Page 54 - November 2020

Xponent
Glocally
Successful
In a conversation, Golam Murshed, Managing Director,
Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited divulges the
company’s journey to becoming the leading electronics
manufacturer in Bangladesh and its vision to become
one of the top ve global electronics brands by 2030.
By Asif Tarafdar
Walton has recently
made a remarkable
debut on the stock
market; its price has hit
the ceiling every day
since the trading began.
What factors do you
believe have contributed
to such favourable views
from the investors? Can
Walton play a pivotal role
in regaining investor
confidence in the stock
market which doesn't
have a glorious history
when it comes to
conserving investor's
confidence?
Yes, we witnessed an incredible
trading debut of Walton Hi-Tech
Industries shares on the stock
market. Over the period, Walton
52
What are the challenges with expert engineers from Italy,
that the electronics Korea and Bangladesh, who are
manufacturing industry is working on products' designs and
facing that might impede quality standards considering the
future growth? world's each market. Similar
The current government has initiatives are also on the cards of
Bangladesh into a including America, Europe,
other regions of the world,
prioritised transforming
Australia, Middle East and Africa.
manufacturing-based economy
from primarily agricultural with
Walton is currently the
the aim of becoming a
leading exporter of
middle-income country by 2021.
Concurrent policy support and electronic products from
Bangladesh. Can you
infrastructure development have
share some details about
facilitated the robust growth of the
your export portfolios?
local manufacturing sector.
Walton has been visionary in
ranges of products which are
utilising government incentive in Walton has been exporting wide
establishing the leading electronics ‘Made in Bangladesh’ to more than
manufacturing brand in the 40 countries in the regions of Asia,
country. Bangladesh government's
Middle East, Africa and Europe.
strong policy support has been Among its wide range of products,
pivotal in Walton's rise. Walton is exporting refrigerator,
To ensure sustainable growth, the television, air conditioner,
government must continue its
compressor, laptop, smartphone,
policy and support to the local washing machine, electric fan,
electronics manufacturing microwave oven and various sorts
has become a trusted brand in the industry. of home, electronics and electrical
domestic market, confidence appliances.
generated on investors. How crucial has been the
Mentionable, Walton Hi-Tech was establishment of role of innovation behind What is your vision of the
listed in the capital market with manufacturing unit Walton Walton's rise as the future with Walton?
the highest EPS recorded during Hi-Tech Industries Limited at country's top electronics As the company's managing
the IPO. Walton Hi-Tech's Chandra, Gazipur was the director, I have planned my future
performance over the decade and turning point of the sector in manufacturer? Can you tasks in line with my vision to turn
future potential are the primary our country. please share some details Walton into one of the top five
reasons behind such enthusiasm times higher shares against the It paved the way for about your R&D global electronics brands by 2030.
operations?
from the investors. The quality allotted shares. Bangladesh to become Innovation has been the key for Therefore, we are focusing on
self-reliant on electronic
and reliability of the products On the back of such a response, I products and facilitated a Walton in ensuring customer expanding the exports to developed
have enabled us to secure more believe the listing of Walton robust growth of the domestic satisfaction and becoming the nations, including Australia, USA
than 70 per cent market share in Hi-Tech Industries will play a manufacturing sector. leading Bangladeshi electronics and Europe.
Concurrently, Walton is
the domestic electronics market. pivotal role in restoring consumer The emergence of the local brand. We are strongly committed emphasising on partnering up with
Walton Hi-Tech is poised for
substantial future growth as it confidence in the stock market electronics manufacturing to producing high-quality products the leading brands in the
has been making strong and make it more appealing for industry accelerated the with state of the art technology. individual international market to
footprints on the global market future investments. country's industrialization Walton has been making expand the export business .
through carrying out export process, created substantial considerable investments in R&D We have been successful in taking
operations in more than 40 How important is it for employment opportunities (Research and Development) from the "Made in Bangladesh" label to
countries. Bangladesh to locally and contributed to the the inception of its journey, new markets across the world. The
Despite the pandemic, Walton manufacture electronic country's current account including the establishment of the International Business Unit (IBU)
witnessed higher profits in the products as opposed to balance by eliminating the country's largest R&D centre. We of Walton made a milestone in
first nine months (July-March) of importing from abroad? necessity to spend foreign have set up an individual R&D expanding exports to Europe's
the current fiscal year compared What is the size of the currency on imported department for each of the potential markets, including
to the previous year's market? products. Conversely, we are products our brand offers. They are Germany, Poland and Greece.
corresponding period. Manufacturing electronics locally earning money through the equipped with state of the art
As a result, Walton IPO is essential for Bangladesh. There exports of finished products facilities and some of the most
subscription received an was a time when the demand for which are enhancing highly-skilled engineers in the
application from the general the electronics sector was entirely Bangladesh’s image as a country. Concurrently, Walton
investors for more than nine dependent on imports. The manufacturing hub. formed an outstanding R&D team