'Hettich Plans to Build a Strong Brand Presence in Nepal'

Andre Eckholt is the Managing Director of Hettich SAARC, India, Middle-East and Africa. A 16-year veteran of the company, Eckholt first came to India in 2013 to spearhead Hettich’s manufacturing investments, setting up the company’s first plant in Vadodara, Gujarat. After three years in India, he returned to Hettich’s global headquarters to lead business operations in Eastern Europe from Prague. In 2022, he returned to India to take on his current leadership role, driven by both professional opportunity and personal affinity. In a conversation with New Business Age, Eckholt talks about Hettich strategy for Nepal, as well as the company's broader growth strategy for South Asia. Excerpts:

Q: What inspired Hettich India to expand into Nepal? How does this move align with your broader South Asian growth strategy over the next 3–5 years?

A: Our decision to enter the Nepali market stems from a confluence of factors. First, Nepal’s rising levels of urbanization and increasing middle‐class purchasing power are creating demand for quality furniture fittings and modular solutions. Second, geographic proximity and cultural affinities mean we can leverage many of our India‐based capabilities (manufacturing, distribution, training) more effectively into Nepal with adjacency advantages.

From a strategic vantage over the next 3-5 years, Nepal represents an important frontier for the South Asian growth corridor. Our broader plan is to grow a regional network of markets around India where we can replicate a model of “local presence + global standards”. India remains our anchor, and neighboring markets like Nepal become extension markets in which we apply our India‐led infrastructure, supply chain and brand‐building know-how. In this way, Nepal is both a growth market in its own right and a stepping-stone or pilot zone for how Hettich can scale in similar frontier South Asian markets.

Q: Which regions are driving the strongest growth for Hettich in South Asia? How do you plan to scale your presence across the region, including Nepal?

A: India remains the core growth engine for us as we have volume potential as well as strong manufacturing, supply-chain, sales and brand presence here. But beyond India, markets such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are increasingly showing very healthy growth signals: rising housing development, modular kitchens, interior design awareness and a willingness to invest in premium fittings. Our scaling plan is to build up distribution‐partner networks and showroom footprints in those markets. So, Nepal will be part of this regional growth wave wherein we will leverage our Indian plants, logistics and design partnerships.

Could you elaborate on Hettich’s strategy for Nepal — in terms of distribution, partnerships, or franchising — and how these models fit into your long-term expansion framework?

Currently, we are planning to have a distributor and dealership business model where we will have strong local business partners with required infrastructure to meet the increasing demand of Hettich products in Nepal. However, depending on the future business growth scope in Nepal, Hettich may think about its company based direct operation as well.

Q: What qualities do you look for in franchisees, distributors, or local partners to ensure the brand’s quality, service, and innovation standards are upheld in new markets like Nepal?

A: We look for partners with strong local market knowledge, strong financial capabilities, a commitment to quality and brand integrity, and solid operational capabilities in logistics and customer service. They should be financially stable, customer-centric, and aligned with ethical, transparent business practices. Above all, we value partners who take a collaborative approach and can consistently uphold Hettich’s standards in new markets like Nepal.

Q: How do you assess the current state of Nepal’s furniture and modular kitchen market? What consumer trends are shaping demand for premium fittings and smart home solutions in Nepal?

A: Nepal’s furniture and modular-kitchen market is small as compared with Indian and global markets. However, it is growing and driven by rapid urbanization, rising disposable incomes with increasing trend of remittance and rapid construction in Kathmandu and other major cities. Trends indicate steady growth in the modular kitchen and home-furniture segments, driven by the rising involvement of architects and interior designers in residential projects, growing brand awareness of premium fittings such as Hettich, and rapid urbanization accompanied by decentralized construction activity beyond the Kathmandu Valley. Buyers increasingly prefer customizable, space-saving modular solutions and premium fittings that promise durability and better finishes; sustainability is gaining attention; and early adoption of smart kitchen/appliance features are shaping the demand for premium and mid-premium fittings.

Q: Hettich is known for blending German precision with local adaptation. How do you tailor your global expertise, design, and innovation to meet the unique preferences of markets like Nepal?

A: Hettich blends its global German precision with local adaptation by closely studying regional design preferences, usage habits, and space constraints. In markets like India and Nepal, we tailor our product mix to suit compact urban homes, offer finishes and styles that align with local aesthetic tastes, and provide fittings engineered for local durability needs. We also provide service support, and installation practices to match the skill levels and expectations of local carpenters, designers, and consumers. This approach allows us to bring world-class innovation while delivering solutions that are suited to Nepal’s evolving lifestyle and market requirements.

Q: Innovation has always been central to Hettich’s brand — from soft-closing mechanisms to modular systems. How is innovation shaping your growth and differentiation strategy in South Asia?

A: Innovation is our key differentiator. In South Asia, where many players are competing on cost, we emphasize quality, functionality, durability and design innovation. German technology and innovations have been operating in Nepal with its extensive range of furniture fittings and door hardware solutions. Their award-winning fittings seamlessly blend exceptional functionality. Hettich’s product portfolio comprises a repertoire of Furniture Fittings, Door Hardware, Built-in Kitchen Appliances & Furniture Lights made with cutting-edge German quality, thereby providing holistic fitting solutions for all residential and commercial spaces which is shaping our growth in Nepal and South Asia regions.

Q: Sustainability is now a defining factor for global manufacturing. How central is it to Hettich’s expansion roadmap in emerging markets such as Nepal and India?

A: Sustainability is absolutely central, not an afterthought. Our manufacturing facilities operate on 100% renewable power, use on-site solar and waste-heat recovery, and follow high-efficiency building standards. We source low-carbon steel, maintain EMAS compliance, and promote biodiversity while progressing toward our science-based targets to halve emissions and achieve carbon-neutrality by 2030.

We believe that consumers globally are becoming more aware of sustainability, and even in markets like Nepal, the premium segment sees value in products with durability, after sales services, better functionality and quality etc. So, our roadmap for emerging markets integrates sustainability as it shapes design, manufacturing and supply-chain decisions.

Q: Having led Hettich’s strong growth in India, what lessons are you applying to Nepal in terms of market development, consumer education, and building longterm brand loyalty?

A: We will build the trade ecosystem first, then invest in business partners and stakeholders (Architect, Interior Designers, Carpenters) education and maintain consistency of quality and brand experience from day one. We are creating brand imagery and awareness among all our stakeholders through a holistic marketing plan in Nepal which aligned with our global marketing strategy.

Q: Finally, what is your long-term vision for Hettich’s growth in Nepal?

A: Hettich’s long-term vision in Nepal is to strengthen our undisputed market leadership by building a strong brand and a sustainable presence that grows alongside the country’s expanding furniture and modular-living ecosystem. As consumer expectations rise and the market becomes more organized, Nepal has the potential to evolve into a strategic hub for premium solutions. We see Nepal becoming not only a strong standalone market but also a model for how global innovation and localized solutions can successfully drive growth across emerging South Asian economies.

(This interview was orginally publised in the December 2025 issue of New Business Age magazine.)