Human centric approach

In an exclusive interview with Bedraj Tripathy AVP, Marketing, Godrej Interio   What are the latest products offered by your brand? As leaders in the Furniture and Interiors, we have a number of products that have recently been launched in Home as well as Office spaces. Godrej Interio (GI), part of a conglomerate that believes in ‘Design Thinking’ as a strategy for innovation, GI believes in a human centered approach which allows them to develop products and processes from a user point of view and offer benchmarking consumer experiences. The brand understands the user needs, challenges and thereafter offers solutions that ultimately lead to the development of their products that cater to basic human needs and aspirations. Given this philosophy, GI aims at creating interiors ecosystems and experiences. Based on consumer insights and market trends in India, Godrej Interio has developed products that are modular, flexible, helps consumers optimize space while staying stylish and apt for the modern Indian user. GI believes that the people interact with their living spaces constantly and by providing solutions to transform their living spaces, it can actually transform lives of its users. Hence the communication platform “transforms your life”. With not a B2C and B2B approach but a user eccentric approach GI provides products which have parallels in home and office spaces. A product like ‘Broadway’ sofa, which can adapt to any home space like building blocks to ‘Dfine’ an adaptive workspace solution which cater to plethora of activities leading to happy and productive work environments. With users’ storage needs never being constant, GI have developed ‘Kreation X2’ wardrobe, which can be extended or re-configured accordingly and ‘Gain’ Storage in Office spaces which can adapt to any scale of storage needs. Similarly ‘Hyacinth’ bed-room which is flexible and ‘Enlighten’ desking that is flexible in design to be set up for any kind education space. Over above this, GI provides customized solution for kitchens keeping in mind the Indian users in terms of ergonomics and usage patterns. What are the market trends for 2016? Home Spaces: With exposure to global lifestyles and increase in disposable income, users are looking at emulating new modern home experiences. This is leading to new home designs and hence, furniture and furnishings. This is also a driver for more organized players thronging the market place. Some key trends:

• Openness in spaces
• Pastel colors with grey shades work on them
• Fabric usage in furniture
• Hi-gloss finishes (PU) in furniture

Office Spaces Some key trends:

• Collaborative work spaces
• Corporate clients look for brand colors in spaces so as play with their identity
• One-stop interior solution provider
• Shift towards Branded Players

What is the USP of your company? GI believes that the people interact with their living spaces constantly and by providing solutions to transform their living spaces based on user needs and applications. GI offers specialized furniture and interior solutions to every vertical. In the last couple of years, we have scaled up our presence in certain segments like Education, Banking & Healthcare. We have designed specific solutions for these segments and developed product offerings which in turn have been the pivot of our growth. The success of these products indicates the wide ranging opportunities in the current Indian market, where customers in these segments are willing to look at solutions which offer them a higher value and help meet their plans. Our Marine Accommodations business, for instance, provides solutions to shipbuilders, including outfitting the interiors of submarines. Our Godrej Laboratory Furniture and Engineering Solutions business specializes in offering complete, end-to-end service, from plastering to furnishing. Moreover, we work closely with global partners and international organizations making us the only company in the country with global competencies.