Lotto bets big on Sania Mirza

Looking to cash in on the huge fan following of Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza, Italian sports wear company Lotto has launched the star's signature collection of sportswear in the domestic market and would be introducing it in the international markets by fall winter of 2006.
The company is also planning to open another 25-30 exclusive Lotto outlets in India next year as a part of expansion.

"The Sania Mirza signature collection is a women's range and at the moment the priority would be to promote it in the Indian market," Sierra Industrial Enterprises (licensee of Lotto Sport Italia) CEO Jaswant Singh told PTI.

He, however, said the company had plans to take the collection to the Middle East and Far East markets, where Indian-origin population is considerable. "By the fall winter of 2006, the signature collection range should be in those markets," Singh said.

On the domestic front, he said the company was looking to boost sales from women's products category and would also open more exclusive outlets.

"As of now, sales from women's range contribute about 30 per cent of our total sales. Going forward we want to make it 50:50 between men's and women's product range," he said.

Singh said the company would add three more exclusive outlets in December, while it planned to add 25-30 more in the next year.

He, however, declined to specify investments on retail expansion, as it would "be done through franchisees". Singh said the company was looking at a double-digit growth in the next year.