Swedish furniture giant IKEA plans to expand its supplier base in India and double sourcing by 2020. The company sources merchandise worth €315 million from India currently.
In a statement, Sandeep Sanan, Head of Sourcing, IKEA South Asia, said, “We believe there is tremendous potential in India…We believe that many suppliers will come from other segments that are looking to diversify their business.”
SuppliersThe company currently has 48 suppliers in India.
As part of its “Make More in India” initiative, IKEA India will conduct seminars in Mumbai and Bengaluru in January and expects to engage with nearly 100 new potential suppliers.
These suppliers will be in existing categories such as textiles and rugs; as well as new categories like furniture, mattresses, and sustainable materials that include bamboo and acacia; and growing suppliers for categories such as metal, plastics, and lighting, the company said in a statement.
Sanan added, “Our history of developing successful supplier relationships in India means that IKEA is well positioned, not just to ‘Make in India’ for India, but to ‘Make More in India’ for IKEA across the world.
This gives the current and future new suppliers in India a much bigger market to aspire for.”