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]]>The Parent Company
Bata India belongs to the MNC Bata Shoe Organisation (BSO) a family business headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland which has its presence in over 70 countries with production facilities in 26. The BSO consists of 96 independently run companies in 90 countries worldwide. It has three business units –Bata Europe based in Italy, Bata Emerging Market (Asia, Pacific, Africa, Latin America) based in Singapore, and Bata Protective (B2B operations) based in Netherlands. Bata India Limited is the largest company for the BSO. It has close to 1500 stores across India and is also the second highest revenue earner for the parent company.
Until the 1930s, shoes for the British troops were mostly imported from Japan. When Bata started manufacturing in Eastern India, the demand was overwhelming. In 1939, Batanagar employed 4000 persons; and Bata opened 86 retail outlets selling 3500 pairs of shoes per week. From 1940, the business had started to flourish.
In 1942, it was time to reinvent hand-made footwear. A leather footwear factory was established at ‘Bataganj’ in Patna, Bihar with the first Indian-made shoe machine. In 1952, another factory was constructed in Faridabad, which served as a tannery and hide purchasing centre.
Bata Shoe Company Pvt Ltd went public in 1973 when it changed its name to Bata India Limited.
In the late eighties, Bata signed up with Adidas, Germany to manufacture and market sports footwear and sportswear in India. It launched `Star’ clothing designed by Murjani
International, New York, U.S.A. and Tigre Brand shoes, both in 1988. They also added a moulding plant in the Bangalore factory in 1990, for production of `State-of-the-art’ injection moulded synthetic shoes. Again the nineties onward saw Bata adding to its basket of brands, international names like Nike, Hush Puppies, Marie Claire. On one side, new management continued to expand and modernize its existing plants and on the other upgrade its retail stores. An export-oriented unit was also set up at Hosur in Tamil Nadu.
Bata continued to move in the right direction a step at a time.
Stepping into year 2000, Bata India saw the country taking a leap of faith with the internet. India had opened its doors to foreign players and competition was rising. Bata realized the need to reinvent itself. Its marketing strategy needed to change the age-old perception of the brand. From ever-lasting shoes to style conscious and trend-savvy products, Bata needed a new image to survive. In 2003 Bata India repositioned the brand.
Moreover, when the company changed the financial year from January-December and extended it to 31 March 2015, it faced several problems. The new IT systems and new supply chain could not supply adequate stocks of footwear and accessories to its retail stores adversely affecting the business. During the period also customers were shifting online which meant Bata needed to e-think. Today, Bata sells its products on its website as well as other e-commerce sites like Flipkart, Snapdeal, Myntra, and more.
Bata India has walked a path of success by following the values of the parent company, Bata Shoe Organization. The values are:
Serve with passion
Be bold
Count on me
Exceed customer expectations
Improving lives
In a country like India where branded footwear currently accounts for around 45% and unbranded dominates with 55% market share, Bata has retained its position as ‘No. 1 footwear brand in India’. It will soon be celebrating its 90th year in India. The company in spite of different business cycles, and ups and downs, continues to engage in the business of manufacturing and trading of footwear and accessories through their 30000 retailers and 1500 stores. Step into Bata shoes today and be part of India’s footwear history and get ready to celebrate 100 years soon.
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