T. Sudhakar Pai, chairman and MD, Kurl-on, has been associated with the mattress industry for a long time. His company has been one of the earliest names in the mattress industry in India, starting operations in 1962. A veteran of the mattress industry, Pai shared insights into the criticality of innovation and research in the industry and what their firm was doing in the field. Excerpts:
Why do you think innovation is important in the mattress industry?
Innovation and R&D is critical for the mattress industry, as an improper mattress can adversely affect the health of an individual. R&D in the mattress industry is not easy as the raw material has to be carefully chosen and crafted, and then a lot of effort has to go in designing the mattress as it has to give a person utmost comfort. As per recent research reports, back pain is one of the major reasons for medical ailments in the world and an improper back support in an improperly designed mattress can lead to severe back pain in an individual.
What kind of challenges is the mattress industry facing in India?
The major challenge in the mattress industry in India has been widespread duplication with a lot of unorganised and local players just aping the organised players without proper innovation and design. In India, though, there are no exact figures available as the market opportunity is huge.
What have been your R&D efforts in the field?
Recently, we introduced the STR8 Technology which was a result of four years of constant research effort by our R&D team. Interestingly, through this technology, even though the mattress bends, it remains straight and does not sag. The mattress is also very light weight and, hence, can be easily handled. We have even tested this mattress even with a weight of more than 120kg.
We have currently introduced this technology in our coir mattresses to begin with but over a period of time it we are aiming to introduce it in all foam and spring mattresses. With our R&D efforts, right balance of firmness and softness has been achieved through the STR8 technology. This technology ensures that the mattress is 20-40 per cent lighter and provides higher degree of muscle relaxation.
The R&D team also constantly works with orthopaedic specialists and also takes customer feedback seriously while working on new innovations.
How has your brand portfolio changed over the years?
We have plans to launch more than 125 new products and innovative technologies across the mattress and home furniture categories in the next two years. We want to emerge from being a major mattress brand to a holistic home furniture and furnishings brand. Earlier this year, we had launched a range of sofas, targeted at the semi-premium sofa market in the Indian market. Today, we are available across the country. We also have manufacturing facilities across Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Gujarat.
