Hailing from a humble, middle-class household with a considerable educational background, leaving a secured high-paying job at Indian Oil to chase the entrepreneurial dream and eventually establishing a ‘Make in India’ bootstrap startup together with his provident fund financial savings thirty-five years again, an IIT alumnus and first-generation entrepreneur, Dr Mahesh Gupta, Founder Chairman of Kent RO Methods, continues his magnificent journey. In a dialog with Sudeshna Das, Consulting Editor at EFY, he shares the story of his life.
Born in New Delhi on 24 September 1954, Dr Mahesh Gupta comes from a well-knit, educated, middle-class household. His father, an insightful graduate with a powerful give attention to his youngsters’s training, was a authorities worker beneath the Ministry of Finance.
“All my siblings have had glorious training due to encouragement from my dad and mom. Whereas my elder brother, 9 years older than me, handed out from IIT Kanpur, all my sisters went to Woman Shri Ram School, Delhi. My third sister additionally did her grasp’s from IIT Delhi. I adopted of their footsteps.” Mahesh describes his mom as “a homemaker” and considers her to be “fairly passionate and affectionate.” Mahesh has 5 siblings, as he describes, “I’ve an elder brother and 4 sisters.”

Founder Chairman
Kent RO Methods
He continues, “My father strongly believed that until you might have an excellent training, you’ll not come up in your life. He felt that within the years after partition, training would have a very powerful position in a single’s profession. Subsequently, he was not constructing us to be entrepreneurs. He was constructing us to be bureaucrats or technocrats. He needed to see us pursue an excellent skilled service profession.”
Wanting again to the early years, Mahesh spent his childhood days at Lodhi Street, an space surrounded by heritage monuments in New Delhi. Whereas narrating recollections of his childhood days, he remembers, “We, the middle-income group folks, didn’t have monetary energy. We had no car of our personal. My father used to commute to the workplace by driving a bicycle.”
Mahesh describes his college expertise at Diwan Chand Arya Public College as a humble however religious expertise. He picked up a few of the religious classes at an early age from his college. Within the later stage of life, he discovered an ideal religious mentor and continues his religious studying thus far.

He remembers a few of his schoolteachers, particularly his physics trainer who used to take further lessons for meritorious college students with none price. “I used to be the topper at my college. I keep in mind one in all my college associates, Rakesh, with whom I used to get pleasure from a wholesome competitors for the highest spot and collectively realized loads. In a while, he went to IIT Delhi. Finally, our skilled paths crossed once more, and we equally loved fixing work-related challenges,” Mahesh reminiscences.
Mahesh is a implausible instance of a tactile learner who all the time prefers to be taught by doing. At school days, he used to pay money for any subject material by attentively attending college lessons and by no means trusted any personal tuition. He used to use the training by instructing philosophy successfully as he says, “I realized rather a lot in my training by instructing my classmates. When you train folks and make clear their doubts efficiently, you possibly can be taught extra.”
Mahesh believes, “If you happen to attend a category of an excellent trainer with 100% consideration, you do not want to burn the proverbial midnight oil. Nonetheless, in case you are not attentive at school, then it’s good to have a non-public tutor.”
The tactile studying course of helped Mahesh purchase enterprise acumen via life experiences. He shares an fascinating anecdote about studying enterprise expertise. In his phrases, “I began visiting the native market at an early age of 9 years, as then my elder brother was in IIT, and my father didn’t get time to go to market because of his work strain. Subsequently, I used to be liable for vegetable and grocery procuring.”
He continues, “My household was fairly an enormous one and my mom used to ship me to the market with a restricted amount of cash. That formative years expertise taught me many enterprise expertise. I began studying negotiation, budgeting, and bargaining to pay the bottom value with out compromising on high quality. These expertise later helped me in my entrepreneurial journey as properly.”
Mahesh’s quest for information prompted him to work on low-cost fashions and experiments associated to physics, like magnetic and electrical fashions. Due to his curiosity in hands-on experimentation, he was good at mechanical repairing.
He remembers, “I used to be good at repairs. As soon as I had repaired a bicycle mechanically simply by hand. I may restore a tv or radio throughout my college days. Even right now if something involves me that must be carried out by hand.” This knack for mechanical functions additionally influenced him to pick out mechanical engineering because the stream for greater training.
Mahesh mentions, “In my childhood, many individuals used to ask me what I want to develop into. Subsequently, my imaginative and prescient for future research was fairly clear from fifth customary solely. My resolution was influenced by my brother who had opted for IIT and my curiosity in engineering. I used to be fairly centered on pursuing greater training at IIT. After college, I sat for the IIT entrance examination and was admitted to IIT Kanpur to pursue a mechanical engineering diploma with none hurdle.”
Mahesh remembers his engineering days as a interval to learn to survive and win in a extremely aggressive atmosphere. He explains, “I used to be a topper at my college. So, I used to think about myself as one of the best pupil. Nonetheless, at IIT I confronted actual competitors. As soon as you might be among the many finest college students you possibly can see people who find themselves a lot better than you. Nonetheless, I took the problem to show myself there. The third-semester examination was thought of the hardest one at IIT Kanpur. I handed that examination with an A grade in all 5 topics.” He additionally loved the training atmosphere at IIT with a superb peer group.

