Starting his career in the garment industry in 1976, Ketan Modi, MD, Ketan Enterprise is credited with bringing Jack industrial sewing machines into the Indian market in 2000 when most people were not looking at Chinese technology. Today, Modi is marketing the brand to the western region and with his son prepared to join the family business soon, he is looking to expand his region wider with the brand. “Initially, we found it difficult to convince people to try the Jack brand and to be honest, the quality too was not so good, but now the brand is a leader and we are fulfilling orders with the least effort in marketing,” says a satisfied Modi.
Indeed, the brand has come a long way. When Modi started working with Jack, the monthly production was only 3,000 machines. Currently the brand manufactures over 80,000 machines in various models per month. “One of the biggest advantages of working with Jack is that they are very responsive to market needs and they make machines as per the requirement of the customers,” says Modi. He adds that spare parts for the machine are not a problem as parts of other reputed brands can be successfully used. “The R&D by Jack is world class and the machine has moved into all areas of woven production including direct-drive machines to save energy,” informs Modi.
As a wholesaler, Modi does not directly deal with the manufacturing companies, but the movement he has seen downstream convinces him that the market is picking up. “I am very confident that 2013 should be a good year for exports and we are seeing companies again looking to invest, which is a good sign,” reasons Modi. As for the domestic market, like every technology provider, Modi too is upbeat in the interest generated by the local producers to expand and upgrade their factories. “Growth is certainly coming from the domestic manufacturers, but the exporters cannot be overlooked as I see renewed interest in upgrading facilities from this segment,” says Modi.
Having worked for the industry for more than two decades, Modi feels that more than very high technology, what the industry looks for is reliable technology with good after-sales support. “One of the reasons that Jack has such a good market position in India is that it is a sturdy machine giving good performance and meets all the requirements
which an Indian manufacturer is looking for, from price to quality,” says Modi. No wonder he is happy to work with Jack and is not looking to expand his brand offerings, but instead to increase his marketing reach with the same brand.
