JOIN USThe move follows the company’s successful entry into manufacture of safety shoes for industry use, BIL non-executive Chairman P M sinha said.
According to him, the overall size of the defence and paramilitary forces sector has been estimated to be in the region of 12 million (based on an assumption that close to three million personnel use four pairs per annum) and as such, the company has put in place a dedicated team to secure contracts.
The company, Sinha pointed out, already has an exposure to the defence segment as the company has been a major supplier of shoes to the Chilean forces. There is a huge potential in replicating that success in India as well,he felt.
Rural markets
“We feel that defence and a deeper penetration into the rural markets will propel Batas growth in India,” Sinha said.
For defence, Bata would manufacture shoes suited for all terrains.
Currently, all shoes being used by defence and paramilitary forces are made locally. Bata has recently installed state-of-the-art machines for manufacturing such shoes at the Batanagar plant near Kolkata, Sinha said. Bata India is also planning to open 65 to 70 stores and re-model 30-odd stores in a year. With 1,250 outlets and a 33 per cent marketshare in the retail segment, the company has come into the black since 2004.