Seeking modular kitchens

A recent analysis conducted by Livspace, the home interiors and renovation platform, showed that India witnessed a 350 percent jump in demand for modular kitchens in the past six months alone. Bengaluru was the biggest buyer, contributing to 50% of the orders, followed by Mumbai and Delhi NCR. The average spend on modular kitchens was ₹3.14 lakh.

Analysing over 500 orders in a 6-month period, it was found that 92% of married couples opted for modular kitchens, 47% fell in the age bracket of 35 and 44 years, 35% of the demand came from millennials between the age of 25 and 34 years, and those above the age of 45 chose to remain conservative with only 18% of them experimenting with modular kitchens.

New-age materials such as glass and metal were preferred for wall cabinets. Thirty percent (30%) demanded the sleek handleless look for their kitchens. Among colour choices, white followed by champagne were the top preferences across cities.

According to Gopal Dwivedi, Head of Modular Business at Livspace, “Modular kitchens are an important part of the modern Indian home. Our data reveals that consumers are finally open to experimenting, even with big-ticket items. They are embracing new-age materials such as MDF for cabinets and Corian for countertops. This is a far cry from the traditionally preferred plywood and granite. It is a win for the modular industry.”

The study also highlights a rise in demand for both new projects as well as renovation of traditional kitchens to modular. The ratio for new modular kitchens and renovation projects was 60:40.

Anuj Srivastava, Co-founder & CEO, Livspace, said “ Livspace is at the helm of driving disruption in this traditionally offline product category with technology that aids design, supply and delivery of such a complex product.”

Research firm Technavio forecasts growth of the modular kitchen market in India at a CAGR of 51.87% between 2014 and 2019. The segment holds immense business opportunity and is one of the booming industries in India.