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    InnoDesigns: Furniture-maker carves out products at the click of a button

    Synopsis

    Even though the furniture industry is largely an unorganised sector, there are players who are offering a variety of products and limited customisation services.

    iStock-1167010431iStock
    The company has been built on the concepts of Make in India and 'Vocal for Local'.
    The idea of InnoDesigns was born when Nidhey A Pan was getting his new home furnished. He realised that there were many gaps — from quality assurance to price — in the online furniture market. The biggest problem he faced was the lack of bespoke furniture services online.

    This encouraged him to set up InnoDesigns in 2021. A part of PAN Group, a multi-interest business group from Rajkot, the company is looking to personalise the furniture industry through an ecommerce platform. It eases the customer experience irrespective of whether the products are readymade or custom-made.

    Although the furniture industry is largely an unorganised sector, there are players who are offering a variety of products and limited customisation services. InnoDesigns, however, claims to be the first company to offer 100% customisation in just a click at a competitive price.

    The founder and CEO of InnoDesign, Pan (30), says, “We aspire to be the one stop shop that offers 100% online customisation of furniture items, with respect to fabric, colour and wood options. We have readymade and custom-made options for consumers and deliver colour swatches on request to their homes. This makes the entire shopping experience more comfortable."
    Helping local artisans
    In a fast-paced lifestyle, everyone is looking for services that saves time, is convenient and reliable. Due to a rise in disposable income, there is demand for affordable, dependable, go-to stores offering custom-made home requirements.
    InnoDesign vouches for this because its website, launched in November last year, has been getting “an average of 2,000 hits a day”.
    Nidhey Pan Innodesign
    Nidhey A Pan, founder and CEO, InnoDesign
    Pan says, “The company’s motto is ‘reflecting your dream space’. This is in line with our aim to empower our customers to be able to build their own dream space in their home. The concept of 100% online customisation is a new idea that people will gradually understand, explore, accept and utilise. We realise that there is a demand for the premium services that we are offering. People are understanding that a home is just an extension of their personality. We aim to become a part of the personal journey of a customer while designing their dream home, enabling them to visualise their thoughts. People are also more willing to pay a premium for a customised product, which is a reflection of their choices. Hence, our major challenge is to communicate to our customers about the kind of brand we are, and the kind of services we offer.”

    The company has got local artisans on board so that they can sell directly to the customer. What makes them different from other players in the furniture market is that they manufacture every product on request.

    A customer from Kochi, Joyson K (55), who owns a gym, says he became interested in InnoDesigns solely because of their online customisation services. “I am fond of redecorating my home, and often design the interior spaces myself. This requires me to spend some time with carpenters. So I was eager to try out InnoDesigns. I found the designs on their website unique. I was satisfied with the overall conduct of the staff and the services offered.”

    Vocal for Local
    The company has been built on the concepts of Make in India and “Vocal for Local”. All InnoDesigns products are sourced from local manufacturers to help them reach more customers online. As the products undergo quality checks by InnoDesigns — delivery, installation and other logistics are handled by InnoDesigns — it helps the local manufacturers up their game by getting professional advice.

    Subin Phillip (35) used InnoDesign’s services for his house in Kochi and says the company offered the best prices for his requirements. “I was looking to furnish my new home, including the living room, dining room and bedrooms. After comparing prices from local shops and other online marketplaces, I found InnoDesigns the best prices in all departments. The kind of prices they charge for solid teak and mahogany furniture was quite unbelievable to me, and they also offered online customisation. I ordered all my furniture from InnoDesigns and am quite happy with the services,” says the IT sector employee.

    InnoDesigns wants to become a household name for furniture solutions. It also wants to give a boost to its vendors along the way. “As we are an aggregator and rely on local manufacturers to supply the actual products, we also hope to uplift the carpenter community through greater sales, reach and recognition for their work,” Pan adds.
    ( Originally published on Jun 29, 2022 )
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