Congratulations to you, Bhavana Bindra, on winning the prestigious Business Leader of the Year Award 2023! Can you tell us how you feel about this recognition and what it means for REHAU?
I am deeply honoured on being bestowed with the ‘Business Leader of the Year Award 2023’. It was also overwhelming when REHAU, as a brand, received the coveted title of being the ‘Most Admired Manufacturing Company’ in India.
India, the country that has given so much to the world is making its presence felt in every sphere. Our geography, the talent we possess, our workforce combined with the Government’s support in ease of doing business has given all of us an opportunity to lead — by example, effort, and excellence, and be the torch bearers for global innovation and growth. Acknowledgments like ‘Business Leader of the Year’ and ‘Most Admired Company (Manufacturing)’, motivate businesses to push the boundaries and drive innovation, particularly in India, which is poised to lead the way in various industries.
Can you give us an overview of the current market landscape for REHAU’s products, and how the company is positioning itself to remain competitive in the industry?
REHAU has established a benchmark in the edgeband market with its high-quality products and innovative color, size, thickness, and pattern options. The edge band segment has seen growth in demand supported by rise in furniture demand, raising awareness of quality products, and growing awareness among carpenters. This has been supported by increasing local manufacturing, which is also supporting the ‘Make in India’ initiative. With nearly hundred edge band manufacturers and importers in India, the Edge Band market is estimated to double in next 3-4 years. To meet the increasing demand in the sector, REHAU has expanded its local manufacturing capacity.
REHAU also manufactures and provides solid surfaces and flooring solutions using high pressure laminates. High-Pressure Laminates (HPL) have endless advantages, possibilities, and a voguish appeal that gives them an edge over other options. It is expected that in coming years, we’ll see more preference to minimalistic designs in the fast-growing Indian and South-East Asian markets.
On another hand, the increasing construction activities is also helping the industry to grow at a rapid pace and offering various opportunities to REHAU. We have proudly gained wide popularity among consumers as our products reflect an amalgamation of luxury and sustainability. Being one of the top component manufacturing brands in India, REHAU has always aimed to expand its network and deliver the best product range to consumers to stay ahead of the competitors. To further expand our product portfolio, we have introduced the all new modular kitchen segment, REHAU Kitchen, which is boosting the market value of the brand.
REHAU is known for its innovation in products and services. How do you ensure that the company stays ahead of the curve in terms of product development and customer needs?
REHAU with its innovative product range has successfully carved a niche for itself in the market. As a brand, we have brought-in revolutionary changes across the broad variety of products that we deliver to the market, be it manufacturing, design, advancing the finishes used, or safety and hygiene. These products facilitate easy and quick installation, user-friendliness, durability, sustainability, and last but not the least- value for money. Thus, you would see improvements in existing products such as new materials for Edegbands, Adhesives, our Piping range etc. and additions of new product portfolios as well, such as Kitchens, Hardware, Flooring, etc.
We are also on the spree to expand our footprint into the deep corners of the country. It is a mission for us to make REHAU a household name. As REHAU becomes a one-stop-solution for all furniture requirements, it eyes to attract direct consumers marking a niche in B2C. REHAU already has a well-established network base in India with more than 1000 direct customers, over 500 dealers and around 2500 retailers. This has been built with relentless efforts over more than 25 years whilst delivering world class quality and premium products to the industry.
How important is sustainability to REHAU’s business strategy, and what steps is the company taking to reduce its environmental footprint?
Sustainability is a driving force within the REHAU Group. Driving forward the Circular Economy, accelerating climate protection and promoting diversity are 3 key pillars of sustainability for us. With significant focus on reducing the environmental footprint, we have worked on several initiatives covering entire value chains and global markets.
We have worked on various levels to drive our sustainability agenda. Our Circular economy related initiatives take the end-to-end product approach and connect customers to recycle products at end-of-life. That philosophy has to be implemented starting from the product design stage itself.
On a different level, there are products where we use sustainable materials and there are products which support sustainability by replacing the traditional solutions. For e.g. REHAU uses materials such as PP and ABS which are non-hazardous, recyclable and long-lasting in dynamic weather conditions. We manufacture pipes using high-density cross-linked polyethylene promising long-term stability.
We also offer products such as radiant heating cooling systems which use significantly less energy than traditional cooling systems. They offer increased comfort and consume less energy for heating and cooling.
We also focus on curbing waste generation; recycling management and reducing ecological footprints across our own and our vendors’ manufacturing facilities.
Acting sustainably is more than just a trend to talk about. It’s the fundamental belief of our company and the way we ensure that our actions today will serve our planet well for many years to come.
Can you tell us about REHAU’s supply chain, and how the company manages to maintain quality and efficiency in its manufacturing processes?
REHAU has a geographically spread network so as to cater to the need of consumers PAN India and to serve the markets present at every nook and corner of the country. With a strong network comprising 1000+ direct customers, over 500+ dealers and around 2500+ retailers, it is a mission for us to make REHAU a household name with the support of our partners. Apart from channel partners we also have a strong OEM based network and retail presence through influencers as architects, interior designers and carpenters.
The key to success for REHAU has always been the long-term relationships that we share with our suppliers and customers. We support these relationships with continuous R&D, innovation and consistently high quality supported with state-of-the-art German Technology.
As an Indian woman leading a multinational corporation, what unique challenges have you faced in your career, and how have you overcome them?
