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Duroflex was launched back in 1964 by the late PC Mathew who had been working in his family’s tyre business. On a factory visit to Mercedes Benz in Germany, Mathew was intrigued by the use of rubberised coir in car seats that gave them durability and cushioning. On his return, he decided to set up a similar business and set up a mattress manufacturing facility in Alappuzha.
The company got its first big push with a big order from the Indian Government that needed mattresses for hospital beds, railway coaches and bus seats. The Indian market was introduced to rubberised coir in mattresses and then, Duroflex began innovating and developing beyond - adding spring and foam to its categories.
Sleep Becomes All The Buzz
In the 2010s, the importance of sleep started to gain notoriety with articles about REM stages, sleep including teas, effects of blue light and insomnia flooding online feeds and magazines. “Consumers have complete information symmetry and know what's happening across the world.” And this rising information symmetry boosts a preference for technology-enabled products that improve people’s health span.
Most recently, it was Covid that acted as market catalyst. Post-Covid, there was an increase in the overall sensitivity to good health and its linkages with sleep. Additionally, Sridhar attributes the demand to an increasing per capita income of consumers that makes it easier for them to afford good quality mattresses. And finally, the rise of D2C and e-commerce has made access that much more easier as compared to what it was in the past.
D2C & Retail
For most brands that want to meaningfully grow in India, having a robust online and offline presence is a must. Of their current portfolio today, Sridhar tells us that 60 to 70% of Duroflex’s sales are offline, but around 30 to 40% are online.
Innovating For Customer-First Needs
Of their newer innovations, Sridhar talks about ‘Neuma’ - a smart mattress equipped with a remote control to adjust the firmness of the bed to suit you. And since, often we share the bed with another, the mattress firmness can be customised on each side of the bed.
Another technology, ‘Wave’ is a smart bed with a recliner that can be adjusted based on individual needs. Both sides of the bed can be adjusted separately to suit each person's needs. And to further enhance the experience of sleeping with a parter, the anti-snore mode helps achieve a head-to-bed inclination that can reduce snoring.
“The most comfortable, relaxed position,” Sridhar says is the “zero gravity mode” which is a sleep position where the body is reclined at an angle with the legs elevated slightly above the level of the heart.
Their products also come with massage modes, sleep trackers, smart charging and USB ports that shows their commitment to leveraging technology to provide for consumers’ changing needs.
Pushing A Brand
To penetrate the market, Duroflex cracked down their target audience and the unique needs of their target audience. Then, reached out to them on two levels - communication and access. “If I put it in simple parlance without technicalities, Duroflex addresses an audience which is relatively older.”
Their products are designed and endorsed to appeal to that audience. Their brand ambassador Virat Kohli epitomises health and fitness in the minds of many Indians. And for their brand Sleepyhead, which addresses a relatively younger target audience, products are designed accordingly and Ranveer Singh is the ambassador.
As for partnerships, Sridhar explains that their range Duropedic is endorsed by National Health Authority of India and are doctor certified for orthopedic pain. They also have a partnership with the Inspire Institute of Sports that helps athletes enable their performance.
“As marketeers, our job is also to ensure that we continue to educate consumers about the relevance of sleep in their overall life, thereby improving their health span.”
Final Words From The CEO
People are beginning to realise that we spend one third of our time sleeping and a high quality mattress plays a big role in determining the quality of sleep.
“Health is wealth. It really is the most important thing.” When saying this, Sridhar refers to all four dimensions of health - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
He urges people to consciously invest in improving all the four dimensions of health as that will enable them to grow personally and professionally. “What I have increasingly realised is that sleep plays an equally important role in all dimensions of health as exercise and good diet.”
Today, Duroflex owns three manufacturing facilities in South India and uses satellite manufacturing units around the country to aid in production. They continue to provide for their vision to create technology-led mattresses, pillows and sleep tech options for an enriching sleep experience.
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