Mr. Mahesh Gupta the man behind Kent Ro, was the first member who dared to choose business over job in his family. An IIT graduate from Kanpur in Mechanical engineering and alumnus of the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun Mahesh began his career in sales in 1978 with Indian Oil
The journey of a mechanical engineer started in 1985, from a small room in his house with just 20,000, which he had saved from his job with IOCL. His first invention was in the field of petroleum conservation instruments, where he earned fame and half a dozen patents to his credit.
His turning point came with the establishment of KENT RO SYSTEM in the year 1998 when he charted out a new enterprise after jaundice gripped his son in a posh colony of South Delhi.
Knowing that jaundice is a water-borne disease, Gupta researched and analyzed all the available water purifiers in the market. He was dissatisfied with the available options and decided to make a better-quality purifier.
After several trials, he made his water purifier and became confident that his product was good enough to be marketed. "Coming from an engineering background, making my water purifier was not a difficult task; all I needed to do was export the components.
The experiment turned into a success. And then, I thought to bring it out commercially in the market. I started from scratch with an investment of about 1 lac and a four-member team.
Today, Kent has grown 40% market share in RO mineral and has turnover 580 crore and 2,500 employees", says Gupta. Apart from him, his son is actively involved in business, while his daughter is in a separate business.
Kent is presently engaged in competition with international brands and surpasses them by leveraging its cutting-edge technology, superior service, efficient distribution network, and strong brand presence to secure winning bids.
Kicked off from a voyage of self-made RO systems, Kent RO today manufactures Kent RO water purifiers, Kent Tap guards, Kent vegetable and fruit purifiers, and all clean cleaners with their manufacturing plant in Roorkee.
"We are competing with two major players, Hindustan Lever and Eureka Fobes. However, we are confident to overpower them with better technology and products with the latest innovation, but they should be according to consumer needs. We can manufacture products and market them, but they should be according to consumer needs. We can manufacture product and market them, but if it is not consumer-friendly, you won't exist for long."
Innovative marketing strategies and state-of-the-art technology have motivated him to take his brand to the next level with the confidence to beat the international champion, too.
Kent Ro is the most dynamic and visible water purifier company, which, over the years, has enjoyed Bollywood brand ambassadors like Hema Malini, Esha Deol, Booman Irani, Ahaana Deol, and others.
Water is the basic component for the survival of human beings, and dirty or infected water can spoil the health and infrastructure of a country. He says, "My vision is to make a 'healthy and happy family ', and we are promoting the value of purity, the importance of water for health, and keeping beauty and vigour intact with good drinking water through Kent."
"Healthcare is not just a business for me; it is a passion. It is the very purpose of the existence of Kent. Like any other successful business, Kent too has been working according to the needs of our customers, and we work hard each day to make our customers happy", adds Mahesh.
His passion is to work, but besides working, he loves cars and having good food: "Well, I love cars and love to drive whenever given a chance. Cars for me are both luxury and mode of travel".
I love wearing Louis Philippe shirts, while the rest of my outfit is mostly custom-stitched. For me, an ideal holiday is attending Art of Living sessions in Bengaluru," says Mahesh.
His message for young entrepreneurs is. "They should bring innovations and must believe in their dreams. Think less and have a passion to live."
