also launch our towels in Europe under Umbro very soon," he added.

Umbro has a very large international market, but the company is not going to invest a huge amount for marketing. "We have analysed low budget for marketing the brand in the US, and we will also tie up with an international marketing firm," said Jindal.

"Since the company has already completed the first phase of investment of Rs 600 crore in December in bed liner products, now to increase the production capacity, we will start the second phase of investment estimated at Rs 650 crore from June in the Kutch unit," he said.

Currently, the company is producing 24,000 tonne of towels and 35 million metres of bed liners a year. "After the investment of Rs 650 crore, our bed liners production will be increased to 45 million metres, of which 90 per cent will be for the international market and 10 per cent for the domestic," Jindal said.

"As we are the largest home textile producers in Asia and the third in the world, we will continue producing cotton-based bed liners instead of polyster, as cotton-based products are of higher quality," he Jindal.