The company behind one of the more recognisable brands to emerge from India, VIP Industries, expects to have a Middle East and Africa office in Dubai by March.
VIP Industries did have a regional representation in Dubai for two years but it was discontinued last year.
"We felt the need to upgrade our presence through a wholly owned operation," said Dilip Piramal, who heads DGP Enterprises, of which VIP Industries is the flagship.
"Our previous Middle East interests were overseen by one of our personnel being attached with our distributor's office in Dubai."
VIP Industries is the biggest manufacturer of moulded and soft luggage in Asia through its VIP brand, and also has been pushing for a wider international profile.
This was illustrated by its acquisition of Carlton, the UK-based luggage manufacturer, earlier in the year.
Carlton's operations have been integrated into VIP Industries, and the results should start being felt next year.
"If we tried for a higher international profile through an Indian brand alone, that would have proved a tall order," said Piramal.
"This is where we felt that acquiring Carlton can provide us multiple benefits in overseas territories. Carlton has an enduring image with the consumer, and we will be building on that."
Down the line, Piramal expects to break into the US, Australian and Jap-anese markets.
From the Middle East, the company expects to get immediate benefits with Carlton targeting the upper end of the luggage market and VIP the middle tier.
Piramal is looking to build on the 10 per cent share that Middle East sales account for in the company's turnover. Institutional sales to companies such as Qatar Airways have also given a boost to the bottomline.
On whether the Dubai office would look to raw material sourcing as part of its profile, Piramal said: "No. All materials required for the hard luggage are sourced from within India. For the soft range, we have an arrangement with suppliers in China.
"The Dubai office will purely be a sales and marketing operation, and looking to develop individual markets through our distributors."
