Indian water purifier firms enters GCC

India's water purifier brand Kent RO has expanded into the GCC market and has joined hands with regional retailer LuLu Hypermarkets to distribute their products across the region.
The move is a part of the company's broader expansion plans into the Middle East and North Africa in the next few years. Recent research indicates that the region`s demand for water purifiers is growing at more than 7 per cent per annum and the market could reach nearly half a billion dollars by 2020.
Varun Gupta, Director, Kent RO System Limited, said consumers here in the UAE can purify their tap water which is better than bottled water at the press of a button.
Elaborating on the benefits of having Kent RO water purifiers at home, Dr Gupta said people in Dubai prefer drinking bottled water, due to taste and purity concerns of tap water.
However, it is costly to purchase bottled water as well. Besides being economical and convenient, he said purifying tap water at home using Kent RO Water Purifiers, is much safer as compared to bottled water, and is tasty also.
"There has been a growing demand for effective and affordable water purifying solutions in the region. We plan to utilise our expertise and market experience in India to cater to the growing demands of households in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the region," Gupta said.
According to a recent research report by Future Market Insights (FMI), the Point of Use (POU) water purifier market in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to reach $471 million by 2020, driven by strong demand in Saudi Arabia, UAE and other urban markets.
The report also indicates that in UAE alone POU water purifier market is anticipated to reach around 149,000 units by 2020, growing at 10 per cent annually.
In line with its global expansion plans, Kent is expanding its facilities to cater to the growing demand. Its three facilities in India can currently produce about 500,000 units per year. It is in the process of building a fourth manufacturing unit near Delhi with an investment of $15.5 million.
waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com