Sitara Group eyes larger slice of home, overseas markets

The diversified group plans to open outlets in domestic, world markets.


Imran Rana February 11, 2013
Sitara is a leading industrial group with estimated annual exports at Rs5 billion and domestic sales at Rs20 billion on the back of around 15% annual growth.

FAISALABAD: A leading conglomerate of Faisalabad, Sitara Group of Industries, is planning to capture a larger share of the growing retail market by opening franchises at home and overseas following growth in sales of its brands to Rs20 billion.

Sharing the success story from Sitara Textile to developing into a conglomerate named Sitara Group of Industries, Group Chief Executive Officer Mian Muhammad Idrees speaks to The Express Tribune about plans to expand the business.

Sitara is a leading industrial group with estimated annual exports at Rs5 billion and domestic sales at Rs20 billion on the back of around 15% annual growth.

Idrees says Sitara has become a famous brand and the group wants to cash in on the success by opening outlets in Pakistan and foreign markets. One of the popular brands is Sitara Fabrics and there is also great demand for other home textile products in markets in the United States, South Africa, Australia and Brazil.



He stresses that with the launch of any new commercial project, the group not only achieves good returns, but also undertakes welfare activities for the people of the area. “The group is trying its best to meet the requirements of corporate social responsibility, which is an important pillar of the ‘Sitara Empire’,” he says.

According to Idrees, shares of group companies are performing exceptionally well on stock exchanges as there is always a demand for stocks of Sitara Chemicals, Sitara Energy and Sitara Peroxide.

The group, which started off with Sitara Textile in the 1950s, has never turned back. Its projects include spinning mills, dying mills, processing mills, chemicals, peroxide and energy. Sitara Energy was set up in the 1990s exclusively to meet the energy needs of group companies.



“With increasing demand, we have enhanced our production capacity in order to win national and international orders,” he adds.

As the group has always been on time in fulfilling its commitments, Idrees says, this has won the trust of people and is a cause of success for projects like Sitara Shopping Malls, Sitara Office Plazas, Sitara Sapna Housing Society, Sitara Valley and Gulfishan Colony.

Sitara Smart Club, which is claimed to be the first club in Pakistan constructed according to international standards, has two branches operating in Faisalabad and Islamabad. The group plans to open two more – one each in Lahore and Multan.

Sitara Chemicals, launched in 1982, also has a significant share in national and international markets. Before its establishment, Pakistan was importing chemicals. “We are not only catering to the domestic needs, but has also started exporting chemicals to the international market – major buyers being Saarc member states, Malaysia, Indonesia, the UAE and African countries.

In the agriculture sector, the group has a 1,000-acre model farm, where pesticide and fertiliser products are first experimented.

In welfare projects, Aziz Fatima Hospital – Faisalabad’s largest private hospital – has been established where treatment is free for deserving people. Apart from this, Basheer Nazeera Foundation and the Aziz Fatima Trust have also been set up for poor people of the city.

To impart knowledge, Sitara Institute of Management and Technology is offering free education to deserving people.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2013.

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