From Rs 20,000 To Rs 1,000 Crore: Who Is Mahesh Gupta Whose Son's 'Jaundice' Led To Founding Of Kent RO

New Delhi: Effective business visionaries see the necessity for creative efforts to address the problems. Today I've got a story of an Indian businessman who built a sizable empire because his son was suffering from waterborne 'Jaundice'. Mahesh Gupta is the man who created the exceptional water purifiers that set him apart from other inventors.

Who Is Mahesh Gupta?

The Indian water purification business was revolutionised by mechanical engineer Dr. Mahesh Gupta. The founder and chairman of Kent RO Systems Ltd., India's top water purifier company, is Dr. Gupta. 

Mahesh Gupta: Educational Background

In 1975, he earned a mechanical engineering degree from IIT Kanpur. He graduated from the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) Dehradun with a master's in engineering.

Mahesh Gupta: Professional Career

In 1977, Dr. Mahesh Gupta began working for Indian Oil Limited, one of the most famous oil companies in India. He bid a fond farewell to his lucrative position with a major oil company in 1988. 

He claimed that companies using the brand name "Kent Oil Metre" were still doing well in the Indian market and were producing equipment for oil conservation.

What Led To The Foundation Of Kent RO?

In 1988, his son, who was residing in an exclusive neighbourhood in South Delhi, had jaundice. Knowing that jaundice is a waterborne illness, Gupta examined and investigated every water filter on the Indian market and found himself unsatisfied.

Dr. Mahesh Gupta made the decision to create a better water filter. Due to his knowledge of engineering, he found it easy to create his own water filter. For his own use, he creates a new one using some imported components.

How Kent RO Started?

In a modest room in his home, Dr. Mahesh Gupta began his entrepreneurial career with merely Rs 20,000. From his employment at Indian Oil Corporation Limited, he had saved Rs 20,000. 

In 1998, he founded the business from nothing and introduced the first residential RO water filter, the "Kent RO System". He began to feel assured that his water purifier was effective enough to be sold. Reverse osmosis is the method used to purify the water in this system.

He began with a four-person team and a one lakh rupee investment. Today, Kent RO System Limited employs over 3000 people, generates annual revenue of over 600 crores, and has increased its RO mineral market share by 45 p.

The most innovative water purifier business in India today, Kent RO competes with the top global and domestic brands.