~ Interview with Manal Parikh, Business Development Director, Aakar Corporation
What made you decide to venture into the manufacturing of knobs and handles?
We’ve been established in the hardware industry for over 30 years, gaining extensive experience with a diverse range of products. Along the way, we discovered that handles and knobs stand out as some of the most elegant elements for enhancing furniture—essentially, they are the “jewellery” of furniture. Recognising this, we decided to fully focus on furniture handles around 20 years ago. Today, we offer a broad array of designs and are proud to be among the leading players in our field.
What are the latest trends in knobs and handles? What kind of materials, textures, finishes, colours are in demand?
Currently, long wardrobe handles, around 40 inches in length, are gaining popularity, particularly for hinged wardrobes. Additionally, sleek designs are very much in vogue for kitchen hardware.
In terms of finishes, pastel-colored shutters are trending, and handles that complement these trends look great in wooden or PVD matte finishes. You can explore a wide variety of these styles and finishes in our collection.
What drives the knobs and handles industry?
The industry is highly dynamic and constantly evolving. We discuss new developments at least once a week, as trends change rapidly, much like the fashion industry.
Tell us about your manufacturing processes.
We deal in Aluminium and Zinc (Zamac) articles. One of them is the die-casting based process. And one is an extrusion oriented process. Followed by these are all finish oriented processed
Starting with buffing, layers of nickel, copper, followed by plating/anodizing/powder coating depending on the size and finish of the handle. We have a set-up of over 40,000 sq ft, with over 150 employees working
What is your retail network like? Do you have franchises or work with distributors?
We operate through a distributor network with over 800 direct and indirect dealers across India. Additionally, our export division includes distributors in five countries. We are looking to engage with large-scale furniture manufacturers and seek potential distributors in the Middle Eastern countries. We hope Furtech Show will be able to help us here.
How much of your business is in the Middle East? If none, then what made you venture into the Middle East market?
We supply certain quantities to 2/3 importers. But it is a very new market for us.
We came across this show which specifically taps our target customers and hence thought of venturing into the Middle East.
What made you decide to participate at the Furtech Show? Who are you expecting to meet?
We expect to meet:
– Large scale furniture factories having project supplies
– Distributors of certain Kitchen/Wardrobe hardware who might be interested in furniture handles as an additional product
– Certain Furniture handle specialist who are already buying from certain sources but open to explore a newer fresher brand
What innovations will you be showcasing here?
We have a vast design range with all trending designs and finishes
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