Millions of fashion-conscious residents of North-Eastern states in India are excited to learn about recent duty-free access facilities accorded to Bangladeshi products, including textile items, which will not be flooding in the North-Eastern markets, as Bangladeshi products are cheaper in price and much superior in quality, comparing to those manufactured in India. Bangladeshi textile products already remain much ahead of the products manufactured in India, because of superior craftsmanship in Bangladeshi factories. Moreover, Bangladesh updates the latest trend and design almost on a daily basis, keeping eyes on the international market. That has possibly placed Bangladesh in the leading position as textile product exporters in the world.
The traders in North-Easter states in India believe that once Bangladeshi goods enter the Indian market, the retail prices of garments there will fall by 20-30 per cent because of the cheap labour and low production cost of goods in Bangladesh. Moreover, transportation cost of Indian textile products to the North-East is much higher than the transportation cost of Bangladeshi products to those markets. In addition to denim items and fashion textiles, Bangladesh will also have a huge market of cotton lungi and Bangladeshi Jamdani saree to this market. Leaders of Bangladeshi textile products are seeing a new scope of exporting textile products worth US$ 2-3 billion in the North-Eastern part of India as well as Nepal and other neighboring countries, under the current trade benefit accorded by the Indian government. Importers and traders in the North-Eastern states in India will also find interest in buying various types of stock lots of textile items from Bangladesh.
In addition to the textile items, Bangladesh will also be able to export its world-class ceramic items to the North-Eastern states in India. Bangladeshi ceramic items are currently exported in a number of Western countries as well as America and the Middle East.
Monno Ceramic Industries began producing porcelain tableware for the Bangladesh home market in 1985, and secured its first export order the following year. Monno soon earned an enviable reputation for both quality and value. The subsequent introduction of bone china to its range of quality dinnerware has only served to strengthen that reputation. As the original exporter of porcelain dinnerware 'Made in Bangladesh' Monno is proud to contribute to the growth of the Bangladesh economy. In a developing country the kudos accorded to exports and the valuable foreign exchange derived is significant. Today in Bangladesh Monno is a household name and regarded as one of the country's premier companies.
Monno offers products in Porcelain, New Bone China, Ivory China, and real Bone China. In fact they source the materials in their bone china body and glaze from Stoke on Trent, to which is added pure water filtered from their own wells. So Monno likes to think of it as 'English' Bone China. Customers include many well known prestigious department stores, speciality and chain stores around the world for whom they manufacture own label products. Some customers have been with Monno for as long as 20 consecutive years and Monno is proud to enjoy a close relationship with them. They work with customers to develop their own shapes or decorations, or can offer designs from their extensive stable. Their talented teams of artists and designers work closely with the experienced technicians of an own in-house decal print unit. That combination of man and machine helps achieve striking results.
Monno's Porcelain & Bone China factories are perhaps unique in being able to offer under one roof the flexibility and versatility of many manufacturing methods as best suit the size or nature of the product. Monno has invested in modern machinery and can boast high pressure casting, ISO Static Pressing, auto cup lines, auto dip glazing, spray drying, and an open firing system. That technology helps them in their never ending pursuit of excellence. Manufacturing capacity is in the order of 2 Million pieces per month.
Monno Products are safe! Tests carried out by CERAM show their products fall well below the thresholds for lead and cadmium release in tableware or cookware coming into contact with foodstuffs as specified under current European regulations. They also meet Australasian and US Federal requirements as well as those specified by California's very tough 'Proposition 65'.
RAK Ceramics is one of the leading ceramic factories in Bangladesh. RAK Ceramics [Bangladesh] Limited, a UAE-Bangladesh joint venture company, was incorporated in Bangladesh on 26 November, 1998 as a private company limited by shares under the Companies Act 1994. The name of the Company was thereafter changed to its name from RAK Ceramics [Bangladesh] Private Limited to RAK Ceramics [Bangladesh] Limited as a public limited company. The company is engaged in manufacturing and marketing of ceramics tiles, bathroom sets and all types of sanitary ware. It started commercial production in November, 2000. The commercial production of new sanitary ware plant started in January, 2004.
The company has over 1,000 different models and shapes of its products and regularly adds newer designs to the product portfolio. RAK's production capacity is 22,000 square meter floor/wall tiles and 3,400 pieces of sanitary ware per day. Products of the company are regularly exported to the Middle Eastern markets. RAK Ceramics [Bangladesh] Limited is an ISO 9001:2008 certified organization.
