Sloan, the Illinois-based plumbing systems maker, has acquired a controlling stake in Essel Bath Fittings. This move will deepen its presence in India and expand its local manufacturing base.
The deal is part of Sloan’s India strategy, with the company describing India as an important contributor to its global growth. According to Sloan India Managing Director Anil Sawhney, the partnership is aimed at meeting rising demand for bath fittings tied to urbanization and new housing.
Sawhney said Sloan sees India as more than a trading base and wants to increase both manufacturing and exports from the country. "We are actually looking at India as making it a manufacturing hub. So, we want to make products in India and sell them in India and outside the world as well", he said.
Essel’s manufacturing facilities and distribution network would help support that expansion, while also improving Sloan’s retail reach. The companies are targeting demand in both premium and mid-segment products, with Sawhney describing the arrangement as a complementary partnership.
Under the transaction, Essel Bath Fittings will continue to operate under its existing brand, while Sloan will remain positioned as a premium brand. Sloan will focus on high-end institutional, commercial, and residential applications.
The fittings market in India is shifting toward organized brands, a trend Sawhney linked to the country’s growing middle class. He also said Sloan expects technology, innovation, and design inputs to be introduced into India through Essel.
"We are looking at making it a make in India story for Sloan and Essel both. This partnership gives us access to a large manufacturing facility in Derabassi, Punjab, where we would be expanding our portfolio, and Essel gets the expertise of Sloan to really take the business forward. We certainly see this, both the companies growing multifold in times to come."
Industry experts said the combined business could capture about 10% market share over the next five years. They also projected the Indian bath fittings market to grow by 7–10% over that period.
Sawhney said Sloan plans to address two demand drivers in India: premium buyers and aspirational households. On exports, he said they already account for 20% of Sloan India’s business, with shipments going to the Middle East, Vietnam, and Malaysia. They are also eyeing Australia and New Zealand as well.
Essel, meanwhile, sells in Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, and the companies expect the partnership to widen channel access and expand regional reach.
Sawhney outlined growth targets for both operations over the coming years, "In terms of Sloan India, we certainly look at our revenue going 5 to 6, 7 times in the next 5 to 7 years. As we said, we have been substantially growing in the Indian market at around 50% annually, in the last 4 to 5 years."
On demand in India, Sawhney said the affluent population stands at about 80 million people and could reach 160 million within five years. He added that similar growth is taking place across the middle and emerging middle classes, and said buyers are increasingly placing quality ahead of price. The partnership, he said, is intended to address that shift.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
