Page 56 - November 2020
P. 56

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
             Walton is                              facing that might impede         quality standards considering the
             emphasising on                         future growth?                   world's each market. Similar
                                                                                     initiatives are also on the cards of
                                                    The current government has
             partnering up                          prioritised transforming         other regions of the world,
                                                                                     including America, Europe,
                                                    Bangladesh into a
             with the leading                       manufacturing-based economy      Australia, Middle East and Africa.
             brands in the                          from primarily agricultural with   Walton is currently the
                                                    the aim of becoming a
             individual                             middle-income country by 2021.   leading exporter of
                                                                                     electronic products from
                                                    Concurrent policy support and
             international                          infrastructure development have   Bangladesh. Can you
             market to                              facilitated the robust growth of the   share some details about
                                                                                     your export portfolios?
                                                    local manufacturing sector.
             expand the                             Walton has been visionary in     Walton has been exporting wide
                                                                                     ranges of products which are
                                                    utilising government incentive in
             export business .                      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
 Walton has recently   reasons behind such enthusiasm   times higher shares against the   It paved the way for   about your R&D   global electronics brands by 2030.
                                                    operations?
 made a remarkable   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
 debut on the stock   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
 market; its price has hit   have enabled us to secure more   believe the listing of Walton   robust growth of the domestic   satisfaction and becoming the   nations, including Australia, USA
 the ceiling every day   than 70 per cent market share in   Hi-Tech Industries will play a   manufacturing sector.  leading Bangladeshi electronics   and Europe.
                                                                                     Concurrently, Walton is
 since the trading began.   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
 What factors do you   substantial future growth as it   confidence in the stock market   electronics manufacturing   to producing high-quality products   the leading brands in the
 believe have contributed   has been making strong   and make it more appealing for   industry accelerated the   with state of the art technology.   individual international market to
 to such favourable views   footprints on the global market   future investments.  country's industrialization   Walton has been making   expand the export business .
 from the investors? Can   through carrying out export   process, created substantial   considerable investments in R&D   We have been successful in taking
 Walton play a pivotal role   operations in more than 40   How important is it for   employment opportunities   (Research and Development) from   the "Made in Bangladesh" label to
 in regaining investor   countries.   Bangladesh to locally   and contributed to the   the inception of its journey,   new markets across the world. The
 confidence in the stock   Despite the pandemic, Walton   manufacture electronic   country's current account   including the establishment of the   International Business Unit (IBU)
 market which doesn't   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
 have a glorious history   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
 when it comes to   the current fiscal year compared   What is the size of the   currency on imported   department for each of the   potential markets, including
 conserving investor's   to the previous year's   market?  products. Conversely, we are   products our brand offers. They are   Germany, Poland and Greece.
 confidence?  corresponding period.   Manufacturing electronics locally   earning money through the   equipped with state of the art
 Yes, we witnessed an incredible   As a result, Walton IPO   is essential for Bangladesh. There   exports of finished products   facilities and some of the most
 trading debut of Walton Hi-Tech   subscription received an   was a time when the demand for   which are enhancing   highly-skilled engineers in the
 Industries shares on the stock   application from the general   the electronics sector was entirely   Bangladesh’s image as a   country. Concurrently, Walton
 market. Over the period, Walton   investors for more than nine   dependent on imports. The   manufacturing hub.  formed an outstanding R&D team

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