''This is the right time to come to India''

SCA is a leading international paper company that produces and sells absorbent hygiene products, packaging solutions and publication papers. JohnsonDiversey India Pvt Ltd is a 100 per cent subsidiary of JohnsonDiversey Inc SC Johnson and Sons. SC Johnson holds 67 per cent and Unilever holds 33 per cent stake in the global JohnsonDiversey organisation.

To firm up the launch plans of their Tork away-from-home (AFH) branded tissues, Reine Hagman, commercial director of SCA, was in Mumbai. He manages the overseas tissue business in 35 countries around the world. Hagman spoke to Shubha Madhukar on SCA's business plans in India.

What are SCA's business plans in India?
Reine HagmanWe are going to launch two categories from the SCA company. We are launching Tork, our 'away-from-home' (AFH) tissues soon. The AFH market comprises hotels, restaurants, caterers, hospitals and commercial health care centres. Tena, our incontinence care (adult diapers) brand will be launched in the next quarter.

As far as tissues are concerned, the Indian market is still in the nascent stage, how do you see your business growing?
We see that the economy is growing very fast. That means that the tissue market in India will be upgraded, that will also upgrade the hygiene level.

What is the per capita consumption of tissues in India and what is it in US and Europe?
The consumption per capita, in India, is a fraction of what you see in Europe or the States. In the US, total per capita annual tissue consumption is 27 kg per person. In Sweden, it is 22 kg per person. In Germany, it is 15 kg per person. But in India, it is only 15g per person (even China has a per capita consumption of 2.5kg per person!)

So how important is India in the company's scheme of business?
We strongly believe in this area and it is in this area where we can see the biggest scope at the moment for this kind of product. That is why we have started our brand shop here in Mumbai and also newly opened an office in Shanghai in China, to take care of the entire Asia-Pacific region.