General Manager, Sealy India
Q What major trends are shaping the mattress and sleep solution industry, particularly in India?
Indian consumers are very health conscious, and wellbeing is one of the major considerations when purchasing a mattress. As consumers are getting more educated, they understand that a good night’s sleep is one of the three pillars of health, along with diet and exercise. And one of the contributors to healthy sleep is a good quality mattress. A mattress has many features that can affect sleep quality positively. For instance, we talk about a ‘cooling’ sleep environment – during sleep, body temperature goes down a little and cooling fabrics can assist that process. Or the mattress has memory foam, to cushion and cradle the body so that there are no pressure points that can cause tossing and turning.
Q What is your long-term vision for Sealy India when it comes to the Indian market?
Sealy is the world’s number one selling mattress and Sealy Posturepedic is renowned for orthopaedically correct support to help provide a better night’s sleep. Our vision is to duplicate this global success in India. With the opening of the factory in Hyderabad this year, we are demonstrating our confidence in the growth and strength of the Indian mattress market. We see this factory only as the beginning: in future we are planning to open in other locations as Sealy India expands its retail network and customer base.
Q What strategies are you implementing to address the increasing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products?
Sealy India is committed to sustainable manufacturing and development. Our aim is to reduce any negative impact on the environment from our operations, and the Sealy International R&D team is focused on developing materials and processes that minimize environmental impacts. There are a number of initiatives that make economic sense as well as being environmentally sound, for example, the factory has rainwater harvesting pit which help in replenishing ground water and helps in soil erosion,, and we measure, reduce, and re-use resources wherever possible. Product design is an important consideration. Our mattresses are made with recyclable components, such as steel wire and polyethylene. Layers are not glued wherever possible, instead we use a process called ‘innertufting’ so that layers can be disassembled more easily.
Q What strategies do you think mattress industry should adopt in promoting mattress recycling within India?
That is a good question, with no easy answers. Mattresses are large and contribute significant volume to bulky waste. So there are two ways of thinking about mattress recycling. One is to make the mattress in ways that makes it easy to recycle the various components into useful second-life materials. The other way, which is complementary, is to ensure the mattress lasts a long time, to extend the lifespan of the mattress. Sealy is focused on both approaches. Our testing and material selection ensures a Sealy mattress has a long comfort life. We want consumers to keep their mattress for 8 or 10 years and then return the mattress for safe disposal.