TATA CERAMICS

Profile

Incorporated in 1991, Tata Ceramics has combined British bone china technical expertise with a judicious blend of imported and domestic raw materials to produce internationally acclaimed fine bone china tabletop products.

Areas of business

A wide range of products, including hollow-ware and flat-ware items in plain and fluted shapes, is manufactured at the factory. The company also makes a wide variety of mugs in various shapes, sizes and designs. The china is available in both classic and contemporary designs. All products meet the norms of the Food and Drug Administration, USA, and Europe on metal release parameters.

The company's products are exported to UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Italy, Germany, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Location

The factory is located on the Malabar coast in the Cochin Export Processing Zone at Kochi in Kerala.

Contact

Plot No. 26, Cochin Export Processing Zone,

Kakkanad, Kochi 682 030,Kerala,India.

Phone: +91 (484) 241 3230, 3120, 3261, 3212Fax: + 91 (484) 241 3231, 3228

Email: tataceramics@asianetindia.com

MEDIA REPORTS

TCL China graces best dining roomsEconomic Times — February 4, 2003

Tata Ceramics makes specially designed crockery for some of the World’s Best Brands.What does the President of India dine on when entertaining state guests? Well, for the head of Republic it has to be classical and also reflective of the Republic.

In case you didn’t know, crockery at the Rashtrapati Bhavan dining rooms for state guests are crafted out of exquisite white bone china with elegant navy blue borders circled with an intricate gold leaf design.

And sure enough, the hallowed Ashoka Pillar, with the three lions perched on top, is engraved in gold that stands out against the backdrop of the royal-blue border. The crockery designs are developed in Italy and hand-crafted on each piece in 22K gold with platinum.

And here comes the heart-stopper. Each of these, nay, all Rashtrapati Bhavan crockery is now manufactured by Tata Ceramics Limited! No more does presidential crockery get imported from Rosenthal, the German subsidiary of Wedgwood. Not anymore.

And should you have any doubts whatsoever about desi quality vis-a-vis phoren, suffice to say that TCL also manufactures specially-designed bone china table-top ware for some of the world’s best brands: Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Churchill....just name it. Wait, unless you are travelling first class British Airways or Air New Zealand or Turkish Airways— for, the crockery they serve their food in on these flights are, once again TCL! Class tells.

No wonder, therefore, the ministry for external affairs placed orders last year on this little known Tata company for supply of crockery to all Indian embassies abroad. Nearly 90% of TCL’s Rs.20 crore turnover is accounted for by its European market alone, although TCL products spread over a large part of Australia, New Zealand and a bit of the United States too! About 80% of TCL bone china is picked up by Wedgwood, which the latter sells in its own brand name.

“Fine bone china is brand driven and the elite are its customers. Price is not relevant. The best brands reflect history and heritage... Wedgwood is after all a 250 year old company,” said Munish Gupta, executive director, TCL.

“We are just an twelve-year-old company. Making fine bone china is a combination of art and science and is learnt with experience. To cater to the top end of the market, we benchmark our quality to the best in the world”, Mr. Gupta said.

ARTICLESDishing out a winnerSeptember 25, 2003 Christabelle Noronha

"It’s a business which combines art and science," says Munish Gupta as he gets evangelical on the subject of crockery. It’s also a business where new ideas are vital, where tastes change rapidly, and where quality underlines every move. The Executive Director of Tata Ceramics knows all of this only too well.

"The critical success factor in this industry is innovation," he says. "Since this is a fashion-oriented business you have to constantly bring in new materials, production techniques and designs. Also, you have to create distinct products for each market.“

That’s because the crockery requirements of different cultures are as varied as their cuisine. For instance, in Saudi Arabia, where families are large and people eat together, a typical dinner will involve about 90 pieces of crockery. In the United States it will take just 20 pieces to serve the typical four-member household. Italy, like the rest of the Mediterranean region, has a fondness for soup — and soup bowls. And the Chinese need a plethora of small bowls for their sauces.

"It’s a very fragmented market and each demands its own configuration in terms of number of pieces, design, size and shape," says Mr Gupta. Tata Ceramics tried initially to cater to this unwieldy spread in its entirety — with little success. "[Your products] may work in one country but flop in another. So, if you are selling to 10 countries you should have 10 different offerings. That’s an expensive proposition.“

The crockery on display at the Tata Ceramics factory in Kakkanad, near Kochi — plates, teacups, saucers and tureens in a cornucopia of shapes, sizes, colours and designs — have been crafted mostly for the export market, but they don’t carry the company’s tag. Instead, the exquisite bone china and porcelain coming out of Kakkanad bear the mark of celebrated names such as Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Churchill.

