Walton expands global reach, eyes next phase of electronics innovation

Local brand Walton, which holds the leading position in the country's electronics market, is now exporting products to over 50 countries, surpassing its domestic sales.

Walton, which operates in almost every segment of electrical and electronic goods manufacturing, is now focusing on artificial intelligence and the backward linkage industry.

In a recent interview with The Business Standard, Tanvir Anjum, Business Coordinator to the Managing Director of Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC., talked about the company's innovations and business outlook.

Would you tell us about Walton's current business situation?

Walton moved from an family business to a formal business around 2006. The family business of five brothers has become the country's top electronics company in the last two decades. Currently, our turnover is equivalent to $1 billion. We hold about 70% of the local electronics market. We are now exporting products to more than 50 countries. That day is not far off when we will be upgraded to a top global brand.

What is Walton's current position in the global market?

Over the past 5–6 years, we have increased our footprint in the global market. During this time, our growth in the global market has been proportional.

We are doing well in the African market, the Sri Lankan market, and the Maldives market. We are also doing well in the European market.  We are exploring the UK and US markets. Besides this, we also have plans to provide products in several other countries on a joint venture basis.

Walton is now producing almost all kinds of electronics products. What new things might be added to the product line in future?

Walton has a presence in almost all segments of the electronics, electrical and home appliance product market. Walton holds a significant share in the TV, refrigerator, AC, computer, and home appliance markets. Our latest product line includes elevator and cable. We are trying to take these two products to the top position in the local market. Due to the quality of the products, there is an opportunity to export these to the global market as well. Besides this, we have decided to produce lithium-ion batteries. Production will start in this factory by mid-2026.  In the case of electronic devices and solar power—smartphones, laptops, tablets, digital cameras, smartwatches, and portable gaming consoles run on these batteries.

We are now incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into our products. We are continuing R&D regards electric vehicles.

We now want to work on the second stage of electronics products, which is the backward linkage industry. Although we are already working in this segment, there is more opportunity to work in this segment now, and we want to give it importance. We want to create another 50,000 new jobs in the next five years.

How much importance is Walton giving to Research and Development? What are the business expansion plans?

The technology sector is constantly changing. There is no alternative to R&D to survive here. Walton is working on this quite extensively. Currently, we have a dedicated R&D team. More than 700 engineers are working in this team. Most of them are Bangladeshi, few are from Korea and other European countries. Engineers and Suppliers continuously visit our production plants. We also go abroad for training. This is done based on knowledge sharing. Our R&D teams are working on new innovations in line with the demands of the time.

Mega projects—meaning global standard projects—still use foreign products. Have Walton or other domestic products not reached that standard?

Already, I've mentioned that Walton products are being exported to more than 50 countries around the world. This signifies that our products are world-standard. We also supplied our products in some mega projects in the country. However, there are some procedural complexities in supplying products to government projects. Due to the categorisation of products during project tenders, we are unable to participate in tenders even after producing quality products. In our tender policy, products from Europe or America are listed in category 'A', products from China, Vietnam, and Russia in category 'B', and products from Bangladesh and India in category 'C'. As a result, we cannot supply products in projects of category 'A' or 'B'. We hope the government will help on to policy level for helping local industries.

Walton was the only company in the manufacturing sector to receive the 'Excellence in Investment Award 2025' at the recent Investment Summit. Tell us about this achievement.

The government has given this award to Walton Hi-Tech Industries for its exemplary contribution to the country's industrial sector. Walton has received awards for good governance multiple times due to maintaining world-class compliance. This year's award from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority is exceptional. Walton is the only company in the manufacturing sector in Bangladesh to receive this award. This is a matter of pride for us. One of our main visions is to protect nature. Our factory is green. The organisation is committed to the government's vision of building a green and carbon-free Bangladesh. As part of this, the government has given this award due to various exceptional initiatives, including the establishment of a solar power project at Walton Headquarters in Gazipur.

Tell us about your educational background, journey with Walton, and future plans.

I completed my undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering at the Islamic University of Technology and pursued my MBA at Anglia Ruskin University, UK.

My journey with Walton began in 2020. Prior to that, I worked as a project manager in Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UK. At Walton, I took over the corporate sales department, and though it hasn't been a long one, it has been deeply rewarding. At that time, corporate sales stood at around Tk 100 crore revenue yearly. Through collective effort, innovation, and strategic planning, we were able to scale that figure to over Tk 500 crore in just three years.

Later on I move on to more strategic role and serving as the business coordinator to the Managing Director.

At Walton, I have found a workplace and a platform where I can contribute meaningfully to national progress. Looking ahead, I aim to help position Walton among the world's top global brands. I am passionate about advancing the country's technology sector, and I believe empowering young people and entrepreneurs will be key to driving this transformation.