Kitchen Equipment

Stretching horizons

The growth in medical and retail sectors is providing ample opportunities for kitchen equipment players to find their footing in these sectors. Sanjeev Bhar analyses the scope for suppliers and manufacturers to increase their business horizon.

Kitchen equipment, being an allied segment of hospitality sector, has always concentrated on hotels and restaurants as its primary targets. But with the growing economy, the equipment sector is finding opportunities in hospitals and the retail segment.

Today, real estate companies are etching out malls as an important part of their retail expansion plans. As the retail sector grows, the scope of restaurants and QSRs also increases. At the same time, similar developments are also visible in medical field where good infrastructure facilities like kitchens required for the patients' dietary needs are becoming vital. Modern medical infrastructure has been perceived as a tool to promote medical tourism too. The rising scope of medical facilities and the retail sector is also pushing the demand for kitchen equipment. This is benefiting the allied sector as well.

Hospital, retail on radar

Of late, kitchen equipment manufacturers and suppliers have noticed an opportunity in the medical and retail sectors. So much so, that the sector is keen to tap hospitals and QSRs in food courts in smaller towns and cities. VK Wangnoo of Wang Professionals feels, "The growth in the kitchen equipment sector has been noticed for the past few years now and the same would continue in the coming years as well. It is true that the focus has been on hotels and restaurants owing to the growth witnessed in this sector but now, there is fair demand in the retail segment too."

In the opinion of Rishi Dayal of Constellation Projects, there is a rise in demand in specific areas too according to the change in foodservice. "For example," he says, "show kitchens nowadays are a hit and therefore equipment catering to show kitchens are in demand, which is not only for standalone fine dine but for food courts as well. On the other hand, the need for hospitals is different and there is an additional focus on the trolleys that can take the food from the kitchen to patients' rooms. This is a fine example of how the focus or requirement for each segment changes with distinctive needs."

The scope becomes even more apparent with hardly any difference in the use of equipment. Rajesh Mohta, managing director of Mohta & Co Equipment, that supplies hospital equipment says, "There are no specific features for hospital kitchen equipment per se. The only concern of hospitals would be equipment material i.e. food grade, which is anyway used in the hospitality sector."

Small towns as target market

With developmental activities in retail and hospitals catching up with the hospitality sector in smaller towns and cities, the potential for kitchen equipment here is not going unnoticed. According to Wangnoo, "In the future we are going to witness kitchen equipment demand in the tier II and III cities. This is the time for small-scale companies to promote their products in a big way. The industry is poised to see more growth with many of international brands pitching in."

There is also a keen desire to exhibit latest products in smaller cities. EV Venugopal, CEO of Excel Refrigeration Company, Business Associate of Mittal International India, puts forth that it is time hospitality exhibitions are taken to various cities like Kochi in the south where the willingness to know and purchase technologically-sound products exists.

V Shekhar, director of Rite Equipments, opines, "The newer technology used by foreign brands is driving the domestic market to improve on their standards. Following this, apart from greenfield projects, demand in existing operations is also rising as they try to catch up with newer trends. Organisations are understanding the effectiveness of using technologically-advanced kitchen equipment, driving the scope to even smaller locations where hospitals and retail are flourishing."