Truth is, some of the world’s finest tableware is created by Tata Ceramics. Which is why it finds prime space on the most exclusive tables in the gastronomic universe, like the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The crockery gracing the presidential dining room has been crafted by Tata Ceramics and the motifs use 22-carat gold and pure platinum.

While the company sells its products to select institutions and the hospitality sector in India, its focus is on exports. The upsurge in the demand for lifestyle products and accessories has elevated Indian ceramic designers and craftsman to international prominence. Tata Ceramics is cashing in on this demand by banking on its crockery craftsmanship and designing skills.

"The major players in this field, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Villeroy & Boch, Richard Ginori, Royal Worcester, have a history of over 200 years," says Mr Gupta. "We have been around for just seven years." That is one reason why Tata Ceramics has to piggyback its offerings through, among others, Wedgwood, Churchill and Royal Doulton, retail chains with an annual turnovers of more than $1 billion each and distribution channels in 60-70 countries.

These chains conduct regular market surveys, based on which they provide Tata Ceramics with contracts to manufacture and handcraft specific sets of products. "We make the product and they sell it under their brand name," says Mr Gupta. "We need brand equity support, hence we have tied up with these names. This way we cut down our risk."

Wedgwood, one of the company’s prized clients, buys crockery from India, Thailand and China, the dominant force in the world crockery market with a 40 per cent share.

Tata Ceramics has to notch up excellent quality-price ratios to compete successfully on the global stage. That’s where processes come into play. The company has adopted the ‘acceptable quality level’ system, a statistical method with several parameters. Besides China and Thailand, the competition includes South Korea, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Keeping ahead of this lot, never an easy task, depends on continuously delivering superior quality at attractive prices. Another crucial factor is quick and dependable delivery.

Tata Ceramics clocked revenues of Rs 22.00 crore in 2006-07, with a 30 per cent share of the Indian crockery export market. The company sold products worth Rs 2 crore in the domestic market to clients in the hospitality sector, such as the Taj Group, etc.

"Everyone in India makes bone china, but you will not be able to discern the quality," says Mr. Gupta, drawing attention to a point that is largely ignored in the country. "The Indian consumer needs to be educated about the technicalities and materials that go into the making of good crockery, but that requires a lot of money."

Indians also have a lot to learn about crockery that can kill. For example, the colour red on crockery comes by adding cadmium, a toxic element; the more cadmium you use, the greater the lustre of the crockery. Consumers run the risk of contracting cancer through extended use of cadmium-treated tableware. The dangers go beyond red. Even a white-coloured plate poses a threat if the surface has a lot of lead, which comes on account of the micro-fine glass that is sprayed on crockery to give it that glaze.

Tata Ceramics has refused to cut corners on the safety front. "We operate in an international market where there are stringent requirements on heavy-metal release," says Mr. Gupta. The company’s products conform to international norms on lead and cadmium release. It has recently switched to lead-free glazing. That it imports 70 per cent of the raw material used in its ‘safety-first’ processes means that the products cost more.

Be it from a health perspective or the aesthetics of elegant eating, Tata Ceramics deserves a place at the head of dining tables across the world.

ARTICLESCrockery with a touch of classDecember 15, 2001 Sujata Agarwal

Crockery that adds elegance to your dining table is a pleasant accompaniment to a spread of good food. And the fine bone china crockery from Tata Ceramics enhances the eating experience in more ways than one, which might explain why the president of India dines off its merchandise.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan is among a long list of residences where Tata Ceramics crockery is a part of the food habit. The company’s products combine sophistication with toughness, are highly resistant to chipping, and are easy to clean. This is the sort of crockery that can be used for occasions both ordinary and special.

Tata Ceramics products have a lead free, glazed finish that does not absorb moisture. The lead and cadmium content in them is far below internationally permissible standards. The company also manufactures mugs that come in all shapes and sizes. Some of these mugs have pretty pictures of animals, flowers and fruits on them, and others have colourful geometric designs.

Tata Ceramics introduces three to four designs for dinner and tea sets every year, and 16 new designs for mugs. Its products are bought by leading hotels and airlines and more than 95 per cent is exported, mainly to Britain, the United States, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. The company also manufactures specially designed crockery for Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Churchill China in Britain.

Bringing Seven Exclusive

HOTELWARE

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MALABAR RANGE

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DUCHESSA RANGE

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SOME SALIENT FEATURES OF

TATA CERAMICS PRODUCTS

Regular / Customised / Specially Designed

High Chip Resistance

Microwave ready Crockery

Lead Cadmium Free

No Metal Marks

Hygenic

International Quality

Manufacturer of International Brands like Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Churchill, Villeroy & Boch, Richard Ginori.

VALUE FOR MONEY

Buy under EPCG / Duty Free Licence

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