Majorly focusing on housekeeping, kitchen and laundry products, Mumbai-based Alpha Products manufactures more than 35 cleaning chemical products. Given the rising demand for housekeeping products, Director, Yugesh Naik sees a huge market for these in the near future.
The journey so far…
In the year 2002, when we started Alpha Products, we believed that the value of an organisation is the collective effort of its employees who represent what the company stands for. With a vast experience in the pharma industry, we ventured into manufacturing housekeeping, laundry and kitchen chemicals. Initially we started in a small way with liquid soap and phenyl. Following customer demand we began producing housekeeping products like hard surface cleaners called MARBINOL-A2, room freshener called KHUSHBOO-A5 and hand cleanser PEARL. Housekeeping products have proved its efficacy both in terms of quality, packing and price. This is how we introduced our product range in a step by step manner and today, we have a full range of housekeeping, kitchen and laundry products.
Alpha has gone all out to prove that it still has the marketing chops to create a big impact. We may have been late, but we have redefined the game.- Yugesh Naik
There are many factors that influence the success of any business and the parameters extend not only to the customer relationship but also to the more mundane aspects of self-analysis and daily monitoring.
Segments the company is focusing on
By and large, housekeeping is the most important segment where everything starts from cleaning. We are also focusing on Kitchen Care cleaning chemicals for hotels & restaurants and laundry chemicals which has a huge market.
Production and distribution
We have a pan India network of dealers and distributors. We provide training for marketing the product ethically and effectively based on the USPs of the product.
Research & Development
We have a technical collaboration with Alpha International in Maryland, USA. The formulations are first developed in the R&D centre of Alpha International and manufactured in India. The products have been developed as per international specifications based on ecofriendly norms.
The trend is that Hydrochloric acid is used in Indian toilets whereas in the US, Glycolic acid is used which is non-corrosive, bio degradable and effective. It helps save your taps and bathroom fittings which otherwise can be hampered with Hydrochloric acid.
Bathroom or floor cleaners therefore have to be manufactured taking into consideration – three pH mediums – Acidic, Alkaline and Neutral. Liquid detergent for dishwashing has a Neutral pH and does not harm your hands. Again, the pH to be maintained on the floor depends on the type of flooring. Neutral pH is used for lobbies and Alkaline medium for greasy floors because the latter will emulsify the oil on a greasy floor. Boosters, therefore, have a pH of more than 12 to emulsify the oil from the linen. Oils can’t emulsify in a Neutral medium. Acidic medium is also not harmful as is the popular perception. If your bathroom has hard water problem, your taps are going to get deposits of calcium and magnesium. In order to remove hard water scaling, the medium should be acidic.
Niche areas and the new products launched
We have been supplying hand sanitizers, disinfectants and floor cleaners particularly to hospitals taking the hygiene aspect into consideration. Other segments we cater to include shipping, offshore, corporate, pharma, government institutions and educational institutions. Our products are custom made to suit individual needs.
We are planning to launch an economical range of housekeeping products under the Eco series soon.
Exports
On the exports front, we are in the process of dispatching the initial order of one container to the Gulf. Besides, being a niche market, there are few players in the Gulf which will help if housekeeping products are properly marketed.
Laundry as an evolving segment
Laundry is an evolving segment and there is a need for laundry staff to be made aware about the type of detergent they should use, and why, whether they should use the booster, neutralizing agent, souring agent and liquid bleach.
Right dosage for particular linen should be followed as per the wash load. There is a need to first study the linen. If the linen is embedded with oil, say for example a Spa towel, the towel should be soaked in the booster first to emulsify the oil and then in the detergent. If it is white linen, hypochlorite bleach should be used to make the fabric white, after which detergent should be used, then a scouring agent, bleach neutralizer and finally, a fabric softener in a very scientific manner.
Current Scenario
There is a huge market potential in the housekeeping segment which is growing rapidly. A lot of players are in the fray and competition is severe. Good quality products can only sustain in the competition. The challenge lies in the fact that there are more unorganised players and products offered by the organised players are expensive because of their content and composition. Label of instructions on the products offered by unorganised sector does not comply with the safety norms and quality gets compromised. Besides this, market is price driven and quality does not get assessed because customers cannot judge the price of the product from its label.
