TATA CERAMICS

Profile
Incorporated in 1991, Tata Ceramics has
combined British bone china technical
expertise with a judicious blend of
imported and domestic raw materials to
produce internationally acclaimed fine
bone china tabletop products.

Areas of business
A wide range of products, including hollow-ware and flat-ware
items in plain and fluted shapes, is manufactured at the factory.
The company also makes a wide variety of mugs in various
shapes, sizes and designs. The china is available in both classic
and contemporary designs. All products meet the norms of the
Food and Drug Administration, USA, and Europe on metal
release parameters.
The company's products are exported to UK, Ireland, USA,
Canada, Italy, Germany, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Location
The factory is located on the Malabar coast in the Cochin Export
Processing Zone at Kochi in Kerala.

Contact
Plot No. 26,
Cochin Export Processing Zone,
Kakkanad, Kochi 682 030,
Kerala,
India.
Phone: +91 (484) 241 3230, 3120, 3261, 3212
Fax: + 91 (484) 241 3231, 3228
Email: tataceramics@asianetindia.com

MEDIA REPORTS
TCL China graces best dining rooms
Economic Times February 4, 2003
Tata Ceramics makes specially designed crockery for some of the Worlds
Best Brands.
What does the President of India dine on when entertaining state guests? Well,
for the head of Republic it has to be classical and also reflective of the Republic.
In case you didnt know, crockery at the Rashtrapati Bhavan dining rooms for
state guests are crafted out of exquisite white bone china with elegant navy blue
borders circled with an intricate gold leaf design.
And sure enough, the hallowed Ashoka Pillar, with the three lions perched on
top, is engraved in gold that stands out against the backdrop of the royal-blue
border. The crockery designs are developed in Italy and hand-crafted on each
piece in 22K gold with platinum.

And here comes the heart-stopper. Each of these, nay, all Rashtrapati Bhavan
crockery is now manufactured by Tata Ceramics Limited! No more does
presidential crockery get imported from Rosenthal, the German subsidiary of
Wedgwood. Not anymore.
And should you have any doubts whatsoever about desi quality vis-a-vis phoren,
suffice to say that TCL also manufactures specially-designed bone china tabletop ware for some of the worlds best brands: Wedgwood, Royal Doulton,
Churchill....just name it. Wait, unless you are travelling first class British Airways
or Air New Zealand or Turkish Airways for, the crockery they serve their food
in on these flights are, once again TCL! Class tells.
No wonder, therefore, the ministry for external affairs placed orders last year on
this little known Tata company for supply of crockery to all Indian embassies
abroad. Nearly 90% of TCLs Rs.20 crore turnover is accounted for by its
European market alone, although TCL products spread over a large part of
Australia, New Zealand and a bit of the United States too! About 80% of TCL
bone china is picked up by Wedgwood, which the latter sells in its own brand
name.

Fine bone china is brand driven and the elite are its customers. Price is not
relevant. The best brands reflect history and heritage... Wedgwood is after all a
250 year old company, said Munish Gupta, executive director, TCL.
We are just an twelve-year-old company. Making fine bone china is a
combination of art and science and is learnt with experience. To cater to the top
end of the market, we benchmark our quality to the best in the world, Mr. Gupta
said.

ARTICLES
Dishing out a winner
September 25, 2003

Christabelle Noronha

"Its a business which combines art and science," says

Munish Gupta as he gets evangelical on the subject of
crockery. Its also a business where new ideas are vital,
where tastes change rapidly, and where quality underlines
every move. The Executive Director of Tata Ceramics knows
all of this only too well.
"The critical success factor in this industry is innovation," he says. "Since
this is a fashion-oriented business you have to constantly bring in new
materials, production techniques and designs. Also, you have to create
distinct products for each market.

Thats because the crockery requirements of different cultures are as

varied as their cuisine. For instance, in Saudi Arabia, where families are
large and people eat together, a typical dinner will involve about 90
pieces of crockery. In the United States it will take just 20 pieces to serve
the typical four-member household. Italy, like the rest of the
Mediterranean region, has a fondness for soup and soup bowls. And
the Chinese need a plethora of small bowls for their sauces.
"Its a very fragmented market and each demands its own configuration in
terms of number of pieces, design, size and shape," says Mr Gupta. Tata
Ceramics tried initially to cater to this unwieldy spread in its entirety
with little success. "[Your products] may work in one country but flop in
another. So, if you are selling to 10 countries you should have 10 different
offerings. Thats an expensive proposition.
The crockery on display at the Tata Ceramics factory in Kakkanad, near
Kochi plates, teacups, saucers and tureens in a cornucopia of shapes,
sizes, colours and designs have been crafted mostly for the export
market, but they dont carry the companys tag. Instead, the exquisite
bone china and porcelain coming out of Kakkanad bear the mark of
celebrated names such as Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Churchill.

