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Jumbo group plans a homecoming

Bhupesh Bhandari

The $2 billion Jumbo group, founded by the late Manohar Rajaram Chhabria, is drawing up plans to enter the electronics business in India with office automation products as well as consumer electronics.

"We are currently evaluating the various opportunities available in the professional and personal electronics segment in India," Vidya Manohar Chhabria, the new chairperson of the Jumbo Group, told Business Standard in her first interaction with the Indian media after her husband's death in April.

At present, a consultancy outfit is helping the Jumbo group draw a blueprint for the initiative. "We have roped in a reputed management consultancy group for this purpose, which will explore opportunities across the entire spectrum spanning manufacturing, distribution, retailing etc," she added.

Though it does not have a presence in the electronics business in the country, it is worth noting that the Jumbo Group is the largest distributor for Sony in the whole world and the largest distributor of consumer and professional electronics in the Arabian Gulf.

"Some major transnationals associated with us internationally have shown some interest in associating with us in India. We will evaluate all such proposals before taking any decision in this regard," Chhabria said.

The Jumbo Group is associated with leading global brands in the business such as Sony, Compaq, IBM, Nokia, Siemens, Fujitsu, Acer, Grundig, Casio, Ricoh, Brother and Electrolux.

Asked about her priorities for the group, Chhabria said that it was to set to rest all speculation about any change in group policies or practices after her husband's death. "Any kind of uncertainty or apprehension is antithetical to productivity and, therefore, the restoration of confidence among employees, stakeholders and business associates of the group is critical," she said.

In terms of management focus, Chhabria said the group has zeroed in on human resources development as a thrust area. "We have recently appointed Mercer Consulting to design a customised HR roadmap for giving a new dimension to our HR systems and processes," she added.

Like her husband, Chhabria will continue to operate out of Dubai where the Jumbo Group is based, though she will keep visiting India to take stock of the group's $600 million business in the country. "The Indian businesses are all looked after by competent professionals who carry out the day-to-day affairs independently," she added.

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