MAM
HomeLane launches its first experience centre in Kolkata
Kolkata: As part of its operational scale-up, interior design company HomeLane is expanding its footprint in West Bengal. The company has launched its first experience centre in Chinar Park, north Kolkata. Spread over 2,500 square feet, the HomeLane experience centre offers potential customers and visitors a taster with eight concepts and designs covering kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces for diverse customer demographics and interests.
Each of these eight setups are designed in a different mood and theme that would invoke different feelings in visitors. A dedicated interior designer will guide visitors through the experience centre presenting the array of choices available to the customer followed by a demonstration of spacecraft where their ideas and inspirations will be brought to life. Here, a customer can also see the actual products that will be used in designing their home including a library of materials that could be used in furnishing, upholstery etc. The company also offers free design consultation as part of this service offering.
This year, the Kolkata market witnessed over 18,000 new home purchases, double the record purchases made in 2019. In fact, this is the first time in the last five years that sales exceeded the supply in Kolkata, resulting in unsold inventory levels reaching the lowest in the previous half-decade. This inherent business opportunity has encouraged HomeLane to step-up its investments and operations in West Bengal, starting with its first experience centre in Kolkata.
HomeLane co-founder & CEO Srikanth Iyer said, “West Bengal shows promising growth potential for HomeLane as the local demand for home interior design service has increased with the record rise in new home purchases, especially in Kolkata. We established our operations in 2019 and have been studying local market requirements to build in certain requirements that are very native to the West Bengal homeowner. Kolkata’s residents look for sleek, contemporary interiors infused with traditional elements like Kalighat paintings, stained glass accents, large windows for natural lighting, or patterned-tile floors. This confluence of heritage and contemporary ethos is what we have considered while designing our first experience centre in the city. Through our experience centre, we are offering Kolkata’s homeowners the best of modern concepts combined with indigenous local nuances delivered within 45 days.”
HomeLane plans to establish a network of four experience centres and four design studios across West Bengal over the next one year. They will provide local customers with a personal interface to interact with the company for their home interior needs. This network of experience centres and design studios will entail a capex investment of Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore. The company is targeting over 5,000 orders from West Bengal and expects the local market operations to contribute over 10 per cent of business volumes in the next three years. HomeLane also has tied-up with various banks to provide easy financing options for its customers.
HomeLane co-founder & COO Tanuj Choudhry said, “Kolkata has been our fastest-growing market across India, with adoption rates for home interiors higher than in any other metro city. Moreover, customers in West Bengal take 20 per cent less time to make decisions on home interior services since almost all of them look for a one-stop-shop solution provider for all home interior needs. The Kolkata market, as well as the larger West Bengal market, are witnessing a shift to the organised sector, marked by increased customer preference for factory-finished modular furniture and home decor. The pandemic has further accelerated this shift, with customers wanting high-end, low maintenance, quickly installable products, with customisation options.”
Established in 2014, HomeLane has grown into India’s tech-enabled home interiors brand, providing end-to-end interior services in a personalised, professional way. The brand currently services 12+ cities across the country through 21 experience centres.
Brands
Hiili names Sanjay Hemady as country manager India
Media veteran to drive digital decarbonisation push
MUMBAI: Climate tech firm Hiili has announced its entry into India, appointing industry veteran Sanjay Hemady as India country manager to steer its growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital markets.
Hemady, a familiar name across India’s media and consulting circles, will lead Hiili’s India operations from Mumbai. His mandate is clear: help Indian companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon emissions generated by their digital services.
Hiili offers a scientifically validated platform, certified by the UC3M-Santander Big Data Institute, that enables businesses to improve the efficiency of their digital infrastructure while cutting emissions. As organisations race to meet ESG targets, the company positions itself as a practical bridge between climate pledges and measurable action.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as country manager, India at Hiili,” Hemady said in a LinkedIn post, adding that the company aims to move beyond broad sustainability promises towards precise, science-based decarbonisation.
Hemady brings more than three decades of experience spanning print, television, radio and digital media. He has previously served as chief executive officer at HIT 95 FM, assistant general manager at CNBC TV18, and held leadership roles at MTV India and The Indian Express, among others. Most recently, he worked as an independent business consultant advising firms across media and technology.
With India’s digital economy expanding at pace, the environmental cost of data, streaming and online services is climbing quietly in the background. Hiili’s bet is that carbon efficiency will soon sit alongside cost efficiency in boardroom conversations.
For Hemady, the move marks a shift from selling airtime and ad inventory to championing climate accountability. If successful, Hiili’s India play could make digital growth not just faster, but cleaner too.
