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An inheritance of glass
Wedded to glass for four decades now, Sushil Jhunjhunwala and his brand LaOpala have emerged as a popular name in the tableware industry in India . Accompanied by son Ajit , he has recently forayed into crystal-ware that finds its place in the country's upmarket stores. The father-son duo get geared to make a presence globally
What happens when a 19-year-old is saddled with the management of a sick industrial unit manufacturing glass bottles and jars, that too in a place like Howrah , West Bengal , infamous for its difficult-to-manage trade unions? The year was 1967 and the lad in question was Sushil Jhunjhunwala, now Chairman LaOpala, one of India 's most trusted glassware brands.
Grappling with issues such as labour problems, low productivity and low profitability at a tender age could hardly have been an enviable task. But the young gun proved his mettle by taking immediate measures like introducing definite costing structures, getting the unions to cooperate with the management and giving incentives to the workers. The results were far-reaching and the company started posting profits.
After successfully turning around a sick unit, Jhunjhunwala was hungry for more. Whilst he was clear that he wanted to remain in the glassware industry, he wanted to add value to his products.
Changing lanes
A well-travelled businessman, Sushil chanced upon opal glass (for the uninitiated, opal glass is “translucent or opaque glass, often milky white”) during one of his visits to France and was determined to manufacture it in India . However, he did not have the requisite technology. What followed was a technical collaboration with Hosan Glass of South Korea and a new unit to manufacture opal in Madhupur, Bihar which was in close proximity to the mines. The new offering was christened LaOpala and was set up at a cost of rupees two crore.
