Bangladeshi WALTON in Nepal’s Market

Uday Hakim, Back from Nepal

New Baneswar Road is the widest avenue of Kathmandu. It is the main and the busiest road in Nepal. There is a giant signboard on a new duplex building by the North side of the road. The signboard inscribes ‘WALTON Plaza’.

 

These sorts of signboards are seen frequently in even remote areas of Bangladesh but many Bangladeshi people would be amazed having a view of this in Nepal.

 

There is nothing to be amazed. After achieving confidence of the Bangladesi customers, now WALTON’s mission is to win over the heart of the Nepalese people. WALTON emerged as a well known brand in Nepal within a few days. There is a mammoth mountain beside me. I wished to climb on the hill and see WALTON’s billboard.

 

I started running upward the hill in a car. The car was running high and I was getting scared thinking about having a fall. I was not astonished to see houses on top of the hill as I had a bird’s eye view of the scenario of human dwelling houses in Nepal earlier while flying in plane.  But these houses are not situated so high comparing the views I had from plane.

 

Away from a few kilometers I saw a WALTON billboard. I was coming down of the hill with a satisfaction of mitigating will. Prior to coming down of the hill I had a shoot in my video camera in a hope to utilize the photos in case of necessity. The huge mountain stuck clouds behind me. A good number of houses were standing at different points of the mountain. Some Nepalese were having a shooting of drama. The hero and the heroine of the drama were posing before the camera through different angels. In such a situation I could not hold back the grudge of giving PTC (piece test to camera). But where is the cameraman?

 

But the solution was made earlier as I took with me Bangladeshi journalist Imrul Kausar  Emon who flew to Nepal before me. I briefed Imrul about the set up of the camera and asked him to hold the camera keeping its composition Fixed. But frequent emergence of cloud and sun appeared as a disturbance as the ND filter had to be opened and closed repeatedly. However we went to the WALTON showroom following a successful completion of the shooting.

 

There I met WALTON’s sole distributor in Nepal Sarfaraz Ansari and visited the WALTON Plaza. The showroom was tidy and well furnished. The display was attractive at the plaza. A good number of buxom Nepalese girls were working there as salespersons. The girls knew English and they were smart in presentation.

 

Sarfaraz Ansari informed that Bangladeshi brand WALTON is getting popular in Nepal.

 

WALTON has a huge potential to dominate Nepalese market as its products are less costly and enriched with high standard technology. Keeping the potential under focus, WALTON is going to launch cumulative endeavor for marketing its products in Nepal.

 

At present WALTON is exporting fridges, televisions, air conditioners and cell phones to Nepalese market while WALTON would export some more items including mobile phones to Nepal very soon.

 

I along with Imrul Kausar Emon went to the Bangladesh High Commission in Nepal.

 

Being asked in this regard first secretary (Trade Promotion and Culture) of Bangladesh High Commission in Nepal Khan Md Moinul Hossain said that WALTON products have the most potential in the Nepalese market.

 

Describing the reason of WALTON products being the most potential he said that the products are less costly comparing to other brands.

 

“WALTON products are being sold at very less cost comparing to its competitors LG and SAMSUNG brands. WALTON products are highly standard. So WALTON has a huge potential to establish supremacy in the Nepalese market,” the first secretary said.

 

He said that an agreement is going to be signed between Bangladesh and Nepal soon in a bid to marketing Bangladeshi goods in Nepalese market without taxes.

 

“We sought for tax free entrance of Bangladeshi electronics and electrical products in Nepal. In that case WALTON products will be available at less costly which those cost now,” he said.

 

Khan M Moinul said that Bangladesh sought for tax free entrance of its 174 products in Nepal.

 

Nepalese government has already agreed about 74 items while Bangladesh side is trying to enlarge the list.

 

He informed that Bangladesh is agreed to allow 108 Nepalese items in Bangladesh while a final decision would be taken followed by bilateral discussions among high officials of the two friendly countries.

 

Transport cost gets high when products from India or other countries go to Nepal which eventually increases cost of the products.

 

But Bangladesh can send its products to Nepal within a very short time at less transport cost as India approved Bangladesh to use Kakarvita transit point to export its products to Nepal.

 

In this juncture Bangladesh has the opportunity to make a prominent room in Nepalese market.

 

I told you earlier about Sarfaraz Ansari who is the Director of the RIDA Incorporated Private Limited in Nepal.

 

RIDA Incorporated Private Limited works as the sole distributor of WALTON products in Nepal.

 

Sarfaraj Ansari said that Nepalese people are very satisfied with WALTON products.

 

He said that WALTON products’ fair price, high standard and different colours and models attracted Nepalese people.

 

Ansari said that RIDA has already taken necessary preparations to utilize the potentials in Nepalese market.

 

He said hat appointment of dealers in 75 districts is under process and initiatives are under way to advertise commercials at the local print and electronic media.

 

Expressing optimism Ansari said that WALTON would be able to control Nepalese market easily because prices of the other competing brands are highly costly where as their products are below standard.

 

While talking he said that WALTON will be able to exceed the other brands in Nepal easily.

 

He informed that he would advance with a collective marketing strategy in this regard keeping all potentials under consideration.

 

He thanked Bangladesh High Commission in Nepal as some officials of the high commission have been providing with help through different sorts of suggestions.

 

Not only WALTON but some other Bangladeshi products are also doing very well in Nepal. Neighboring Nepal can be a giant market for the Bangladeshi products.

 

 

 

risingbd/shazaman