Water purifier major makes every drop count

It’s a first-of-its kind innovation and the culmination of R&D efforts of the Mumbai-based company, owned by the Shapoorji-Pallonji group. Following the soft launch of Biotron over a year ago, Eureka Forbes is betting on this product to boost sales. 

Though the largest share of its turnover – Rs 1,912 crore as of March 2016, comes from north India, Tamil Nadu and Kerala account for 35 per cent of its earnings. The entry of players like HUL, Kent and Livpure has opened up the market for companies in the business of purified water, shaking off the monopoly. 

Chief Scientific Officer Dr Abhay Kumar, who has been spearheading Eureka Forbes’ flagship brand Aquaguard for 25 years, is upbeat about the new technology generating 10 to 15 per cent growth in the company’s revenue. The scientist who is also the Associate VP – R&D, talks about the research that has helped maintain the high brand recall. 

He says, “There was no competition when we entered the market. Now, with the buzz on pure water tech increasing with newer brands, our scope for research and innovation has improved. We focus more on clean technologies and studied many cases to arrive at 17 different ground water conditions across the country. From the introduction of UV technology to RO to intelligent systems, we worked on bringing newer and advanced technologies to improve the quality of water. Nearly five per cent of the turnover is invested on R&D labs, made up of a 60-member strong team.” 

While the sector is going through consolidation, the firm continues to dominate the organised space with a market share of 67 per cent in the electric storage segment. 

Water purification is the biggest revenue generator for the company, contributing to over 60 per cent of the turnover. Its other businesses include air purifying solutions and cleaning (vacuuming) products. The firm has 18 field research labs across India, including one in Chennai, connected to the global R&D hub in Bengaluru. 

“With Biotron, we aim to provide calcium and magnesium in the water. Our future launches are focused on bringing technologies that will increase cellular (nutrients) penetration in the body,” says the scientist, who informs us that its new tech, ‘Nutritron’ has copper and zinc as well to boost the nutritional value of water. 

The company has also worked with IIT-Madras in the pesticide removal technology space. Growing at 10 to 12 pc year on year, the water purification industry is going through a transition. The shift from non-electric to electric storage is the way forward. While convenience is a driver, the annual maintenance cost being roughly the same as a non-electric purifier is an advantage, points out Shashank Sinha, AVP, Marketing. 

The mushrooming of apartments on the peripheral areas in metros and other locations has led to the expansion of the Corporation limits beyond the city. Here, there is an increasing focus among consumers to get clean and safe drinking water, he adds. 

Currently, the R&D team is partnering with an international outfit to work on a membrane technology that will result in low wastage of water.