SUPERBRANDS 2012 superbrandsindia.com
com USHA SEWING MACHINES
In a country where small towns still decry women competing with men and where double income is a
desirable solution to bridging income gaps, a sewing machine offers a fine compromise. It makes dreams
come alive. The central part of this dream is Usha – a company that understands that while sewing may
be a hobby for some it is a livelihood for others. This brand is the market leader in the sewing machine
market in India.
one-stop shop for everything related to fashion,
gifts, accessories, books and home décor and is,
perhaps, the first attempt by a corporate in
India to institutionalise the concept of sewing.
The Usha sewing school network, which
started in 1950, includes centres run directly by
the company, the army welfare board and
centres run by individuals who are affiliated to
the Usha sewing school network. These schools
offer a viable vocational option and are
professionally managed. Two more categories
are being added to this segment. High-end
revenue generating schools and Silai Ghars are
being opened. It is expected that deserving
women in villages will achieve empowerment
and earn their own livelihood.
History
Usha International owes its genesis four
generations ago when Sir Shri Ram launched his
own business. Over the years, the group
company diversified from trading to
manufacture and was a leader in textiles,
machinery, motors and sugars, amongst others.
In its present avatar Usha International is part of
across India and more than 1000 re-distributors the Siddharth Shriram Group – now one of the
who take Usha into district headquarters and leading consumer durable manufacturing and
mofusil centres. marketing companies in India. Keeping control
There is only a very marginal growth of its own distribution network, the company
recorded in the overall sewing machine market, has developed an enviable infrastructure with
which straddles both the organised and sixteen location offices, 60 company showrooms
unorganised manufacturing sectors, but because and 33 warehouses.
of the increasingly greater faith reposed in The company has always had an impressive
branded products, the former is gaining product portfolio ranging from electric fans,
ascendancy. This is attributed to better quality, sewing machines, home appliances, engines and
greater variety and range as opposed to the pump sets, electric motors and pumps, cook
unorganised sector, which lacks the wherewithal tops, built-in-hobs and cooker hoods, drinking
for even basic research and development. water coolers and dispensers, auto products and
such like. Indeed, so universal is the appeal Usha
Achievements has, that it is unlikely a home exists where an
It is often said that as markets evolve, brands Usha product isn't quietly providing comfort –
Market must re-engineer themselves to stay abreast of or a livelihood.
India is a conservative, tradition-bound country. competition. More than anything else, Usha's
While in the current economic scenario a rise to popularity can be placed at this Product
double income is deemed to be desirable the doorstep, and its success as a clear market It is extraordinary the number of things a
traditionalists in at least, smaller towns and leader, fully attributed to it. sewing machine is expected do. As this 'to-do'
villages decry women competing with men in One of the main reasons for this exceptional list has increased so to have the complexities of
the market place. To bridge the income gap and control is in the fact that Usha realises that the machine itself. In this hotbed, Usha offers a
sometimes to fulfil domestic needs women take sewing is both a hobby as well as a business. So dazzling range to address these applications.
up assignments they can accomplish in their rather than wait for customers to come to its While the company's sewing machine business
own homes and at their own time. showrooms Usha goes to them. It trains and has been built on straight stitch machines
One significant breadwinner is sewing. This explains to them the joy of creating a garment. (conventional sewing machines), its present
saviour of many families brings Usha upfront in Towards this end, the company has recently set business in India is fast evolving to automatic
the consideration set. Here, in a run-off with up an experiential store in Mumbai which takes machines. These machines deliver on the
other brands Usha scores convincingly. Today, a fresh, contemporary perspective on the art of multiple demands made upon them: a free-arm
this powerful brand has more than 1500 dealers sewing and accessory-making. This store is a for circular stitching, built-in cams, a colour-
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ushainternational.
coded functional face plate, an in-built motor, a
sewing light, triple strength stitch, twin needle
capability, button-holing facility, single-touch
reverse stitch, snap on presser foot, embroidery
and picot capability, blind stitch, over-edging, zip
fixing, quilting and such like.
The company offers flat-bed machines for
customers using treadle-operated sewing
machines. Not only have these introductions
changed perceptions, they have actually changed
the business model by which these evolving
markets have been serviced. Today, the market
tends to appeal to younger customers who wish
to build a business that looks at sewing as a
cool hobby.
In keeping with this shift, Usha has recently
introduced a robust new machine. This machine
offering straight and zigzag designs, is compact
and runs on a special slow-speed motor for the
convenience of beginners.
On the other side of the spectrum are
powerful, professional machines. Computerised
and offering embroidery functions, these
machines are imported from the Janome Sewing
Machine Company of Japan and have in-built
features like PC card port, USB memory key
compatibility, expandable built-in memory,
embroidery design re-sizing capability,
monogramming fonts etc. Despite
their hi-end performance these
machines are user-friendly and
are simple to operate.
