Furniture: Porada leads the way in India with BIS certification

“Why did we do it? Because we like a challenge.” Jokes Mauro Nastri, export manager at Porada, a furniture company founded in Como in 1968 by Luigi Allievi and now run by the second generation, with Tiziano Allievi as managing director. He’s joking, but not entirely, because it wasn’t easy to obtain BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certification, which has been mandatory since last February for all furniture companies wishing to export and market their products subject to the regulations in India.

Porada is one of the first Italian companies to achieve this milestone and, as Nastri points out, the hope “is that many others will follow suit soon, because this will help to build a market. The more of us there are, the more competitive ‘Made in Italy’ design will be”.

But the process was by no means straightforward, he admits: “It was a lengthy and costly undertaking, because apart from the certification costs themselves, there is a whole series of hidden costs involved, starting with the work involved in compiling the documentation and the resources allocated, including in terms of staff,” explains the export manager. The inspectors’ assessment was lengthy and meticulous; we had to send all the products to be checked to India, and every single component was scrutinised, from screws to the wooden dowels used to assemble the furniture. So the supply chain must also be certified, and fortunately our suppliers were already certified; otherwise, the process would have taken even longer.”

Porada, which has been operating in India since 2010 and currently works through a number of dealers, took very little time to decide to apply for BIS certification. “Apart from the fact that we want to do things by the book and operate with peace of mind, it was also a duty towards our local customers,” notes Nastri. The certification obtained will enable the company to strengthen its position in a market considered strategic and one with great potential for the sector, particularly at this time when many export markets are closed or experiencing a slowdown.

“Being the first Italian company in the sector to achieve BIS certification represents an important milestone for us, but also a new starting point,” comments CEO Tiziano Allievi. “ “This achievement confirms Porada’s commitment to continuing to grow internationally through tangible investments, whilst always prioritising the quality and manufacturing expertise that have always set us apart,” he adds.”