Creature Companion - Interzoo Special Interzoo Special 2018 | Page 41

Industry Connect
In conversation with Mr Kayamali Charania, manufacturer of
Kennel Doggy Articles in Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in 1971, Kennel Doggy Articles manufactures
collars, leashes, chains, choke chains, toys and other training
articles. We have 458 unique (SKUs) [full form fi rst] and supply
them to 95 major cities in India. Since then we have been in
manufacturing and supplying goods all across India. Th e one myth that obstructs growth is that Indian pet products
are of bad quality. Kennel as a brand has never faced this
however, and customers prefer our brand over other imported
brands. Nevertheless, I would like to tell our readers that Indian
brands are equally good and reliable.
Q: What is your product range? Do you make a point to add
new products every year?
We manufacture nylon collars, nylon leashes, small size and
medium size chains, small size and medium size choke chains,
rubber toys and various other training articles. All articles are
manufactured in India. Q: How do you see the Indian pet population growing in the
coming years? What is the primary need of pet owners?
Th e Indian pet population is growing at a very rapid pace. Th is
can be noticed from the growth in the breeder community.
Th e demand for pets in India is increasing and the business
opportunity is huge.
Yes, we do make a point to add new products as per customer
feedback. We have retail outlets where we get direct customer
feedback. Since we manufacture in India we are able to customise
and deliver the product quickly to the market. Pet owners need reliable service at aff ordable cost from pet
shops, vets and groomers so that they can enjoy the benefi ts of
having a pet/s without worrying about the operational issues of
managing a pet/s.
Q: Can you tell us the diff erences, in terms of quality, between
Indian product and foreign brands (food/accessories)? How
are you competing with them?
Foreign products of various quality levels are entering the
Indian market. Products with anonymous brands from China
are cheaper but with no guarantee. Products from well-known
top brands are of good quality but are very expensive. We try to
place ourselves in the sweet spot that provides good quality at
aff ordable price. Q: How extensive are your manufacturing facilities in terms
of machinery and quality control etc.?
Th e manufacturing of most of the products is semi-automatic.
Our semi-fi nished products are fi nally fi nished by human
labour. We focus a lot on the quality of the product but as
human labour is involved, keeping a tight control on quality
is a challenge.
Also we off er a guarantee on all our products, so customers are
confi dent that they can get it exchanged in case of any breakage.
Our focus is more on durability of the product and hence the
products last longer. In recent years we have begun facing
competition from products that are aesthetically appealing. We
are trying to work on that and have launched new colours and
designs.
Q: What is that one myth that deters pet owners from relying
on Indian pet products?
Q: What is your thought process on introducing new products
in the market?
We introduce new products in the market based on customer
feedback and internal discussions within the top management.
Th e best quality at aff ordable rate is our key objective while
introducing the product.
Q: What is the yearly turnover of the company? At what
percentage is your company growing today?
Since we are private company we can’t disclose the turnover.
However we are growing at an year-on-year (YoY) rate of 15 to
20 percent.