HMT sets up counter at Dehradun to reach out to people

In an effort to increase the market visibility of its products, HMT Watches Ltd today launched its programme of setting up counters at prominent post offices in Uttarakhand, beginning with the General Post Office in the city.

HMT wrist watches will be sold at the counter by India Post personnel as part of an arrangement with the company trying to revive itself in the face of tough competition from watch manufacturing giants like Titan.

"We are staging a comeback and such counters at post offices, which have a huge network across the country, will help us reach out to people and increase our market visibility," S Paulraj, Managing Director of HMT Watches Ltd said.

He was speaking to reporters after inaugurating the counter at the GPO here jointly with Chief Post Master General (Uttarakhand Circle) M S Ramanujan.

Beginning with Dehradun GPO, HMT counters will also be set up at other main branches of the state  in a phased manner, he said.

Paulraj said Uttarakhand was the seventh state where the programme has been launched after Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Chhattisgarh.

"India Post with its one lakh fifteen thousand branches across India can help us in a huge way to enhance visibility of our products," Paulraj said.

Many new modern designs have been launched at special prices to attract buyers, he said.

Though admitting that the HMT is still in the red, the company CMD said it is gradually making a comeback through such endeavours.

"We registered a growth of 27 per cent last fiscal and have recorded a growth of 36 per in the first quarter this year which we hope to maintain. It is a good sign, we may still be in the red but we are definitely coming back," Paulraj said.

When asked how India Post was going to benefit from the exercise, the CMD said it will be paid a commission at the rate of 15 per cent.