New Delhi, Delhi, India
The SVIL Group is all set to foray into retail marble business. The group initially plans to open 300 retail outlets across 90 different cities of India. The Floriana marble will be the first ever brand in the Indian market that will offer a one-stop Marble solution to consumers. Also, the Floriana marble will be launched globally at the International exposition in Verona, Italy on Oct 4, 2007.
Till now, the marble industry was disorganized. The launch of Floriana marble will be the first step towards organizing the industry. "The market size of higher end flooring is 43.48 mn sq.m and the business is worth Rs. 6375 crore. Keeping in mind these factors, we plan to launch Floriana Marble that will give the consumers a unique experience and pleasure to buy marble in a retail environment", said Mr Rajan Kaicker, Chief Executive & Director, SVIL Mines Ltd.
"We are targeting at opening 300 outlets across India which will provide various flooring options to the consumers and these retail outlets would be a delight for the customers unlike the harassment one faces today," he further added.
The Group, in collaboration with GEO S.R.L., Italy, has acquired the exclusive license to use the patented marble processing technology. The Group has invested over Rs. 650 crores for this project. The Group's marble processing project for thin and composite marble is at Katni, Madhya Pradesh. Katni is fast emerging as a marble producing destination in the country.
The Floriana marble will also be marked by the innovation in the products. Floriana marble will be unmatched by any other marble brand for its gloss, thinness, weight and applications. You buy the marble and in no time it is laid in the desired space and area. No polishing. No inconvenience. And no additional costs and time needs to be spent in pre-polishing.
By using the Italian technology, the company processes marble up to 3mm thin - by far the thinnest in the world. This marble can be used in areas limited only by imagination.
To add to the excitement, there is a whole new dimension in marble thickness - 5mm, 7mm and 10mm. Dare to be different, and what you have is a unique product unparalleled in usage and versatility. Of course, there is the old favourite 20mm. What's new about 20mm is that when you pay for 20mm, you get 20mm.
That's how Floriana marbles are different from rest of the domestic ones. The marble are very competitively priced and extensive quantities will be exported.
Exotic varieties of marbles are available in Katni and a large number of mechanised mines are already in operation. Due to its high quality and unmatched textures, Katni marbles are also exported to USA, Europe, U.A.E., Kuwait, Nigeria and Baharin. The USP of Katni Marble is that it is hard and therefore fragileness of the stone is taken care of.
The Floriana Group's mines in Katni are spread over 54.54 hectares of land, and the state-of-the-art processing unit has an annual production capacity of finished-to-fit slabs/tiles of 5.9 million sqm per annum. For thin and composite marble processing, this unit is the largest of its kind in the world.
Source: Floriana Group (Business Wire India)