Following the entrepreneurial intuition
Quickly after finishing his engineering diploma within the yr 1976 Mahesh started his skilled journey. Mahesh remembers, “I got here up with flying colors from IIT Kanpur and instantly went to pursue a grasp’s in petroleum engineering from the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun. After finishing my grasp’s diploma, I joined Indian Oil Company Restricted (IOCL) as my father dreamed that I ought to get into the general public sector.”
Mahesh labored in Indian Oil for about ten years. He says, “It was an ideal studying alternative as I used to be requested to go all around the nation to a number of factories, audit them for saving lubricating oils and gasoline. Thus, we helped the trade members scale back their vitality prices. Subsequently, I bought alternatives to check manufacturing facility operations, processes, and methods in several sectors. My work profile used to contain interacting with senior-level enterprise professionals.”
In addition to nice studying alternatives, Mahesh additionally had fantastic experiences out at IOCL due to his good colleagues and supportive management. He reached the height of his profession inside 4 years of becoming a member of IOCL.
The job offered Mahesh with all of the comforts and fulfilled his household’s dream. It was a troublesome resolution to come back out of such a cushty lifetime of a safe excessive paying job and to start out an unsure entrepreneurial journey with excessive danger.
Whereas explaining the state of affairs, he says, “Once I handed out, I didn’t have any car in my residence. My father by no means had a scooter. I purchased a scooter instantly after getting the job and inside six months I used to be in a position to purchase my first automobile on the age of twenty-one. I used to be additionally in a position to prepare a cushty and good life-style for my household due to that job.”
Nonetheless, he didn’t stay confined to the stereotype of “persevering with a high-paying steady job in a public sector unit” and willingly left that consolation to observe his entrepreneurial dream. Whereas describing the identical, he mentions, “My internal self requested me what I used to be doing at IOCL? I used to be fairly satisfied that persevering with with a safe job was not the correct factor for me. I felt the necessity to work and provides again extra to society and that I have to innovate.”
Subsequently, he set out on his entrepreneurial journey and established his first enterprise SS Home equipment Personal Restricted in 1988. It was a pureplay bootstrap startup as he says, “I bought the manufacturing facility by paying two and a half lakh rupees (₹ 250,000), which I bought from my provident fund financial savings.”
He discloses, “Within the preliminary days, ranging from clerk, challenge supervisor to typist, I used to be every little thing for my firm. I began my first firm, actually a ‘Make in India’ startup, with my financial savings from the provident fund. I’ve by no means borrowed even a single rupee from anyone in my life. Even right now, now we have no historical past of borrowing in any respect. We’re a debt-free firm. I by no means intend to borrow both. I work with no matter cash I’ve.”
Mahesh’s first invention was within the discipline of petroleum conservation devices the place he earned fame and half a dozen patents to his credit score. He remembers, “We launched viscosity meters. Folks used to go to laboratories to get their oil high quality examined. Our product was in a position to do the identical instantaneously they usually may resolve to alter oil accordingly.” That firm is operating with revenue thus far with a diversified product portfolio, together with oil move meters.
Whereas discussing his entrepreneurial journey, he says, “I began the enterprise for an even bigger trigger and slowly issues began unfolding in my life. I all the time consider in worth addition. My merchandise turned standard, and I began incomes cash as a result of these added worth to my clients. The value of my merchandise will depend on the worth addition and innovation, not on the components of price.”

