Today Kent RO Systems Ltd. has three state-of-the-art manufacturing plants in Roorki, Uttarakhand. With an investment of 100 crores, the company is readying up a new manufacturing plant in Greater Noida. The Roorki facility is probably the largest water purifier manufacturing facility India with 1,00,000 sqr feet plant. Currently the manufacturing capacity of the company is 5 lakh pieces per year.

SME WORLD in an email interaction with Dr. Mahesh Gupta, Founder & Chairman, Kent RoSystems Ltd.

You started barely two decades ago and became a market leader in the RO systems almost a decade ago in the face of stiff competition from giant corporate houses. How did you manage to win the market in a short span of time?

Well, the story is different actually. It was late 90s when KENT started its voyage and there was no such industry existed in India by the name of WATER PURIFIERS. A handful of brands were trying their fate in this sector by selling very conventional purifiers through door-to-door marketing. Who would have thought that in a couple of years, Indian water purifier industry will become one of the most lucrative sectors for national and international consumer durable brands to peep in and have a pie of over 3500 crore industry.

As of today, people in the country have easy access to RO water purifiers equipped with multiple purification techniques. KENT basically designed RO water purifier with combination of 3 technologies to make it suitable for treating every type of water irrespective of source.

Currently Kent is positioned as India's leading water Purifier Company. Also, over the years the company has evolved and transformed. Transformation has been in terms of technology and new product range which is in sync with the brands philosophy; The Company is working from day one on a mission Drink Pure, Eat Pure and Breathe Pure. Hence, each and every product of Kent RO is designed and sold to fulfil these 3 objectives. At present the products in the Kent RO Family are Air Purifiers, Cold Press Juicer, Vacuum / Bed Cleaners and Vegetable purifiers.

 

The company has also forayed into smart kitchen appliance segment with a whole new innovative range of products. This includes Noodle & Pasta Makers, Dosa Maker, Pizza & Omelette Maker, Turbo Blenders, Rice Cookers, Atta & Bread Maker and many more.

Another revolutionary product by Kent is a low-cost water purifier Kent Gold AS which is capable of removing arsenic from water. Arsenic is the most harmful poison dissolved in the water and a route cause of cancer. So far only RO purifiers were able to remove dissolved arsenic from water, but with Kent Gold AS, which costs just Rs 3500 is capable of removing this dissolved poison from drinking water.

The company has last year also ventured into the artificial intelligence segment.

The Indian startup ecosystem is gaining momentum. But only one in 50 startups really make it and get going. What, in your opinion, is the principal reason for this?

I feel it's the low hanging fruit which is the disruptive technology and speedy growth that gets them out of business. The role of individuals/citizens should be to contribute towards sustainable development goals hence companies need to reassess the disruptive technology, sprinkle innovation and the relook at the way the business functions.

In fact, all brands who offer an all-inclusive solution, look at holistic growth, have sustainable development strategy intact can be easily identified and are leading the way and are a cut above the rest, since it is them who in the long run will survive and thrive!

Why RO system is necessary in a city like Delhi even while the supplied water is duly filtered and potable?

Clean, safe and pure drinking water at home is essential for your well-being. Water which is an essential element to life also happens to be a good solvent. It has the capability to dissolve substances that comes in contact with it. And these could be chemicals, pollutants etc. which can be life threatening if consumed. Moreover, water itself contains abundance of organisms like bacteria and viruses and if swallowed, can lead to water borne diseases. Despite the fact that the tap water that you receive in your home is purified at source, it could still get contaminated while it is being transported to your house through pipelines, tankers etc.

Most of the households receive water supplied by the municipal corporation. The source of the supply is unknown. At times, most of the households receive hard water which is not healthy for consumption in any form.  We as conscious and alarmed citizens are aware that contaminated and impure drinking water can lead to illness such as typhoid, diarrhea, jaundice etc. Also groundwater contains harmful chemicals like fluoride and arsenic which cannot be purified simply by boiling the water.

Microbial and organic contaminants cannot always be perceived by human senses. And traditional methods like boiling water or distilled water are just not enough to get rid of contaminants like arsenic, nitrate and fluoride. A RO water purifier becomes essential under such circumstances.

It is disheartening that more than 680 million people in India do not have access to safe water, resulting in 2 lakh deaths every year. The World Bank reports that 21 per cent of communicable diseases in India are owing to unsafe drinking water. The BIS, last year, ranked several cities on official water supply quality. Delhi was last. Out of the 28 test parameters, Delhi failed 19.

 

Laboratory reports from East, West, North-East Delhi and Gurugram rated the supplies unfit for drinking primarily because of bacterial contamination.

So, one needs to choose the right water purifier, by asking a water expert to suggest the right water purification technology, depending on the kind of water that you get at your place. Unless the purifier is suited for the water, it will not be able to purify the contamination. There are technologies like RO + UV + UF which not only help in purifying water but also retain all the minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc etc.

A large number of diseases are water-borne. Can RO or filtration systems check this dangerous trend? Kindly explain.