Shinepukur Ceramics Limited is a member of the Largest Private Sector Conglomerate, BEXIMCO, in Bangladesh with about 30,000 people in the permanent payroll, handling a diversified range of merchandise to and from Bangladesh. The Group's in-house manufacturing interests encompass Seafood, Jute Yarn, Pharmaceuticals, Textiles, Knit, Denim, Garments, Real Estate and Engineering. BEXIMCO is also involved in Media, Computers and the IT Arena's. As part of a meticulously planned expansion program of the Group, BEXIMCO has setup this state-of-the-art Ceramic Tableware Plant, SHINEPUKUR CERAMICS LTD.
(SCL) on the outskirts of Dhaka in 1999. SCL is a 100% export oriented unit, equipped with the latest and modern Machinery's and Kiln's from TAKASAGO MINO, and SKK Japan and comprises of two independent units producing high quality Porcelain and Bone China Tableware. The Porcelain unit has a capacity of 60,000 pieces, whilst the capacity of the Bone China unit being 10,000 pieces a day. The Bone China unit has in fact been setup on the basis of the latest technology from NIKKO Japan, coupled with extensive training facilities to our Production team, both locally and internationally.
In addition, SCL is equipped with the top-of-the-testing and Quality Control Laboratory facilities, Decal Plant, Carton-Packaging Plant, Modeling Unit, and has at its disposal its captive gas-based Power Generation capability, and the best effluent discharge mechanisms in place. The Company is also an ISO 9001/2000 certified Company.
Since commencement of the commercial production at the end of 1999, Shinepukur has successfully developed a substantial export market for the top-of-the-line Bone China and Porcelain Tableware and the customer portfolio now includes world-renowned Tableware companies in the UK, USA, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Russia, UAE, Denmark, Germany, France, Mexico, Turkey, and India.
Decal Plant and Design Studio: Decal production started in August 2001. Total Printing Capacity is about 120,000 Sheets per Month, starting from single color upto 8 Colors with Gold/Platinum, both Onglaze [840 degrees Celsius] and Inglaze [1220 degrees Celsius], and completely Lead and Cadmium Free. The Company has set up Designing Studio in the Plant in 2005 and in Italy with Rody Time s.r.l. in 2006.
Packaging Plant: Production in the Packaging Plant started in June 2003. Assorted about 300,000 Pieces White and/or Brown Cartons per month are presently being produced in this facility. In addition, the Company also supplies 4-6 Color Printed Cartons.
Exports from Shinepukur Ceramics comprise about 60% of the National Tableware Export turnover of Bangladesh. As recognition of this contribution, SCL has been awarded National Export Trophy [Gold] in December 2003 for the Financial Year 2000-2001and 2002-2003.
Fu Wang Ceramic Industry Limited is a Taiwan-Bangladesh joint venture company established in 1995 which manufactures various types of floor and wall tiles. In 1998, the company went into Stock market as a Public Limited company. Fu Wang products are already exported to India, Taiwan and Bhutan.
FARR Ceramics Limited manufactures world class ultra white hard Porcelain Tableware with its state-of-the- art production facilities. The entire plant was set up with machinery from Germany, Italy and Japan. The main production process entails transformation of plastic clay into finished product within twelve hours production cycle.
Since FARR Ceramics desires to become the leader in the market of quality tableware producers, the company utilizes only the best quality raw materials, e.g., New Zealand Kaolin [CCP] from New Zealand, Ball Clay from Japan, China Clay from China, Alumina from Japan, Feldspar and Quartz [the top graded only] from India, Zero Leaded Gold and Colors from Germany.
China-Bangla Ceramic Industries Limited [CBC] production lines are equipped with world's most modern machineries from Italy. Under the dynamic leadership of its Chinese promoters and experts CBC is producing a wide range of Wall and Floor, Homogeneous, Decor and Border tiles with innovative designs in different sizes to cater the market demand with affordable and competitive price.
Buyers in the North-Eastern states, especially the traders prefer buying Bangladeshi products because of quicker shipment facilities. It takes only 24 hours for Bangladeshi goods to reach any of the destinations in the North-Eastern states, while transportation cost is also comparatively lower than those imported from other parts of India.
Other Bangladeshi items, which would have demand in the North-Eastern states are: cement, cosmetics, medicines, electrical items, electronic items, paints, biscuits, footware, toiletries, edible oil, vegetable ghee, fruit juice, potato chips, pickles, ketchup, laundry soap, detergent powder, mosquito repellant etc.
BY : Zahid Al Amin.