With the identical imaginative and prescient of including worth to the purchasers whereas contributing in the direction of a greener, cleaner, and more healthy world, Mahesh began his client equipment enterprise. He says, “In 1998, my youngsters fell unwell and I turned conscious of the truth that 80% of ailments in India are attributable to water-borne microorganisms and that 80% of city households don’t even purify faucet water. I made a decision to put in a water air purifier at my Delhi residence, however I used to be dissatisfied with the obtainable choices. The water purifiers obtainable available in the market in these days labored on ultraviolet (UV) expertise, which kills micro organism within the water. I knew this was not adequate because the water we drink additionally incorporates many dissolved impurities, which can’t be handled with this expertise. I needed to develop a water air purifier that might additionally maintain the undesirable dissolved components whereas recognising and retaining the nice minerals.”
As a technocrat, Mahesh understood the need and market hole for an appropriate water air purifier, and Kent RO Methods was born from the necessity to present clear water to society. He checked the suitability of the obtainable applied sciences to get the specified consequence. After a number of trials and 6 months of arduous work, he zeroed in on reverse osmosis (RO) expertise because it helped him obtain the specified outcomes.
The primary Kent water air purifier was launched in March 1999. Initially, the product was costlier than its competing merchandise due to superior expertise and imported parts, and the corporate didn’t have any advertising price range to advertise the product. Nonetheless, Mahesh was assured concerning the high quality of his invention and worth addition. Subsequently, quite than making the product cost-competitive, he determined to work on branding, advertising, and after-sales service-related areas.
Mahesh says, “Steadily, our clients started realising the prevalence of our product and our gross sales began choosing up via word-of-mouth publicity by the customers. I reinvested the revenue within the enterprise and initiated a model marketing campaign in addition to streamlined distribution, gross sales, and after-sales providers.”
Quickly after, Mahesh determined to pick out an appropriate model ambassador to boost visibility and model recall. In 2006, Kent RO managed to rope in well-known Bollywood actress Hema Malini as its model ambassador, who was later joined by her daughters Esha and Ahana Deol within the promotional campaigns.
Whereas describing this collaboration with Hema Malini, Mahesh says, “We had been in quest of a star who’s glamorous but appropriate as an skilled homemaker. Subsequently, we most popular Hema Malini ji over different youthful actresses. I believe she is a time-tested face but extraordinarily glamorous and standard. We had been additionally considered whereas choosing the correct media companions, contemplating our restricted price range.”
With progressive advertising technique and superior product high quality, Kent RO has develop into the most important producer of water purifiers within the nation. As we speak, it’s a greater than 1000 crore (₹10 billion) firm. Mahesh’s management performs a crucial position on this journey. Whereas main a group, Mahesh will depend on belief. He prefers his group members to ship work effectively and in a reliable method inside a managed price range atmosphere.
.Mahesh says, “I all the time attempt to stay honest in the direction of my staff and enterprise friends. I believe that’s the reason folks consider me right now. The one factor which makes each private {and professional} relationships work is belief. Belief is constructed by your actions over an extended interval. If you happen to proceed to do it, folks will consider you.”
Nurturing life with household, ardour, and spirituality, Mahesh started his household life concurrently together with his skilled journey. He bought married on the age of twenty-six. He considers his spouse, Sunita, a pillar of energy in his life and an ideal help in his entrepreneurial journey.
He mentions, “My spouse began as a homemaker, however my father taught her enterprise expertise and inspired her to affix my enterprise. Thus, she turned an integral a part of my enterprise as properly.”
They’re blessed with two youngsters—one daughter and one son. His daughter, Surbhi, did her bachelor’s in structure from the distinguished CEPT, Ahmedabad, and grasp’s in structure from Structure Affiliation, London—some of the revered establishments for structure globally. His son, Varun, is a pc engineer from Purdue College, USA, and an MBA from Columbia College, New York—one of many prime enterprise faculties on the planet. He joined the household enterprise in 2005 after finishing his engineering and works full-time with Mahesh.
Mahesh can also be a contented grandfather of three grandchildren, all boys—two from his son and one from his daughter. He says, “It’s a well-knit small household. My household was all the time an ideal help for me. I keep in mind, after I began my entrepreneurial journey leaving my job at IOCL, my daughter was seven years outdated, and my son was solely 5 years outdated. So, they’ve seen me working. They’ve grown with my philosophy. Thus, they will perceive my values. They’re very a lot a part of it.”

Mahesh want to give again to society via his improvements and initiatives aligned with sustainable improvement targets. Within the coming days, he want to proceed with the identical. He discloses, “I shall be very pleased if folks can save vitality and drink good water by leveraging our improvements. As we speak local weather change is inflicting extra severe challenges to human beings than it was just a few years again. I want to contribute extra to resolve these challenges.”
In addition to enterprise work and household time, Mahesh is an avid bridge participant. He represented IOCL and received fairly just a few bridge tournaments on behalf of IOCL. He says, “I used to be a really vicious participant. I performed in worldwide tournaments a number of occasions, however I’m not getting sufficient time to play bridge since I began Kent.”
Whereas discussing strategic decision-making at completely different phases of his life, Mahesh mentions meditation as one other ardour of his life that helps him in strategic pondering and decision-making. He’s an lively follower of the Artwork of Residing philosophy and is impressed by the imaginative and prescient of its founder, His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. He says, “I met him in 1996. Since then, I’ve been working towards his philosophies. It helped me to maintain my thoughts free and peaceable. Until your thoughts is in a peaceable state, you can’t make good choices shortly.”
He advises, “My message to younger entrepreneurs can be that the time has come to have goals. Until you dream, you can’t take impactful motion. So, it’s best to have huge goals. No person can cease you as goals don’t have any limitations. An important factor to achieve success in life is to consider in your goals and persist along with your beliefs. So, in the event you take these actions, no one can cease you from attaining what you need to do.”