Yes, it can. KENT RO models are designed keeping the problem of existing water contaminants in mind. They are equipped with patented Mineral ROTM technology. It helps retain essential natural minerals in purified water using the TDS Controller, thereby providing 100% safe and tasty drinking water. Also, the double purification of RO + UV / UF removes even dissolved impurities such as chemicals, bacteria, viruses and salts, making water 100% pure. Therefore, KENT's RO models are best suited for Indian homes and offices and suitable for purification of brackish/tap water/municipal corporation water supply.

Medical opinion is that the RO system kills the necessary minerals; is that true? Kindly comment!

That is not true. Like I said above, there are technologies like RO + UV + UF which not only help in purifying water but also retain all the minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc etc.

How can a layman know the principal difference between Reverse Osmosis and filtration systems?

Reverse osmosis is the most appropriate technology to filter drinking water that removes up to 99% of ions, molecules and larger particles such as bacteria and viruses, which is more than any other technology, can remove. It provides exceptionally pure water.

How will a household know that it needs an RO or filtration system?

One needs to choose the right water purifier, by asking a water expert to suggest the right water-purification technology, depending on the kind of water that you get at your place. Unless the purifier is suited for the water, it will not be able to purify the contamination. There are technologies like RO + UV + UF which not only help in purifying water but also retain all the minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc etc.

You have diversified adding more products to your production line. How are the products being received by the consumers?

At present the products in the Kent RO Family are Air Purifiers, Cold Press Juicer, Vacuum/Bed Cleaners and Vegetable purifiers.

The company has also forayed into smart kitchen appliance segment with a whole new innovative range of products. This includes Noodle & Pasta Makers, Dosa Maker, Pizza &Omellette Maker, Turbo Blenders, Rice Cookers, Atta & Bread Maker and many more.

The company has last year also ventured into the artificial intelligence segment.

What are the traits that make an industry successful?

I believe economy, society and environment are the three pillars of sustainability.  For ecological integrity earth's environmental systems need to be kept in balance while natural resources within them need to be consumed by humans at a rate where they are able to replenish themselves.

Economic systems should be intact and activities need to be available to everyone, such as secure sources of livelihood. For healthy communities we need just leaders who safeguard personal, labour and cultural rights of all.

Also, business and ethics always go hand in hand. Today I firmly believe that the low hanging fruit is the disruptive technology and speedy growth. The role of individuals/citizens/ Industries should be to contribute towards sustainable development goals and to reassess the disruptive technology, sprinkle innovation and the relook at the way the business functions.

What is the next level for Kent?

Our products are a result of a thorough R&D and in-depth understanding of the needs of consumers and we have a firm roadmap to launch a couple of new exciting products in the coming year.

Also, company is planning to double its exports. The company exports products to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Nepal and has also entered GCC Market. There is immense demand for our product both within the country and outside. And with an effective supply chain we are able to meet this demand. Also, as the e-commerce market is evolving in wake of the pandemic, we have given our digital front a push as well.

 

About Dr Mahesh Gupta

Mahesh Gupta is the first generation entrepreneur of India who built Kent Ro System to purify the water quality. This technology purifies the water-based upon the process of reverse osmosis purification. Kent Ro System was found in the late 90s. The company headquarter is located in Noida (UP). Over the year, Dr. Mahesh Gupta has diversified into other products like a Vegetable Cleaner, Vacuum Cleaner, water softener, air purifiers and many more. Today Mahesh Gupta is providing services like Bangladesh, Nepal, the Middle East, and Kenya.

Dr. Mahesh Gupta has the distinct credit to shape up India's unorganized Water Purifier market to a fastest growing over Rs. 3500/- crore industries. The story of Dr. Gupta started in 1985, from a small room in his house, with nothing but dreams and self-belief. He had mere Rs.20,000/-  savings from his job with IOCL to invest. His first invention was in the field of Petroleum conservation instruments, where he earned fame and half a dozen patents to his credit.

Bight student

Dr. Gupta was a very bright student who did mechanical engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1975. Subsequently, he got a master's degree from the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehradun. His earlier career begins in 1977 with one of the most prestigious Indian oils corporation. Dr. Mahesh Gupta bid 'ciao' to his illustrious career and started a risky journey into the business of manufacturing instruments for conservation oil. Dr. Gupta went commercial under the brand name Kent Oil Meter which is still carrying on successfully in the market.

Dr. Gupta was the first member in his middle class family, who dared to choose business over job. The year 1998 proved to a turning point in the life of Dr. Mahesh Gupta, when he laid the foundation of Kent RO SYSTEMS by inventing a water purifier based on Reverse Osmosis Technology. Today, with almost 40% market share in RO Mineral + RO segment, Kent RO Systems Ltd. is the most dynamic water purifier brand in India. Dr. Gupta is so passionate about his technological achievements that everything else takes a back seat. He was also conferred with a Doctorate degree by Sri Sri University Orissa for his contribution in giving healthy drinking water in ruler area and town as well.

Awards and Accolades

Dr. Mahesh Gupta's products are the winners of numerous International awards like India's Most Attractive Brand 2013, “The Golden Peacock” Award for the best Eco-Innovation in 2007, Best Domestic Water Purifier Award 2006-07, 2007-08 & 2011-12 by UNESCO and Water Digest, Kent RO receives the Best Domestic Water Purifier Award 2019 to name a few.