A respected brand has its roots deep in history. For Durian, the origin goes back to the Birla’s in British empire with Mr L.N. Dokania made his presence felt in the plywood business scenario of that time.
Cut to 1985, when Sajjan Dokania decided to tap into the expanding market for premium, customized furniture by importing and selling finished furniture products in his catchment area. The zeal to move forward was based on two concrete belief systems; customer satisfaction and constant innovation.
With this motive, Durian started its plywood business in 1985 and impressed its growing clientele so much that 4 plywood manufacturing units were set up at Palghar, Maharashtra in 1991.
Durian excelled at a raging speed from there on.
Expansion Timeline:
1. The first decorative veneer manufacturing unit was set up by Sajjan Dokania at Palghar, Maharashtra in May, 1995.
2. A PVC manufacturing unit for door skin and modelled doors was set up at Wada, Maharashtra in 1998.
3. The first modular furniture facility was set up in 2006 in Palghar, Maharashtra. The year also saw establishment of a hi-tech decorative laminates facility in Ahmedabad.
4. A seating manufacturing facility and veneer slicing facility was set up in Palghar,Maharashtra in 2007.
5. A lamination production line and barcoding system for decorative laminates was started in 2011.
6. The modular facility expanded to a 52,000 sq.ft facility to make room for home and board furniture manufacture in 2012. At the same time, an ETP plant was commissioned to recycle 10 lac litres of water/month for the laminate facility.
7. Leather was introduced in sofa manufacturing in 2017.
8. The brand diversified into production and delivery of décor products and interior design consultation services in 2018. It also launched Phenolam laminates in the same year.
9. The brand established retail door showrooms across India to increase customer reach.
Procedures Ensuring Success
Full integration of raw material supply, manufacturing processes, inventory management, networking, stores and after-sales assures smooth product distribution for Durian. What started with the manufacturing of raw material like plywood has become a force to reckon with in finished furniture products. The brand has expanded production of sofas, beds, chairs and office furniture to service a range of stakeholders in the community from schools, colleges, offices, hospitals to even airports.
It has now made forays into modular doors addressing the safety and security concerns of homeowners. Durian doors emerge from a unique model in which doors get ready beforehand and get installed (without nails) in 70 minutes.
This has been made possible because:
● Brand trust: Durian partners with suppliers of raw materials, finished goods, wooden products, upholsteries and hardware from Japan, Malaysia, U.S.A., Germany, Belgium, France and Italy since 25 years, ensuring trustworthy sourcing of materials.
● Countrywide network: Working with over 20,000 dealers and over 90 authorised distributors in India, Durian operates from 74 offices with a 1500-plus strong workforce. It also exports products to 14 countries such as Dubai, Singapore, Canada, Russia, Morocco
● Omnichannel approach: Durian adopts a 9-step omnichannel approach starting from product inquiry to inventory movement and after-sales services to give a seamless and transparent shopping experience to its customers.
● CSR activity: The brand organizes a monthly health camp across different cities of Rajasthan wherein free treatment is provided to over 1000 patients across various verticals of medicine such as orthopaedics, gynaecology, ENT, cataract surgeries, etc.
● Recognition programmes: Every year, 500 budding architects are honoured with sponsorships and awards.
Product Value Chain:
Durian has a unique approach towards its six verticals as under:
● Home furniture: Imported products are curated to suit specific needs of customers for corporate spaces. The brand also accepts orders for total customization of furniture for living rooms, bed rooms, dining rooms and décor.
● Office furniture: Durian offers a wide range of product categories such as customizable workstations, desks, conference tables, laboratory, retail furniture and fixtures from the smallest office space to large auditoriums.
● Veneers: Veneer sheets are manufactured as per design requirements and processed into furniture, doors and wall panels, to be distributed to over 80 dealers and distributors countrywide.
● Plywood: A pioneer in this vertical, Durian produces multiple grades of plywood which are processed in the veneer and furniture manufacturing facility to be distributed across supply channels.
● Laminates: Durian is one of the biggest players in the organized laminate market, ensuring the right blend of technology and attention to laminates.
● Doors: Durian produces flush doors, solid Moulded panel doors, laminated moulded panel doors,veneer door and regular moulded panel doors for new as well as old establishments.
Awards and Certification:
The brand has been recognized as:
● One of the 25 most promising companies by CEO Insights in 2018.
● Amongst India’s most trusted brands in 2018
● Power brand of India in 2011
● And numerous certifications from AGSI, ISI, BIFMA and the likes
With powerhouse brands such as Adobe, Reliance, Bank of Baroda, Taj, Airtel, Viacom, Infosys, Glenmark as clients, Durian continues to scale new heights of product innovation and customer delight with passing time.
Watch: Our journey of becoming India’s one of the leading furniture brand.
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