Wella AG, the 130-year-old Germany-based personal care multinational is on an expansion spree and plans to have 5,000 salons across the country by June 2006.
"Though late entrants, we see ourselves as the market leader five years down the line," the managing director of Wella India Haircosmetics Pvt Ltd, Werner Robert told newsmen in Nagpur.
Wella, which is in India since January 2001, has an arrangement in 2,700 salons at present, where it provides technical training and owners promote Wella products.
Despite the presence of established brands like L'Oreal and Garnier, Wella has been able to capture a major chunk of the market in just four and a half years, Robert said.
"Wella is known for its service, technical strength and training," he said adding that Wella India had 19 technical advisors in the country.
"We have tie-ups with Vidal Sasson in the UK and institutes in Singapore where we send our clients for training. Sustained efforts towards education and service is what sets us apart," Robert said.
Wella caters purely to the professional market and considers L'Oreal its main competitor.
With eight years in India, L'Oreal has a 36 per cent market share as against Wella's 25 per cent. In the next five years, Wella hopes to have a larger market share than L'Oreal, Robert said. Wella India, has already managed a turnover of Rs 10 crore (Rs 100 million).
It is currently offering only hair care products in India though Wella AG has a range of products for professional and home use.
The company started its manufacturing unit in Wapi, near Mumbai, in November last year. It has technical centres in Bangalore and Delhi with another coming up at Kolkata in September.
Robert termed Nagpur as an important market with tremendous potential, especially, in the professional segment.