A product Usha is extremely
proud of is its sewing school.
Not only does Usha impart
training to women, it also
encourages the next-step entrepreneurs
amongst them, to develop their own school and
affiliate it to the Usha sewing school network by
conforming to laid down norms and stringent
criteria for qualifying.
The courses in these schools are designed
with the help of professionals in the industry.
They cover both theoretical as well as practical
training so as to provide students with thorough
knowledge. The students who join the six-month
courses have to appear for an examination.
Successful students are awarded diplomas.
Students taking the shorter one to three month
course appear for no exam and in place of a
diploma are awarded a certificate.
Recent Developments
Usha makes dreams come alive. Setting up a far-
reaching service network in order to provide
the finest service to its customers and offering
superior technology has literally made the
company into a household name.
But supporting its cause – and the cause of
its customers – is the reality of its constant
product and marketing innovation. Its offer of
bringing one of the world's most outstanding
sewing machine technologies in the form of
Janome to India was a moment of sheer
marketing genius.
On its own steam, however, Usha has
developed new automatic sewing machine
models. The company has also diversified into
sewing accessories and a haberdashery store.
Promotion
The sewing machine market is, at once, both
disparate as well as fragmented. It stretches
across India in small isolated pockets which
necessitate a complete review of what might be
normal communications activities. While press
and television form part of its above-the-line
package, several initiatives like radio, theatre and
direct reach programmes help to focus sharply
and eliminate media wastage.
Live demonstrations are an important part of
this communications strategy with the Usha-
Janome (UJ) effort being supported, additionally,
by more than 100 UJ promoters who organise
tent activities in carefully chosen markets. The
live range of UJ products is demonstrated and
walk-in prospects are explained the functioning
of these machines.
Large-scale planned tent demonstration
activities are being undertaken in Mumbai, Delhi,
Chandigarh and other cities. These activities have
resulted in developing new channel partners
along with a pool of around 1500 customers in
a span of six months.
Tailors from different localities are gathered
together and informed about Usha's domestic
industrial machines.
A quilting workshop was organised as well,
whereby customers of straight stitch and UJ
machines were invited to learn how to make
handbags using quilting techniques. This was
organised in Kolkata. Usha plans to organise
such workshops in other parts of the country
as well.
Service camps have been turned into selling
points. In such camps, people using sewing
machines get their machines serviced free of
cost and are also explained the features of
Usha's range of other machines. This
helps drive sales and converts an
otherwise routine activity into a
business proposition.
Festive seasons are converted into
selling points and dealer display
contests. Dealers participating in this
contest are evaluated on the basis of
branding, display, merchandising,
demonstration skills and so on.
Dealer get-togethers also take
place every now and then. Dealers in
particular areas are called and
informed about Usha's new launches,
new initiatives,
sewing schools
and new
courses, in
order to keep
them abreast
with the new
developments.
Usha
participates in
almost all
important
exhibitions such as the IITF (India International
Trade Fair) and the GTE (Garment
Technology Expo).
While the common man dreams of economic
emancipation, Usha dreams of fulfilling their
dreams. It strives to go beyond business and
builds bonds with people from all walks of life.
The Silai School Project of Usha International is
an initiative that reaches out to women who live
in some of the most far-flung places in the
country. Presently, Usha has about 1000 silai
schools in sixteen states with more than 25
NGO partners.
This programme ensures that women from
rural communities are provided with a sewing
machine and empowered with skills to earn a
living. Additionally,
they are also
taught standard
maintenance
know-how so they
can increase their
incomes even as
they stay at home
in their villages.
Brand Values
Few companies are
as privileged as
Usha. While many
may supply
conveniences for comfortable living, it's not
often that they supply the means to empower
people to earn a livelihood. Usha, therefore, sits
in this unique position where it does both. But
what sets it apart even from companies of its ilk
is the abundance of energy it displays and the
reliability, responsiveness, honesty and value-for-
money its brand name is associated with. It is a
name that has proven to be a true leader in the
market, percolating through a spectrum of
categories, consumer interfaces and markets.
When the history of Usha International is
written, its words will be cast in gold for the
sheer joy it has brought to humdrum lives and
the financial muscle it has provided to people.
Things you didn’t know about
Usha Sewing Machines
Usha sewing machines are the clear market
leader in the country
Since inception, over 50 million people in 60
countries have reached out for an Usha
product
Usha has signed an exclusive 20-year
contract with Janome Sewing Machine
Company of Japan to market its products in
India
The company runs more than 1000 sewing
schools, training thousands of women each
year
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