NEW DELHI, India — Warwick Australia has established direct India operations to market its furnishing fabric collections based on India’s high emerging market potential says Cameron Warwick, Warwick Joint Managing Director. He timed the announcement to the Heimtextil India exhibition in June. Warwick is the first overseas company in India that has taken the lead to establish its direct distribution. The company says it has already placed its collections with its 60 retailers across top cities in India. Warwick is not new to India and has been reaching major retailers here for 10 years through Seasons. Indian markets are steadily growing at 8-10 percent annually and is estimated to have 100-125 million upwardly moving consumers.  Warwick sees India as a very important emerging market with huge potential that appreciates and accepts good products with international trends at reasonable premium price tags. Warwick realized the need to cater to this market more quickly with its wider range of collections.More importantly Warwick saw the need to offer ready stocks to expand its market reach. Warwick had to work on a more appropriate business model to its marketing efforts than practiced earlier in order to grow faster in India. “We had to establish direct Indian operations for Warwick by incorporating in India,” Cameron Warwick says. “It took us a year and a considerable amount of patience to complete various formalities but we finally did it.” Warwick as an importer and wholesaler sources fabrics from Australia, China, Turkey and India. Warwick’s will be offering collections to hospitality industry, designers and high end homes in India. Warwick depends on importing fabrics. As a result, it says it has worked out an efficient logistics arrangement and will maintain a steady stock level. Stocks via sea shipment are regular while air shipments reach within four to five days thus maintaining ready stocks always. ‘We will ensure supplies within 48 hours to all retailers all over India that matches well with Indian mill suppliers’, concluded Cameron.“We expect to grow in the Indian market. We have found in the past that it is easier to work with Indian partners for sourcing than with China. We are comfortable with Indian culture and its life style. Indian attitudes easily gel with international trends,” he says. “There are many large mills in India that cater to the domestic and global furnishings market but Warwick observes there is no real competition or similarities with Warwick designs. “About 80 percent of our product line is Western oriented; this is different from Indian suppliers and our designs/ textures will occupy the category of premium collections”, he adds. The price sensitive Indian market is fast maturing and we have taken care to price the products at an affordable price and current price acceptance is highly encouraging as exclusivity of product lines matter to architects as well other elite customers.” Warwick also offers a three-year commercial warranty on its merchandise offering a higher comfort zone to its customers. –by Vishwanath. S