Blazing new trails

The family has been known for its ‘firsts.’ The Katgaras of Jeena and Company pioneered the business of travel, tourism and freight forwarding in India 110 years ago. The fourth generation of the family has now entered a totally new field — making pure drinking water from air!

Setting up the atmospheric enterprise, however, required much groundwork! "The story started way back in 2004 when my brother Pallan, who is US-based, was speaking casually to someone who said he was making machines which produced water from air,” narrates Meher Bhandara, (née Katgara), director, Watermaker (India) Private Limited. "Pallan was intrigued and thrilled as he thought this would be a great opportunity in a futuristic field. We got the rights for India and started importing and distributing the machines. Our first export order was to Iran. Between 2004-2008, we experimented, participated in trade exhibitions, invested a lot of money, worked on perfecting the product…Around three years ago we went into production, which is a new ball game altogether for us,” she smiles. Their water generators extract the humidity in the air, condense, collect, filter and dispense clean and clear drinking water.

"Watermaker (India) is the exclusive licensee for Atmospheric Water Technologies Inc/Air Water Corporation, USA. We are authorized to sell, market, manufacture and distribute the complete range of atmospheric water generators, systems and allied technologies,” she asserts. "No water source is required, no connection to pipes or catch basins. All that is needed is electricity or alternate energy sources (such as diesel, gas, natural gas, etc).” The machines work best in warm regions with high humidity and the quality of the water produced conforms to WHO (World Health Organization) and BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) norms, she adds.

Available in a range of sizes, "small units of 17 or 25 liters (l) capacity (in a 24-hour cycle) are ideal for homes, doctors’ clinics, etc,” Bhandara explains. Volumes can go up to 5,000 l industrial capacity, suitable for factories, defence forces, offshore installations, disaster relief, etc. Custom built machines and mobile units cater to varied needs.

The company completed another first last year when Jalimudi village in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh became the world’s first village to get water supply from air! "It was a very challenging task and it took one-and-a-half years to set up. The village wells were filthy; women and children had to walk several kilometers to collect water from the Godavari River. They were so happy when we came in,” Bhandara relates. Working in cooperation with the village panchayat, the Rural Water Supply department and other local officials, they identified suitable space, arranged for 24-hour power supply and set up the large capacity machine. The inauguration of the village water station on February 17, 2009 saw a parade and firecrackers in celebration of what the villagers felt would be permanent relief from water-borne sicknesses so common in India.

"This is a historic day for us all and for the global water supply industry,” stated Watermaker (India) president Pallan Katgara, at the inauguration. "With this effort we have shown India and the world that providing clean drinking water from air to rural communities anywhere in the world is a definite option. We are very excited to work closely with Air Water Corporation on more such projects.” "It was reward enough to see the amazement and delight with which our project was inaugurated,” says Bhandara. "We spent the money as part of CSR (corporate social responsibility). We would like to replicate this elsewhere and appeal to corporates to come forward, adopt a village and give it clean drinking water.” Making water from air is useful in areas of high salinity in water or where the sources are contaminated.

Meher Bhandara, C. Ravindra and Pallan Katgara with joyful villagers

The only maintenance required is the cleaning of air filters monthly and the water storage tank every three months. Carbon filters need to be replaced every six months; the UV (ultra violet) filter life is 18 months, with free services provided for one year and an annual maintenance contract thereafter, Bhandara fills in the details. Prices range from Rs 25,000 for the smaller models to over two-and-a-half lakh rupees for the larger machines.

The company has filed the patent in India and the machines are made at a plant in Thana. They sell the entire range of models through distributors in several countries in Africa, the Middle East and Far East and are looking to expand globally, including the Americas. "Let us see how the market performs. We are also looking for distributors/ sales agents and people to work with on projects in India,” the director states.

Back where they belong

"We are back in the travel business. It’s in our blood!” laughs Meher Bhandara, director, Trail Blazer Tours India Private Limited (TBi). The Katgara family (see "In the forefront of freight,” Parsiana, April 2000) began its involvement in travel and tourism way back in 1925, when Jeena and Company (established in 1900) set up Jeena Tours and Travels, the first Indian-owned travel company. In 1961, Jeena Tours and Travels integrated with Travel Corporation (India) Private Limited (TCI), which grew to become one of India’s largest travel firms. In 2006, TCI changed hands and became a part of Thomas Cook. "We could not enter the business earlier as we had a non-compete clause with Thomas Cook for three years,” she adds.