The never give-up attitude and willingness to accept challenges have always given me the confidence to craft a difference in my ventures. I have always lived my life like this – take the path that is less taken and make a difference so that people become confident that this is achievable.
The kind of ride I hoped-on in my career was filled with many challenges, commitment, and learning. To succeed at work, one must enjoy diversity, be entrepreneurial, be open to trying new things, and constantly alter and enhance the problem-solving techniques. Pushing the boundaries is more important than taking safe and comfortable steps. Thus, my approach involves having the interest and perseverance to finish a difficult task that has never been done before. I embraced those opportunities and tried to make the most for myself and the organizations. As a result, inspiring the team to deliver their utmost effort has always been my primary goal. When the team is aligned with the values and vision of the organization, it can accomplish its goals.
Before moving to REHAU, I have had the opportunity to be part of organizations in diverse industries. The same has added to my learning and experience. Leading women in various industries take on the responsibility of challenging the status quo. The idea of male dominance in specific specialized sectors stems primarily from societal conditioning that prevents more women from perceiving the possibilities of thriving in these fields. It is a world of opportunity for anybody and everyone; so, we should look forward to a future where every individual has access to equal opportunities for career advancement.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted REHAU’s business, and what measures have you taken to adapt to the changing market conditions?
Ans: The COVID-19 pandemic had affected nearly every aspect of our lives and demanded unforeseen changes. One of the major changes that occurred in our lives is working and acquiring education from home. Since the pandemic, people have spent a major chunk of time at home and thus the focus on design and comfort has increased significantly. This pushed the need for designer home décor solutions and creating separate spaces to work, to relax, to spend time with family, etc.
We at REHAU offer a wide variety of product and services to add glam and luxury to your home. Our products are sustainable in nature and are exponentially used by the furniture and real estate industry. After the introduction of the work-from-home culture many corporates are building spacious workstations in offices and homes, people are investing in reconstruction to add interior décor and creating attractive walls or cabinets with the help of our products. As renovation and construction are taking place widely, REHAU’s products are seeing more demand in the market.
Can you talk about any exciting new products or technologies that REHAU is currently working on, and what impact you think they will have on the industry?
All products of REHAU are manufactured with underlying traits of German technology which guarantees quality over anything else. REHAU characterizes its product lines with engineering and technology; be it manufacturing, be it design; each REHAU product reflects the advancement in technology that has been adopted by the brand to expand its product line.
For example; REHAU’s third rail solution for urban mobility. In simple words third rail system runs parallel to the two operating tracked of metro rail mostly outside of the two rails. The electricity is delivered to the train via a sliding shoe that is in contact with the rail. When it comes to electrification of commuter trains using third rail, there are just a few companies who can supply to projects all over the world.
Additionally, we offer 200 new edgebands each year that coordinate with the most widely used laminate son the market. Today our customers have access to more than 200,000 edgeband possibilities from REHAU, giving them freedom to match different materials, dimension, embossing and gloss levels to suit their specific needs. We also offer Zero joint edgeband as part of our on-going technological breakthroughs in the edgeband category. REHAU Zero-joint Edgeband has a pre-applied, co-extruded polymer functional layer replacing the traditional glue, allowing for a much superior and seamless joint between the edgeband and the board.
At REHAU, we are constantly focusing on curating sustainable solutions with technological innovations like Radiant Heating & Cooling that helps reduce carbon footprint. The REHAU technology of Radiant Heating and Cooling is applicable to work in any type of climatic conditions, including extreme temperature variation and changing humidity factor. The primary advantage of using radiant heating and cooling is that it significantly reduces the amount of energy needed for Air-conditioning. This significantly reduces CO2 gas emissions and the environmental harm caused by the mining of non-renewable resources. For instance, around 75% of the electricity in India comes from coal-based power plants, which has a high rate of carbon emissions.
As a brand we are incorporating Polypropylene in our products. The innovative feature of this thermoplastic polymer enables it to become a sustainable choice in building and construction. Also, we have adopted Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS, an engineered plastic and as ABS is a thermoplastic and not a thermoset, this means that the material can be recycled, ground up, reprocessed and reused into utility applications.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs or business leaders who want to make a positive impact in their industry and community?
Every individual should be fearless and confident in approaching unknown territories, never shy-away from taking that extra leap forward. Take a step and mark your individuality as it is important to be yourself because you are unique. And that is how you will make room for diversity. However, as much as we celebrate diversity, it is also important to value the inclusion of everyone. If 9 out of 10 people are on the same page in an organization, but one person thinks differently, it is the responsibility of those 9 people to inculcate his/her views as well and that is inclusion. There’s a famous example that simplifies the same. Diversity is being invited to the party, whereas inclusion is being asked to dance. This is how I run my team, because for me inculcating diverse ideas from various team members into my day to day business is important, because more often than not — it is what makes the difference. Those who take the path less taken are the only ones who make a big difference for themselves and others. You never know when someone can be looking up to you for inspiration. So, never give up. That’s my advice for all the aspiring leaders out there.
Finally, what are your future plans and goals for REHAU, both in the short term and long term?
REHAU is committed to expand its presence in the Indian market. We strive to offer new product lines under our umbrella, expand geographical reach, target and tap new customers. Even at this moment we are working on several initiatives that will further consolidate our presence in the Indian market in the coming years.
Interview Attributes:
Bhavana Bindra
Managing Director
REHAU