Saving Water, One Tap at a Time: A Conversation with Arun and Rishy from Earth Fokus
In this episode of Green Business Podcast, I’m joined by Arun and Rishy, co-founders of Earth Focus, a company offering innovative water-saving solutions. Their first product is a faucet attachment that reduces water flow and helps save water. What makes them stand out is their eye for design. Take their Eco Stream Diamond, for example—it turns water into a stream of sparkling diamonds. Can’t wait to share their journey with you!
Journey from a Simple Idea to a Water-Saving Innovation:
Arun shares how the idea for Earth Focus began during his college days when his neighbour asked him to help reduce water waste from her kitchen tap. He created a makeshift adapter using a garden hose, which, although not perfect, successfully saved water. Encouraged by his professor, Arun worked to refine the idea into a user-friendly retrofit device that drastically reduced water flow. Initially designed to save water for hand washing, their product reduced water usage from 10 liters per minute to just 300 millilitres. In 2019, during a severe water scarcity in Chennai, their product was adopted by major companies, resulting in a 90% reduction in water use. This not only saved water but also reduced energy, diesel, and CO2 emissions, highlighting the broader environmental impact. The water crisis, while challenging, led to greater awareness and adoption of their solution.
Surviving COVID-19:
Demand for water savers plummeted during the pandemic as businesses shut down and perceptions shifted. Using this downtime, the team revaluated their approach, recognizing that plumbing fixtures serve different purposes across settings. They developed a range of retrofit products tailored to various industries, including faucets, showers, and spray guns, designed to save water without compromising user experience. By the end of the pandemic, they had curated industry-specific solutions, thanks to their dedicated engineering team, setting the stage for greater impact as businesses reopened.
User Feedback Driving Engineering Innovation:
Customer feedback has been crucial in refining water-saving solutions. Early prototypes faced resistance, such as a home helper threatening to quit due to slower water flow, highlighting the need for designs that feel powerful yet conserve water. The engineering team tackled such challenges by creating solutions that maintain user satisfaction. For example, they designed a system for a commercial cafeteria with 3,000 employees that reduced water wastage by over 40% by introducing a solenoid valve and cutting flow from 25 to 8 liters per minute.
Diverse Stakeholders Driving Adoption:
While most clients are B2B, facilitated by facility managers or management companies, interest in the product comes from varied stakeholders. It’s not limited to sustainability teams; finance teams also value the cost savings, especially for businesses relying on expensive tanker water. The product’s versatility appeals to different goals—reducing operational costs, conserving water, or both. For example, a recent client, a Resident Welfare Association (RWA), sought to lower apartment water bills by 30-40%. The product remains the same, but its appeal adapts to the diverse needs of stakeholders across sectors.
Expanding from B2B to B2C with a Focus on Reliability:
Initially focused on B2B clients, the company’s success relied on impactful demos showcasing significant water savings through visual results. Now, the aim is to expand into the B2C market with affordable products like a home kit, priced at ₹600-700, designed for residential use to reduce water consumption by 50%. To reach a wider audience, the company plans to leverage online platforms, retail stores, and a dealer network.
Positioning itself as a reliable and user-focused brand, the company seeks to address gaps in the market, which is crowded with imported, often unreliable products. The goal is to become the go-to brand for water-saving solutions, offering products that consumers can trust to deliver lasting impact, not just in India but globally.
Lean Operations and Profitability Strategy:
The company operates with a lean model, outsourcing manufacturing to third-party facilities while handling assembly and testing in-house. Currently, they produce around 5,000-6,000 units per month, with seasonal fluctuations. They don’t plan to establish their own manufacturing facility until reaching a monthly production of 100,000 to 200,000 units.
In the B2B sector, the company is profitable, selling solutions (water management) rather than just products, ensuring each sale is profitable. As they expand into the B2C market, particularly through online sales and a dealer network, they anticipate significant growth in volume, with profitability increasing as sales rise from 5,000 to 15,000 units per month.
You can listen to this episode on Youtube
