market for bathrooms has always been there. What has changed is the perspective. It's no longer a purely functional space but a place where people think, recharge themselves, unwind and even find a refuge from the daily grind of life. In other words, with such importance being conferred upon this area, bathrooms are being increasingly called upon to reflect the tastes of their occupiers. This change in mindset has spawned a whole new genre of bathrooms that now marry convenience, functionality, luxury, technology, colour and shape into a magical world. Builders and home owners alike are now realising that a bathroom with a built-in wow factor, enhances not only the desirability but also the value of a property. As a leader in bathroom fittings, Jaquar had a ringside view of the changing market. It was also, therefore, the first company to respond to the developing needs with an extensive product portfolio comprising not just bathroom fittings and accessories but also an entire range of lighting solutions as well. Achievements Jaquar has been a key player in transforming the bath-fittings industry, from merely utilitarian to the inspirational. The company has been able to achieve this by metamorphosing bathrooms from dull and drab spaces into sparkling facilities. In the process, the brand has set several new benchmarks. With constant innovation, up gradation and a series of launches of new sanitary ware collections, Jaquar has evolved from the number one bath fittings brand to the only brand that provides complete bathing solutions. With the introduction of co-ordinated range of sanitary ware and faucets, Jaquar has once again stolen a march over competitors. This range has added a new dimension to bath dcor and put in an even greater distance between itself and other manufacturers. But it isn't just colours, shapes and designs that make Jaquar an influential brand. Over the years, the company has kept an ear to the ground and learnt of special customer needs. To bridge the gap between what consumers want and what the industry provides, Jaquar has evolved a ten-year, no-questions asked warranty, after-sales-service that is available at the client's door step and even a preventive maintenance contract that could keep Jaquar-manufactured fittings and accessories looking good and new. Another industry first is Jaquar Orientation Centres. These are marketing innovations that allow buyers to understand the product they are buying, educate them on its usage and provide a plethora of ideas and solutions for bathrooms and interiors. As the largest exporter of bathroom fittings from India, Jaquar products also come with a BS EN 200 Certification the final, international stamp of quality. The brand, today, is acknowledged to be the undisputed market leader and a complete bathroom solutions provider, with a commanding presence across the country. Jaquar rewrote the rules and reincarnated the bath-fittings industry in India by creating products that were inspired by aesthetics and delivered reliability and quality. Its dominance and growth can be gauged from the fact that in the last three years the company has doubled its turnover. History Jaquar was established in 1986, by the late N L Mehra who ventured into manufacturing bath-fittings in 1960 under the brand name Essco. Thanks to his emphasis on quality and design development, the brand soon became a major player in the industry and acquired a fine reputation for transparency. The success of Essco revealed the huge unfulfilled demand for world-class bath-fittings in India. This singular fact led to the birth of Jaquar. In quick succession, Jaquar introduced a range of products with quality and looks as their defining features. This had a revolutionary effect on the industry and changed, forever, the rules by which this business was run. As it continued to forge new ground, Jaquar entered into strategic marketing tie-ups with a number of global companies. These included AO Smith from the US for water heaters; Glass Idromassaggio from Italy for whirlpool and shower units; Aquis, a pioneer in sensor technology; Breuer of Germany, manufacturers of a top-of-the-line range of shower enclosures; 68 BUSINESS SUPERBRANDS Third BUSINES Superbrands-2010-final 6/1/11 12:30 PM Page 68 Docol from Brazil for water-saving taps and flushes and SIAMP from Monaco for concealed cisterns. Effectively, Jaquar now operates in six distinct product verticals: faucets, high-end bath, shower and wellness systems, sanitary ware, water heaters, concealed cisterns and decorative lighting. Expansion into the home improvement segment has been just one of the reasons for Jaquar's success. The company owes much to its high standards of quality and innovation, driven by its research and development effort. Jaquar operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. These plants constitute one of the largest, single-unit facilities in Asia comprising three ultra modern manufacturing units spread across 