Supreme Infrastructure, a non-IT and public-listed company, has allegedly dumped IT products in the Mumbai market, at prices 20-30 percent below the market operating price. Supreme has allegedly dumped inventory worth Rs 12-14 crore in the past four to six weeks. These include products from HP, Asus, LG, Kaspersky and Microsoft hardware, according to informed market sources.
Ketan Patel, CEO, Creative Peripherals and Committee Member, TAIT informed, “We have investigated the matter as a distributor of Microsoft hardware products and also at the level of TAIT based on complaints from a few members. What has emerged is that Supreme had sourced IT products from a company called eOffice Planet—now part of Office Depot—to supply to MMRDA. For some reason this product wasn’t supplied to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and instead landed back in the open market. We don’t know the reason behind why products meant for MMRDA were sold in the open market.”
Patel said that Creative had in fact supplied a large number of Microsoft hardware to eOffice Planet at Rs 600 per mouse and keyboard combo. “These products came back in the open market and began selling at Rs 450 per unit. That’s what raised our eyebrows.”
Patel informed that TAIT has also investigated the matter after few members reported dumping. “TAIT did the investigation and found the above facts. More than the dumping of products we were concerned about TAIT members who may have supplied the products to eOffice Planet. So we checked with all our members if they had received their payments. Fortunately, Creative and KK Overseas, both who had supplied products have received their payments. So we didn’t pursue the matter further,” he opined.
A Mumbai-based reseller, who didn’t want to be named, admitted to having purchased around Rs 60 lakh of products from the company. “The reason we bought products from Supreme is because they were duty-paid with India warranty; and prices offered were almost 30 percent less than the distributor transfer price,” said the reseller.
When contacted Supreme’s Company Secretary Vijay Joshi said his company has no interest in IT business and that the allegations brought forward by CRN about the company dumping IT products in the market has absolutely no basis. “I am completely shocked with such speculations and allegations against our company. We are a listed company and such news could have negative impact. We are a real estate and infrastructure developer and have no interest in IT business whatsoever. Probably it’s some other company having a similar name that is involved,” he said.
Patel said that Creative has verified that ePlanet Office sold products sourced from his company to Supreme Infrastructure for a MMRDA project. Supreme’s Web site lists MMRDA as one of the large projects it is executing currently.
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