Stephen Beddoe, distributor relations and marketing director of Amway India, in Calcutta on Tuesday. Picture by Kishor Roy Chowdhury

Calcutta, May 2: Amway India Enterprises expects its turnover to grow by 10 per cent from Rs 633 crore in 2005-06 (September 2005 to August 2006). The wholly-owned subsidiary of the $6.2-billion Amway Corporation, USA, also plans to introduce some of its global products like energy drinks and bars and cereals in the country.

The domestic direct selling industry has grown to Rs 2,700 crore from Rs 2,300 crore last year, according to the figures of the Indian Direct Selling Association (Idsa).

The Idsa figures included private insurance companies employing direct selling, said Stephen Beddoe, director ? distributor relations and marketing, Amway India.

“We are exploring the possibility of launching a few of our global health products and have just introduced Positrim, a weight management product. The company is yet to decide on launching energy drinks, bars and cereals,” Beddoe said.

Amway India started with a turnover of Rs 90 crore in 1998-99. The company’s growth has now stagnated at 10 per cent against the industry’s expected annual growth of 25 per cent for the next three years.

The company expects sachets and other variants of small unit packaging to be the major growth drivers.

Amway India, which operates through contract manufacturing units, plans to consolidate three of its five units at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. The company has invested more than Rs 17 crore to upgrade these manufacturing facilities in keeping with its international standards.

“Our global partners and associates and countries in South America and Southeast Asia have expressed interest in our small unit packaging, including sachets, that have been so successful in India,” said Beddoe.

If successful, the company could be exporting its products to such destinations.

The company plans to launch 14 products this fiscal, five in nutrition and wellness categories, four in cosmetics and five in personal care.

In Bengal, Amway is all set to open its sixth office in Asansol. It operates through three warehouses and the state yields a turnover of around Rs 60 crore per year. It has 10 per cent of the company’s distributor base at 40,000.