103,000 square metres and with the capacity to manufacture 40,000 faucets per day. Product The range of products and permutation of finishes offered by Jaquar remain unmatched by any other manufacturer in India. The product portfolio comprises one of the most comprehensive collections of aesthetically- designed, hi-performing faucets, mixers, thermostatic mixers, showers, water heaters, sanitary ware, concealed cisterns, shower enclosures, complete wellness products and lighting products which include a dazzling range of indoor and out door lighting systems. With a conscious effort to contribute to the environment, almost all Jaquar products conform to green-building norms. The Jaquar sensor tap or the 'intelligent tap' as it is widely called is manufactured with the world's foremost sensor technology from Aquis. These taps sense movement near the spout and automatically regulate the flow of water, dispensing a pre- determined quantity. In public places such as hotels, hospitals, airports and theatres, where conservation is essential, these taps have found instant markets. The company's thermostatic diverters provide water flow at a uniform temperature set to individual specifications. This technology is currently in use in hotels and has the potential to find immediate benefit in homes to ensure that children are protected from a sudden spurt of hot water. Jaquar bath-fittings come in more than sixteen ranges encompassing everything from the economy to the high-end Artize range. Artize, the latest offering from Jaquar is like a work of art. The shapes and designs are exclusive and proprietary to the company. The parallel the company draws is that just as art always remains in vogue so also will the Artize collection. Each one of these products is manufactured on fully automatic and semi-automatic, high-speed, high- precision machines using advanced silica core technology. This guarantees an unblemished, defect-free product. Not satisfied with this assurance, Jaquar reconfirms the quality at its in- house testing laboratory equipped with pneumatic testing and endurance testing machines. Recent Developments In order to establish itself as a complete bathing solutions provider, Jaquar has launched its new sanitary ware collection perfectly complimenting its faucets and providing the ultimate contrast in co-ordinated bathroom dcor. It has split the range in two categories: Artize and Jaquar. The Artize Collection includes Kavalier, Leblanc, Xquisite, Signac, Celini, Angelo, Leon, Travina and Artize+. The Jaquar range comprises Florentine, Solo, Fonte, Aria, Lyric, Opal, Vignette, Fusion and Kubix. The sanitary ware collection made up of basins, water closets and bidets is synchronised with the faucet and bathroom accessories. The shapes and contours merge seamlessly, creating a bathroom like none other. It is one of the largest selections of top-end sanitary ware. Promotion The promotional campaigns for Jaquar have evolved with the company and have stressed reliability even as they have highlighted design sophistication. Jaquar has followed a multi-faceted promotion strategy that combines above-the- line promotion with trade-related orientation activities. Jaquar Orientation Centres have been set up not just to display futuristic products, but to also provide guidance, education and trends to both customers and retailers. The company believes that no initiative can be complete unless everyone involved is carried forward. This explains why Jaquar pays particular emphasis to training technicians and explaining to architects correct installation techniques and maintenance skills. Brand Values Jaquar, the brand, was built on the platform of quality and aesthetics, with the intent of providing Indians world- class products. The fact that it has succeeded in great measure is beyond doubt. What remains to be seen is how it will leverage its equity to reach other areas of the home that need the Jaquar touch. For the moment, however, it is watching markets evolve and planning other initiatives that will keep it firmly entrenched in its core area of competency the bathroom the place where people increasingly unwind. www.jaquar.com 69 BUSINESS SUPERBRANDS The name Jaquar is derived from Jai Kaur the name of the grandmother of the company's founding director Jaquar adds more than 2000 new customers every day Jaquar has launched a new sanitary ware collection which perfectly compliments its faucets The latest offering from Jaquar is an impeccable range of shower systems The 22 Jaquar Orientation Centres don't sell anything; they simply serve as guidance and education hubs for customers, architects and interior designers The company has the distinction of having sales-and-service outlets even in far-reach areas like the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Leh The prices of Jaquar products are uniform throughout the country Things you didnt know about Jaquar Third BUSINES Superbrands-2010-final 6/1/11 12:30 PM Page 69