Take a tour to Kangleipak Interior, its products can whet your appetite! The virtual picture of its products, in their Facebook page, has exceeded 1000 ‘Likes’; and the ‘People Talking About’ is more than 218. Kangleipak Industries,which is now known asKangleipak Interior, is one-of-a-kind interior and furnishing firm from Manipur nestling with a theme-line — ‘Where Decorating Homes Becomes an Addiction’.
Handsome Profit
The numerous ‘Likes’ and ‘Talks’ are all about its end-products — the furnishings that are exquisitely designed to meet the demands of its end-users. Whether for a descent or modern furnishingset for homes or offices or loungerfor the lobby or guest room for majestic looking star-hotels; or the spongy ottoman with zappy colours and zesty styles, ready-to-use for the young trans-music-generation’s cafe houses, this firm brings a rainbow of designs which whet many shopper’s appetite, and its sales volume bring round Rs20-30 lakh per annum.
Brain Behind the Venture
The brainbox behind the Kangleipak Interioris a 26-year-old Commerce graduate of DM College of Commerce, who dreamt of studying Interior Designing but his life situation distanced him from materialising it.
He said, “I desired to study Interior Designing but I couldn’t as I was the only one to look after my family, and the business too”. Noor Hassan, the youngest of four siblings, has three sisters of whom two are married and both of their parents have passed away.
When Manipur Times enquired about the source from where he learnt and developed the concept and syntax of designing, this young and dynamic soft-spoken boy said with a mild voice, “I learn it from virtual platforms, I subscribe to magazines, publications that specially deals with interior designs and furnishings”.
Inherited Knowledge
Noor Hassan further said that he inherited the business from his father Sheik Gul Mohammad. He added, “Since after the death of my father, I have been managing the business entirely, and my mother also left us earlier in 1993”.
When enquired about the past of their furnishing business, he said, “My father built up the business from the scratch, and he was really a hard working man. He did many odd jobs in his life before the initiation of our furnishing business.”
He added, “My father wasn’t literate and during his youthful days, he professed himself into manual stone-crushing works; he spent labouring blue collar-jobs; he opened tea and snack stalls; he worked as brick mason and also he tried iron and steel works”.
He further maintained that their business initiations began small in 1985, as ‘Sheik Wood Industries’ and later renamed as ‘Kangleipak Industries’. And he, ultimately, switched it to ‘Kangleipak Interior’ after Noor got into the business.”
Noor Hassan is currently living with one of his sisters, and he placed heaps of high-end furnishing products in his own showroom that include products made from teak, pinewood and different types of timber. And he said most of the shoppers are ministers, high-profile business persons and citizens, few other government officers.
Design, Quality and Capacity
Noor stated, “For each product, the price heavily leans on design, quality and capacity”. He explained that standard Longer with a sitting capacity of six-persons starts at around Rs38,000; sofa with 4-sitter starts around Rs23000; couch, ottoman with 4-sitter prices depend on its quality, design, colours. Price of standard bed-room set starts at around Rs80,000 which consists of bed, dresser, almirah etc.
Challenging Part
Noor further shared the challenging part in running the business in state. He said that the transportation, raw material, law and order situation, market structure and its environment are few issues hampering the growth.
He added that most of the secondary raw materials are procured from outside the state, for instance fillers, sponges, leather material etc. He further added that his business is sometimes very seasonal in one part as wedding-seasonsare the only peak time for sale.
Future Plans
When Manipurtimes enquired about the future roadmap for widening the business horizon, he told that his firm is in the process of registering under the Directorate of Industries and Commerce (DIC), GOI to perform the business under MSI provision. But, he also lamented that the process seems to be going in a sluggish manner due to unexpected departmental rules and regulations. On the flip side of it he also said that he would like to market his firm’s products in the entire North East states. He further maintained that few from other states have started re-selling his firm’s products but not in a large chunk. He maintained that he is also planning to open a sale unit in Dimapur.
This young, dynamic, soft-spoken boy firmly believes in values, integrity and commitment as an integral part in broadening business prospects. He stated, “It is not good to ignore the sweat of labour of someone and we should compensate rightfully before their sweat dries.”
