Rukmani Group has been importing luxury bathroom products in Nepal for the past 30 years. Most of its customers are upscale hotels and a handful of private individuals willing to spend on having a ritzy living experience at their homes.  Anushka Nepal of ApEx talks to Aditya Raj Budhiya, the group’s executive director, to find out what sets apart Rukmani’s products from the rest and what is the company’s future. What are the luxury products that Rukmani Group imports?  Rukmani Group mainly imports high-end bathroom products from tiles to fixtures. For example, we import tiles from Spain and Italy and bathroom items and accessories from internationally acclaimed brands like Armani and Axon. The reason why we associate our products with luxury is because they don’t just serve their basic purpose. The showerheads that we find in most homes and hotels in Kathmandu only serve one primary objective. But the ones we import, though expensive, have multiple functions. They have different water flow, bluetooth for the ones who love to shower with something playing in the background and light settings. We deal in efficiency and experience.

What is the goal of your company? 

Our main focus has always been customer satisfaction. For the past 30 years, I can proudly say that we have dedicated ourselves to giving our customers what they need, rather than what we want them to buy from us. My father started this business as a way to introduce Nepal to many efficient household necessities. Three decades ago, Nepal had no access to such products. So one of our goals is to make these items available for anyone interested in having a luxurious experience at their homes, offices and businesses. How is the business faring after the Covid-19 pandemic? Covid hit our business like many others, but I think we have bounced back. We always have an emergency fund, which came in handy to cushion the blow dealt by the pandemic. Plus, we never let our loans cross a certain limit. These things helped us a lot to keep our finances stable even during the lockdowns that forced many businesses to close down. After the Covid restrictions were lifted, we did receive a lot of customers willing to spend money on luxury bathroom products. Perhaps, after spending months cooped up in their homes, they wanted to make their home living more comfortable. The resumption of international travel might also have helped because some customers wanted the products they saw in foreign countries installed at their homes. Who are the customers of Rukmani Group?  Most of our customers are currently in the hospitality sector. We supply our products to hotels in Kathmandu that want their customers to have a comfortable experience during their stay. The hotels that demand these products fall slightly on the expensive side. We also have clients who buy our products for their homes, but their numbers are few. We don’t pretend that our products are affordable. It is understandable that most people would rather have a Rs 3,000 showerhead at their homes than a high-end Rs 300,000 one. Nevertheless, the number of people interested in our products for their homes is increasing, especially after Covid-19. What is your future plan for the company? Our main goal at Rukmani Group is to become a one-stop solution for those who are looking to invest in efficient interiors in their houses. From bathroom to kitchen to their bedrooms, we want to provide them with everything they want and need. Currently, we only deal in bathroom tiles, fixtures and accessories, but we are planning to expand towards home automation. We want our customers to have a highly efficient and secure living experience. We are talking about smart homes, where you can control everything with your smartphone, from wherever you are.