Nepali Times: Is the carpet industry really rebounding after the crisis? Senon D Lama: We have to understand the needs of the consumers at a global scale. Their tastes keep changing. We should always relate the carpet business to the fashion world, keeping in mind the choice of colours, design and interior settings. We must think ahead, aiming now for 2006.
Is competition stiffer than it used to be?
It's highly competitive. We can no longer produce ordinary carpets. Our main competitors such as China and India are already producing large quantities of carpet at less than half our price. Our sales depend on our technical skills and unique designs.
So price is not the issue?
Our clients are ready to pay any price for good quality. We must not let the quality slip, we must maintain our reliability and innovate. For instance, we have started producing carpets made from pure silk, pashmina as well as from lamb and sheep wool. The best part is that we work closely with our customers at all phases from colour selection and design to final production.
What is so special about Nepali carpets?
The best thing is that we have enormous flexibility in terms of individual preferences for design, size and colour. We also put their signature in the middle of the carpets. The clients get exactly what they ask for. Our prime concern is customer satisfaction for which we have been successful among our top clients in two of the largest importing countries, Germany and the United States.
Why do the Germans like our carpets so much?
They do not consume everything in Germany, they are wholesale importers and re-export Nepali carpets to the rest of Europe. The reason our carpets go to Germany is because Hamburg and Frankfurt are good hubs.
What do you see in the future of Nepal's carpet industry?
This business will never die. There is, of course, tremendous competition but it will not be tough as long as we have professional management and manufacture top quality Nepali carpets.
