When Fanzart started in 2012, little did the founders expect that luxury fans can also see so much demand in a price-sensitive market like India. From just 1 showroom in Bengaluru, Fanzart slowly expanded its footprint pan India with a presence in all metros, mini-metros and many tier II and tier III towns in the country, now crossing 100 showrooms in a span of 10 years.
Business News This Week caught up with Fanzart’s young and dynamic co-founder Tarun Lala who talks about the journey of Fanzart, what led to its success and expansion plans on the anvil.
Here are the excerpts of the exclusive interview:
BNTW: How did your journey start as a founder? What was that thing that triggered you to start your own thing?
Tarun Lala: I was working as a Technology Consultant when my father came up with the idea of starting Fanzart. We started Fanzart in March 2012. My father has always been in business and identified an overlooked product positioning in the market for luxury fans, as no fan in the market accentuated home interiors and this was a void, especially in the luxury home segment.
BNTW: How did you realize that you should start this business? Was there a specific pain point you recognized?
Tarun Lala: While my parents visited me in the United States, they happen to see an outdoor fan which gave him the idea to look for fans as an aesthetic contributor (along with being a functional one), and buy some for our home in Bangalore. However, he found that these products did not exist here in India at the time. India being quite the pankhacountry, he started to validate if people may adopt these products if they did exist.
BNTW: Did you start it on your own or there are other co-founders working with you?
Tarun Lala: It is a family start-up. My father, my mother & I, all three of us co-founded Fanzart.
BNTW: What is your vision regarding Fanzart? What is the problem you are trying to solve?
Tarun Lala: Fanzart was born to evolve the ceiling fans aesthetically as well as functionally. Aesthetically, it accentuates your home interiors by adding elements of elegance and grandeur, and functionally by giving you a luxurious breeze experience – all while being eco-friendly and completely whisper quiet. Our vision is to change the way fans are made and used. And to make Fanzart the Mercedes of Fans in all of India and beyond!
BNTW: Who are your customers?
Tarun Lala:
– In residential it is the HNIs, UHNIs, Architects/Interior Designers, Builders
– In Commercial it is offices
– In hospitality, it is Hotels, restaurants, resorts, clubhouses etc.
– Golf courses and more.
BNTW: How will you put your Fanzart journey in a metaphor?
Tarun Lala: Add Art to your Ceiling
BNTW: What were the high and the low points of this journey?
Tarun Lala: Highs have been plenty- our first franchise in Mumbai, our first award, our first patent, buying a golf team and winning the maiden tournament, reaching 100 showrooms and many more. I wouldn’t define any moment as a low. There were moments of uncertainty and other challenges, but we persevered through them.
BNTW: What are the milestones that Fanzart has achieved? What are your expansion plans for Fanzart?
Tarun Lala: Fanzart has crossed 100 showrooms in the country in the last 10 years of its existence. We are present in all the metro cities and several mini-metros, cities and towns. We are planning to expand our presence further.
