Deco Window: Revolutionizing Global Window Dressing with India-Led Manufacturing Excellence
Transitioning a family business from a legacy handicraft unit into a global manufacturing powerhouse is no small feat. For Vaibhav Jain, the third-generation leader and Group CEO of Janita Global, the journey wasn't handed to him on a silver platter—it began in a seat right next to the toilets. Today, he leads Deco Window, a brand that holds a 5% market share in India and is growing at a staggering 50% CAGR, proving that "Made in India" can indeed be a global gold standard.
Starting in 1978 with handicraft manufacturing, the company has evolved through three generations of leadership. Vaibhav spent 18 years training across every department—from trading and manufacturing to product development—before merging his own startup, Deco Window, with the parent group. Now, he is steering the organization toward becoming one of the top 10 window solution companies in the world.
The Window Solution Gap
In the past, window dressing was purely aesthetic. Today, it's highly functional. Vaibhav identifies a massive gap in how people perceive windows, moving beyond design to include:
- Heat & Privacy Control: Managing the indoor environment efficiently.
- Access to Fresh Air: Improving ventilation and outdoor connection.
- Mosquito & HVAC Control: Integrating health and energy efficiency.
- Home Automation: Moving from manual to automatic track systems.
The Evolution of a Legacy: From Handicrafts to Hardware
The company started in 1978 with handicrafts, but in the 90s, Vaibhav's father and uncles saw a unique opportunity in window hardware. They built what was then the largest factory of its time. Today, Janita Global operates the largest factory of this time in terms of global capacity for window hardware.
Deco Window's product category is strategically balanced to provide a complete solution. Window hardware (track systems, automatic tracks, and curtain rods) contributes 50% of the category, while curtains and blinds contribute 25% each. This integrated approach allows them to serve both global giants like IKEA, Walmart, and Target, and the burgeoning Indian retail market.
"Usually they say that elephants take time to move. I would say, as a family company, as a 40-year-old company, we are far more agile than most companies our size."
Navigating Family Business Dynamics: The 1.0 to 2.0 Shift
Vaibhav is candid about the "storming phase" that often comes with family-owned businesses. He credits his father's vision for ensuring the third generation was capable enough to scale the company enormously. However, professionalizing a legacy business required a deep shift in culture—what Vaibhav calls moving from Organization 1.0 to Organization 2.0.
The Professionalization Roadmap
- Legacy Architecture to People-Driven: Moving from a top-down structure to an empowered team.
- Finance-Focused to Customer-Passionate: Shifting the primary metric from balance sheets to customer delight.
- Legacy IT to IT Strength: Transforming technology from a back-office function to a core competitive moat.
- Annual Operating Plans: Building every year's strategy from a blank sheet to stay agile.
Scaling Globally: The "India Supermac" Advantage
Serving large format B2B retailers like IKEA isn't just about cold calling. Vaibhav points to four pillars of their global success: Relationship, Product Excellence, Price Component, and Ease of Doing Business. He also highlights a new tailwind—the "India Supermac" factor—where global retailers are increasingly looking to India as a primary sourcing hub.
While the global window market grows between 6-20%, the Indian window market is growing at 21% CAGR. Janita Global, however, is outpacing the market by growing at 50%, fueled by their ability to quickly turn out products, test them through their D2C e-commerce channels, and then scale them for global retail.
The Market Opportunity
- Home Decor Market: ₹56,000 Crores in India.
- Window Market TAM: ₹8,500 Crores (Approx).
- Deco Window Target: ₹3,000 - ₹3,500 Crores (Mig & Hig Urban Market).
- Deco Window Growth: 50% CAGR year-over-year.
The Life of a CEO: Discipline and Learning
Despite the hectic schedule of a global CEO, Vaibhav maintains a rigorous routine. His day starts at 6 AM, and he enforces a "hard stop" at 6 PM to spend quality time with his joint family—a practice he calls his "biggest strength." He also mandates 12 vacations a year to recharge and gain perspective.
Continuous learning is another non-negotiable. "10 PM to 12 PM is purely for learning. Every day. I'm either reading a book, consuming content, or going through a course," he says. This discipline is what allows him to steer a 40-year-old "elephant" with the agility of a startup.
The Role of a Mentor
Vaibhav credits much of his professional maturity to his mentor, Mushtaq Gupta (former Global Marketing Head for General Electric). He believes every leader needs a mentor who can "show you the mirror" Point Blank. "A leader leads from the back. They hire the right people but also learn to get out of the way," he advises.
The Vision: Beyond Windows
While the current vision is to be a top 10 window company globally, Vaibhav isn't stopping there. He believes India is entering an "interesting manufacturing space" for the next 15 years. Janita Global is already diversifying, with plans to launch two or three new categories in the next few years.
For Vaibhav Jain, the secret to navigating family business dynamics is a concoction of the right value systems, a strong internal benchmark, and the gumption to lead from the back. As Deco Window continues to redefine window dressing as a functional necessity, it stands as a masterclass in how legacy businesses can evolve, professionalize, and dominate on the world stage.
About the Guest
Vaibhav Jain is the Group CEO of Janita Global and the founder of Deco Window. A third-generation entrepreneur and an engineer by training, Vaibhav spent nearly two decades training across all facets of the family manufacturing business. Under his leadership, Deco Window has become India's leading window solutions brand and a major supplier to global retail giants. He is an avid photographer, a proponent of joint family values, and a dedicated lifelong learner who is passionate about building "Organization 2.0" cultures in legacy businesses.
Janita Global is a premier manufacturing group specializing in window hardware and home decor. With a legacy dating back to 1978, the group operates world-class manufacturing facilities in India, serving both domestic and international markets. Its flagship brand, Deco Window, offers a comprehensive range of window solutions, including automatic tracks, curtain rods, curtains, and blinds, known for their blend of high functionality and aesthetic design.