Duravit has become a brand preferred by the creative class worldwide

Duravit offers luxury bathroom furniture, mirror, wellness, WC, furniture basins, designer basins and an exclusive range of products for different projects says Asutosh Shah, Managing Director, Duravit India.

How do you see the market opportunities in luxury bath and sanitary fittings in India?
In India, the future looks exhilarating. Even though Tier I cities get us the largest chunk of business, Tier II and III cities in India hold immense potential for a brand like Duravit. Rising disposable incomes and the growing demand for luxurious products in these cities have led to several big ticket projects which are under construction in these cities. This is indeed the next phase of growth.

As for our partners, we are always in the hunt for great long term relations, whereby we can together transform the luxury segment in the sanitation category. It is no blind investment for idle money, rather it’s a growth plan that will surely surprise you, once you lay down the details.

How has the design taste for luxury and bath fittings evolved over the years in India?
The bathroom has evolved from a mere utility space to a lot more personal, design driven and lifestyle oriented. People want to spend their quality ‘ME’ time in the bathroom, so design has started playing an important role.

In your own words, what is the uniqueness of brand Duravit?
When it comes to our products, the world knows that Duravit is a name to reckon with. Take Philippe Starck for example, the uncontested king of product design internationally, he has collaborated with us for some time now which has led to the creation of some mind boggling range of designs that are truly futuristic in their essence. Duracem and Sensowash are enough evidence of the same.

Duravit has also become a brand preferred by the creative class worldwide. It stands for luxury in its truly incorruptible sense, and its association with international marvels like Burj Khalifa or projects by stellar architects like Zaha Hadid gives it an aura hard to imitate. It wasn’t easy at all in the beginning, but over a period of time we have managed to integrate a luxury brand into the value driven Indian market. We have made major inroads into the consideration set of aspirational Indians, and we prefer to sell personalised high-end bathrooms to those who cherish that spectacle.

As a brand, we give equal attention to the quality of product as well as the after-sale service. This sounds pretty simple, but is probably one of the toughest jobs in the business. But then, there are no short-cuts; quality ensures that our customers come to us, our service guarantees that they will stay as well. All over the world, that’s how we go about it and create a happy eco-system of consumers, architects and business partners who together define where the brand wants to be in the future.

What are some of the products you offer ? What is your latest offering for the Indian market?
From the brand, what’s on offer is pretty incredible; luxury bathroom furniture, mirror, wellness, WC, furniture basins, designer basins and an exclusive range of products for different projects. In India one of our latest offerings happens to be the Happy D.2 Plus complete bathroom range Design by Sieger design and it has elicited quite an enthusiastic response from the market.

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