When everyone was cursing conventional fuel vehicles for harming the environment, Rajesh S Kothari showed the way by developing the auto conversion kit technology and initiated an eco-friendly drive among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the auto component sector. This technology enables vehicles to run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Mr Kothari, an engineering graduate with a wide technical knowledge, entered the diversified automobile component industry with his company Rohan Automotive Equipments Pvt Ltd in 1956. Soon it became a pioneer in auto gas conversion technology with his breakthrough innovations.

Sharp business acumen

A technocrat, Mr Kothari also has immense business knowledge. He always keeps himself aware of the developments taking place in the auto industry within and outside the country. Mr Kothari’s keen observation on the rising price of the crude oil market triggered the idea that alternate fuel would be the next big thing in the auto industry. Speaking about the origin of his business idea, Mr Kothari states, “Since 1990 the auto crude price started to rise by 25% each year. In 1988, the price of petrol was Rs 9 per litre. Then it went up to Rs 14 in 1990 and in 1992 the price was hovering at Rs 18. This dramatic change in the auto crude price prompted me to think differently.”

Priority to innovation

Mr Kothari gives prime importance to R&D and spearheads most of the innovations that take place in his company. “To sustain in the industry, it is a must to innovate in an aggressive manner. To do that, we jointly work with other companies involved in the business for lab testing, developing engine systems and superior engine control strategies for LPG conversion and alternate fuels,” he says.

Priority to innovation has yielded important results for Mr Kothari when he points out, “We have developed a variety of kits used for retro-fitment in the industry and also for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) sector.”

Milestones achieved so far

Mr Kothari experienced one of his biggest achievements as an entrepreneur when he successfully sealed deals with top car manufacturers such as Maruti, Daewoo Motors and Hindustan Motors for supplying and installing LPG dual fuel kits in four wheelers. Speaking about this achievement Mr Kothari says, “This was a remarkable achievement, considering from where I had initially started. The success of this denotes that our business plan was in the right direction and inspires us for the next one.”

Mr Kothari looked beyond the domestic market and went on to gain a strong foothold in the international market as well. His perseverance resulted in Rohan Automotive Equipments becoming the sole distributor of the Italy based BRC Gas Equipment, considered to be the world’s largest manufacturer of conversion kits.

Patience is virtue

According to Mr Kothari, the rising cost of materials will prove to be a major obstacle in the growth path of the automobile industry in the years to come. Commenting on the ongoing financial downturn and its impact on the auto component sector, Mr Kothari says, “Being a part of the auto industry we have to bear the burden of the increasing cost of raw materials and components, and cannot transfer the burden on to the customer’s shoulders.”

Mr Kothari predicts that the large and diversified Indian auto industry has to immediately tackle problems like rising labour cost, currency fluctuation, inappropriate import tariffs and increasing logistic and transportation cost in order to sustain the momentum of growth in the industry.