What kind of R&D activities and infrastructure does Kent RO have?

We have an R&D Centre and corporate office in Noida, where our whole team is working on innovations and technology.

Kent RO has also recently forayed into the small kitchen appliance segment. How do you see this new business shaping up?
Not resting solely on water purifiers and air purifiers, Kent RO is diversifying into other categories as well. We plan to introduce 3-4 products across categories every year. The company already has products like Vegetable & fruit purifiers, Air Purifiers, Car Air Purifiers, Vacuum Cleaners, Cold Pressed Juicers in its portfolio. And is in the process of adding products to its Small Appliance category like Noodle & Pasta Maker, Rice Cookers, Pizza & Omelette Maker, Chilla Maker, Turbo Blender. Focusing on health & hygiene, we are constantly diversifying our portfolio. With our range of products, we plan to change the way people cook in the country today.
The market for vegetable and fruit purifiers as well as for cold pressed juicers has not picked up yet but we believe that these products are ahead of their times and whenever they catch the consumer's attention; the company will be ready to serve them. We feel these products will take 4-5 years to get accepted by consumers. Meanwhile, company is soft launching them in the market.

I understand that your fourth manufacturing unit is coming up near Delhi. How much have you invested in this plant and by when will it be operational?
Overseeing the setting up of our new manufacturing facility in Noida, the company is preparing for future. The company already has a facility in Roorkee to make 5,00,000 RO units annually and 5,00,000 gravity based water purifiers running on a single shift, yet it has chosen to invest in another Greenfield facility near Noida, when a scale up in production could have been affected by simply extending the shift at the existing plant. It has taken us 18 years to grow the overall market to Rs.3500 crore but the penetration levels are still at 2 percent to 3 percent. Once we cross four percent, I believe the growth will be exponential. Investment in the new facility, which is expected to be operational by the year 2018, is expected to cost the company about Rs.100 crore.

What products will you be manufacturing at the new plant and how will it impact your overall production capacity?
We will be manufacturing air purifiers and small kitchen appliances at our new plant. It will double the capacity of manufacturing.
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