"Travel and tourism is a cyclical business,” asserts Jehangir Katgara, TBi’s chairman and managing director. "You have to be in it for the long run.” Events like 9/11, 26/11, natural calamities like the ash from the volcano in Iceland, for example, provide the downturns so "if you are looking at the short-term, this is not the business for you. There will be one or two bad years, but you have to ride them out.” There will be more players in the field and "those with sustaining power will survive, others will fall by the wayside.” Long-term prospects are excellent because people have more disposable incomes and the market is growing.

Travel however has seen a sea change in recent years. "The focus is on the leisure market, on the discerning individual,” Katgara believes. The tourist is no longer content viewing the aristocracy of old architecture in London or Paris or visiting predictable places. People want the tangy taste of new locations, the smell of new spice! "Today, TBi as it is popularly known, has over 150 professionals at 11 offices across the country and an international presence in Canada, USA, Australia, France, China and Korea, through its representatives who work closely with local tour operators and destination management companies,” reports its website www.trailblazer tours.com So whether it is an Amazonian voyage, Galapagos and Peru highlights or a Costa cruise, TBi can maintain the momentum!

Jehangir Katgara: steering Trail Blazer Tours

TBi, which started in 2007, was bought by the Katgaras in January this year. TBi’s management team has long tested travel waters. Katgara himself has over 30 years’ experience in the industry. He is past president of the Travel Agents Association of India and has served in various capacities on national and international travel trade associations. Homa Mistry, with 17 years’ experience in leadership, is the chief executive officer. Jamshed Sidhwa, director, finance, is a stalwart of 50 years standing, having been earlier deputy director, finance, with Air India and director, finance, with a leading travel company. Jayram Ketkar is the chief financial officer. Bhandara is vice president, corporate communications. She has been in the travel business for three decades and as general manager, corporate communications with TCI, she was instrumental in formulating corporate strategies. Hutokshi Marker is the chief operating officer, with 33 years’ experience in the field, having been Air Sahara’s regional manager-west and vice president, travel, in a major tour company.

"We are so happy that TBi has won on March 3, 2010 the Government of India Ministry of Tourism’s prestigious National Tourism Award 2008-2009 for outstanding performance as an inbound tour operator in Category IV (foreign exchange earnings up to Rs 25 crore). This is a remarkable achievement in a short span of two years,” Bhandara remarks. In the very first year of their appointment as sales agents for Costa Cruises, TBi won their Champion of the Seas Award, for being the agency with the highest sales in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) segment in India and the Middle East. The gold and silver-plated trophy was presented to Marker on board the elegant Costa Deliziosa, the newest showpiece of Costa Cruises which is reputed to be the number one cruise company in Europe. "We are thrilled to receive this coveted trophy in the very first year of our appointment…We look forward to working closely with more industry partners to promote Costa Cruises in India,” Marker stated.

Homa Mistry (extreme left) receiving National Tourism Award

TBi has also set up ‘retail travel shoppes’ in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Agra and Varanasi, with more to follow in metros and satellite towns, where anyone can walk in at any time including Sundays and holidays and browse through the range of travel options available in India and abroad. The company’s registered office is in Gurgaon.

"Setting up a business is not difficult. You must know where you’re going and look for good people to work with you,” comments Bhandara. Be innovative, stand apart, so that you stand out, she advises. "I don’t hear enough about Zoroastrian companies doing good. Small companies have to stand together, give each other business and help out,” she counsels. The falling birth rate in the community is a matter of grave concern and the children of both Zoroastrian men and women married out should be treated at par, she believes. "You have five Parsis and you will get 10 opinions on each subject,” Jehangir laughs. And they will all be contradictory!

The family’s original enterprise Jeena and Company is growing well with 25 offices all over India and is one of the few players in the global logistics and freight forwarding field which has held out against international takeover, Bhandara asserts. "Working with the family is great fun. There are no bitter battles; we agree to disagree. Our late fathers (the brothers Nariman and Adi who consolidated and grew the firm) had dinned this into our heads.”

In the wings is the fifth generation of the Katgara family, ranging in age from 30 to under 10, waiting to bring to the business their own breath of fresh air!