FULL of Eastern promise! That's the future for Bury-based hardware importers Universal Importers which has advanced further links with India.

The company, located in Bank Street, Walshaw, has concluded a partnership deal with their Indian-based suppliers.

This gives Universal Imports access to a superb production facility as well as a key research and development base.

To cement the relationship, company principal David Jennings travelled to India and inaugurated a new £30,000 production line that has been installed for the Bury company.

This will enable Universal to offer their own customers even more competitive products on top of its existing range which embrace door knockers, letterplates, door viewers and ornamental numerals. Universal Imports have also committed to their new Indian partners a further £60,000 of investment in new machinery over the next 18 months.

David said: "The commitment to invest in new machinery reflects our desire to invest in new technology not usually associated with general Indian manufacture.

"We are also investing in quality control systems at the factory and our aim is to achieve a recognised quality standard at source within the next 15 months.

"This again is revolutionary in the Indian market where formal quality standards are a new concept and a very subjective matter."

He added: "My visit, this time, set a timetable for the implementation of objective quality standards to be maintained and these will form the basis of future examination by the QA (quality assurance) agencies.

Being based in Bury, Universal and India have other close ties apart from simply trade links.

Bhaichung Bhutia, the Bury FC striker, is a superstar in his native India where thousands flock to see him play for the national team.

And it was only fitting that David took several Bury FC shirts with him on his visit to present to Mahesh Gupta and his co-directors who proudly wore them.

David, who received a warm welcome and was decorated with traditional Hindu markings, commented: "Our association with our factory in India will provide great benefits for our customers.

"We have also agreed to use our brand names in the Indian market, which we believe will be extremely well received."

To give something back to the country, Universal Imports have undertaken to support an Indian-based charity by sponsoring the education of a child.