Q . What do you find the most interesting in this industry ? Give few lines about yourself ? Today , the penetration of RO water purifiers is hardly 1.5 per cent of the total households . But , we are hopeful that the demand will rise steeply because of the deteriorating water quality , increasing awareness of health hazards related to impure water and also a good feedback from users of RO purifiers .
One of the major challenges is to educate the consumers about the need for RO purification . Even today , boiling is considered the best method for purifying water , but consumers should understand that boiling does not remove dissolved impurities . RO is essential to remove dissolved impurities . Moreover , the consumer mindset has largely been reactive rather than proactive . People usually look for water purifiers only when they encounter waterborne diseases . It is a challenge to create awareness that it is a must to purify their water using RO purifiers to prevent the onset of waterborne diseases .
The Genesis of the Brand Dr . Mahesh Gupta , - An IIT-Kanpur graduate from a Class of 1975 — who was happy working for the Indian Oil , this is nothing short of a dream today . Having gained sufficient expertise during his 10-year stint IOL , Dr . Gupta quit in the mid-1980s to turn his passion into an enterprise . His parents were livid at such an ‘ adventurous ’ move . But he had ideas and confidence even though he didn ’ t have money .
In 1998 , when his teenage children , fell prey to jaundice , Dr . Gupta was forced to look for a water purifier to install at his south Delhi home . He set out to search the market . The stuff available in the market left him unimpressed . Market leading purifiers then and even now , mainly work on Ultra Violet principle . Essentially , in these water purifiers , water goes through UV Light which attacks the bacteria and kills them , giving customers bacteria free water . As a concerned parent , Dr . Gupta was very well aware that this was not enough . With greater industrial activity groundwater had become contaminated with impurities that dissolve in water such arsenic , rust , pesticides and fluorides . Take salt or sugar for example , once dissolved into the water you can ’ t see them . The UV Light method can ’ t rid the water of such dissolved substances . He wanted to make a purifier that removes all these .
So , Dr . Gupta decided to noodle on the technology and flesh out his own ideas . It helped that he was by then running SS Engendering , a petroleum products company , his first entrepreneurial venture after leaving his job from Indian Oil . After several trials and six months of hard work , he zeroed in on a technology-reverse osmosis ( RO ) -which promised the results he wanted , and the first KENT purifier was born in March 1999 . Recognizing its potential , and in order to promote a healthy and happy life for other families , he decided to market this invention .
So , from there , he started his expeditions from a small garage where he used to design these purifiers with his own patented technology . And that ’ s how Kent RO came into being . Kent RO now is a rupee 800 crore company , which has grown immensely .
Q . What is the next trend in the purification industry ? The concern over air pollution is in the forefront . Air pollution is reaching alarming levels in India and air quality plunging to the ‘ severe ’ category . Air pollution in the country is at hazardous levels , breaching safety limits and prompting severe health concerns among the residents , particularly pregnant women , young children , the elderly and people with respiratory conditions and heart diseases . Some immediate preventive steps which are taken by Delhites are opting for an air purifier for home , and Car air purifiers while on the go . The popularity of air purifiers is growing steadily . So , this is the next trend in the industry .
Q . What is your next step towards a pure life ? After Pure Water , Kent RO is upbeat for Clean Air . We have come up with a whole new range of HEPA Based Air Purifiers . Air pollution is a major environmental health problem affecting the developing and the developed countries alike . Consumers are affected by pollution in the air , and we would like people to get relief from this . So we are providing a solution . We are hopeful that this demand will increase in the near future . As this kind of technology would not just help people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses but will contribute to reducing the rate of respiratory diseases in the capital city .
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| December 2017 |