Dow Corning is passionately
intent on giving a big boost to its sales drive on silicones through its
unique portal, www.xiameter.com. For kick starting Mission Xiameter, it was
none other than Jean-Paul Mollie, President, Middle East, S Asia &
Africa, Dow Corning, who addressed a knot of media persons in Mumbai
recently. Sharing the media limelight was S Venkataraman, Country Trader,
Dow Corning India, who will also be responsible for the silicones boost
campaign. Mollie struck the keynote of the meet: "Solar power,
automobiles, textiles and even agriculture. In what we see or touch in
everyday life, silicone is there directly or indirectly. Dow Corning, the
leader, is starting a new campaign to promote its sales through Xiameter, a
portal devoted to selling and providing guidance on our silicones".
Xiameter, which was launched 7
years ago internationally, has received good response in the global market.
But so far there has been no special drive in India. "Now, we have
moved to launch this drive in a big way. Hence Xiameter has been tailored to
meet the requirements of the Indian and other Asian markets. This is a part
of a significant expansion plan from this service-oriented website. The
future is for clean energy and sustainable environment and Dow Corning will
be among those at the centre of this revolution", said Mollie.
He added, "India is going
up on the scale of sophistication. Take for instance automobiles. Today,
Indians want more and more comfort while driving. In Europe, an average car
has about 4 kg of silicones in its various components. Presently, in India,
this may be less. And there is immense scope in the application of silicones
in the automobile industry and this is where the future market is. So, Dow
Corning is poised to make inroads into this".
In automotives, for instance,
Dow Corning's innovative two-part silicone sealant is used in headlight and
taillight assembly in two-wheelers, which enhances the stability, safety and
design aspects of these vehicles. The sealant offers higher durability and
adhesion, and also provides 100 per cent anti-fogging capability and rapid
curing time. Automotive designers and engineers in India and around the
world rely on Dow Corning for products and solutions that ensure safety,
dependability and value. Solar power value chain is another segment where
silicones play a vital role. " India plans to play a pivotal role in
creating solar energy, and the target is 20,000 MW by 2020. Here is a great
potential for silicones, and we will be there to capture the market",
Mollie revealed. To meet the requirements, which also includes for that of
the electronics industry in India, Dow Corning proposes to go for 90%
capacity expansion in the next few years. It has pumped in US$ 4 billion in
research and such activities in the last few years.
Interestingly, S Venkataraman
explained that Xiameter helps to solve the complex challenges in the
requirements of silicones for the industry. Elaborating the benefits and
values of Xiameter, Venkataraman said that for the first time, apart from
Xiameter, Dow Corning has roped in channel partners to promote the sales of
silicones. "True innovation does not stand still, neither do our
customers. So, now we have modified some parameters on the Xiameter platform
to suit the needs of the Indian buyers. Silicones will now be available in
lower quantities too".
"When we launched the
Xiameter business model seven years ago, it was an innovation within the
silicones industry - the first time any supplier had structured its business
offerings specifically to serve customers who wanted high quality, reliable
products but didn't want to pay for additional services. Detailed
discussions with our customers have shown that they value the Xiameter brand
approach - they appreciate the convenience of ordering materials whenever
and wherever they need them, whether that's at night or on a weekend. But
the Xiameter business model launched in 2002 wasn't for everyone. It
satisfied the needs of large volume users of commonly used silicone
products. Through our customer discussion, we found that additional
customers - customers who purchase the same standard silicones products -
want to take advantage of some of the functionality and options offered
through the Xiameter brand. So the changes we are announcing today are
designed to ensure that the innovative business model we call the Xiameter
brand continues to grow and meet the evolving needs of our customers",
opined Venkatraman. Speaking further, Venkatraman laid stress on the fact
that customers demand an easy and efficient way to purchase standard
silicone products. "More than ever", he added, "our customers
say they want suppliers that can help them improve efficiency by making the
purchasing process easier and more cost efficient. Our customers want the
ability to purchase an even wider product range through the Xiameter brand -
applying the model to other parts of their business. This also enables new
customers to take advantage of this purchasing option", Venkataraman
remarked.
The Xiameter business model can make a real difference to the efficiency of companies who rely upon silicone
materials. It will help companies whose purchasing decisions are driven by
the needs for efficiency and productivity; companies who want price and
supply stability and are looking to manage costs through convenience in the
purchasing process.
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