Truth is, some of the worlds finest tableware is created by Tata Ceramics.
Which is why it finds prime space on the most exclusive tables in the
gastronomic universe, like the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The
crockery gracing the presidential dining room has been crafted by Tata
Ceramics and the motifs use 22-carat gold and pure platinum.

While the company sells its products to select institutions and the
hospitality sector in India, its focus is on exports. The upsurge in the
demand for lifestyle products and accessories has elevated Indian
ceramic designers and craftsman to international prominence. Tata
Ceramics is cashing in on this demand by banking on its crockery
craftsmanship and designing skills.

"The major players in this field, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Villeroy &
Boch, Richard Ginori, Royal Worcester, have a history of over 200 years,"
says Mr Gupta. "We have been around for just seven years." That is one
reason why Tata Ceramics has to piggyback its offerings through, among
others, Wedgwood, Churchill and Royal Doulton, retail chains with an
annual turnovers of more than $1 billion each and distribution channels in
60-70 countries.
These chains conduct regular market surveys, based on which they
provide Tata Ceramics with contracts to manufacture and handcraft
specific sets of products. "We make the product and they sell it under their
brand name," says Mr Gupta. "We need brand equity support, hence we
have tied up with these names. This way we cut down our risk."
Wedgwood, one of the companys prized clients, buys crockery from India,
Thailand and China, the dominant force in the world crockery market with
a 40 per cent share.

Tata Ceramics has to notch up excellent qualityprice ratios to compete successfully on the
global stage. Thats where processes come into
play. The company has adopted the acceptable
quality level system, a statistical method with
several parameters. Besides China and
Thailand, the competition includes South Korea,
Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Keeping ahead of this lot, never an easy task, depends on continuously
delivering superior quality at attractive prices. Another crucial factor is quick
and dependable delivery.
Tata Ceramics clocked revenues of Rs 22.00 crore in 2006-07, with a 30 per
cent share of the Indian crockery export market. The company sold products
worth Rs 2 crore in the domestic market to clients in the hospitality sector,
such as the Taj Group, etc.

"Everyone in India makes bone china, but you will not be able to discern the quality,"
says Mr. Gupta, drawing attention to a point that is largely ignored in the country.
"The Indian consumer needs to be educated about the technicalities and materials
that go into the making of good crockery, but that requires a lot of money."

Indians also have a lot to learn about crockery that can kill. For example, the
colour red on crockery comes by adding cadmium, a toxic element; the more
cadmium you use, the greater the lustre of the crockery. Consumers run the risk
of contracting cancer through extended use of cadmium-treated tableware. The
dangers go beyond red. Even a white-coloured plate poses a threat if the
surface has a lot of lead, which comes on account of the micro-fine glass that is
sprayed on crockery to give it that glaze.
Tata Ceramics has refused to cut corners on the safety front. "We operate in an
international market where there are stringent requirements on heavy-metal
release," says Mr. Gupta. The companys products conform to international
norms on lead and cadmium release. It has recently switched to lead-free
glazing. That it imports 70 per cent of the raw material used in its safety-first
processes means that the products cost more.
Be it from a health perspective or the aesthetics of elegant eating, Tata
Ceramics deserves a place at the head of dining tables across the world.

ARTICLES
Crockery with a touch of class
December 15, 2001

Sujata Agarwal

Crockery that adds elegance to your dining table is a pleasant

accompaniment to a spread of good food. And the fine bone china crockery
from Tata Ceramics enhances the eating experience in more ways than
one, which might explain why the president of India dines off its
merchandise.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan is among a long list of residences where Tata
Ceramics crockery is a part of the food habit. The companys products
combine sophistication with toughness, are highly resistant to
chipping, and are easy to clean. This is the sort of crockery that can be
used for occasions both ordinary and special.

Tata Ceramics products have a lead free, glazed finish that does not
absorb moisture. The lead and cadmium content in them is far below
internationally permissible standards. The company also manufactures
mugs that come in all shapes and sizes. Some of these mugs have pretty
pictures of animals, flowers and fruits on them, and others have colourful
geometric designs.
Tata Ceramics introduces three to four designs for dinner and tea sets
every year, and 16 new designs for mugs. Its products are bought by
leading hotels and airlines and more than 95 per cent is exported, mainly to
Britain, the United States, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. The company
also manufactures specially designed crockery for Wedgwood, Royal
Doulton and Churchill China in Britain.

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SOME SALIENT FEATURES OF

TATA CERAMICS PRODUCTS

Regular / Customised / Specially Designed

High Chip Resistance

Microwave ready Crockery

Lead Cadmium Free

No Metal Marks

Hygenic

International Quality

Manufacturer of International Brands like Wedgwood,

Royal Doulton, Churchill, Villeroy & Boch, Richard Ginori.
VALUE FOR MONEY

Buy under EPCG / Duty Free Licence

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