Gunjan Shah, MD & CEO, Bata India
In an interaction with businessline, Bata India MD & CEO Gunjan Shah said that there was accelerated momentum in the March quarter driven by mid-single digit volume growth. While closely monitoring the impact of the West Asia conflict, the footwear major remains steadfast on its premiumsation and retail expansion strategy. Edited Excerpts:
What has been the impact of the West Asia crisis and have you had to take price hikes ?
Despite uncertainties, our job is to make sure that we stay on the course in terms of our expansion strategies. We are closely monitoring the situation and it all depends on how long the West Asia crisis lasts. If it goes on for a longer period then there could be some supply disruptions because a lot of raw materials and derivatives of petroleum and crude oil are imported by India. There could also be emergence of inflationary challenges. On our part, we have taken various measures including building up on our inventory. Right now, I think we are sitting in a reasonably good position but we need to wait and watch. As of now we have stayed away from any price hikes but both the product and the finance teams are looking at this situation very closely, so that we make the right decisions at the right time.
