India's 10 best service provider to watch in 2021.

2021
VOL-06
ISSUE-04
FEATHERLITE’s
products create a
sense of freedom,
enhance productivity,
and increase the
level of satisfaction
at work, all while
remaining cost
effective
India's
SERVICE
PROVIDERS
to Watch in 2021
1 BEST
HOW TO LEAD THE INDIAN OFFICE FURNITURE SECTOR
OFFICE FURNITURE
www.theknowledgereview.com | INDIA

EDITOR’S
NOTE
T
here has been an ocean change in the way education is
conducted and more revolutions in teaching are
expected in the years to come.
Today, technological advancements, demographics, research
and development and globalisation have dramatically impacted
the education systems across the globe.
No longer restricted to the chalk and blackboard and four walls
of the classroom, the present-day demands have changed from
what they used to be a quarter century back. Earlier, services to
the education institutes included furniture, blackboards, chalks,
dusters, laboratory equipment, typewriters, printers,
stationery, and the like. From campus development to
infrastructure, all the material were provided by the service
provider. Later, computers, software and related IT services
THE BACKBONE OF
CHANGING
PEDAGOGICAL
PRACTICES

were added along with the above, and today these are
more relevant.
With technological advancements, the kind of
infrastructure also changed and the service providers
swung into action to meet the demands as per the
technology.
The ongoing corona virus pandemic only pronounced
the need for technological services to schools. Virtual
classrooms have replaced the physical classrooms in
schools and colleges and also in private institutions.
The transition from the brick and mortar to click and
enter have also called for new pedagogical ways. The
swift technological advances found crucial places in the
education system. In future, despite the vaccination
drives, hybrid education that includes both online and
ofﬂine learning is expected to be the norm. Whether or
not this happens, the demand for service providers will
never fade. They have time and again moulded
themselves to the needs of the time.
The ever evolving and unpredictable world has made
one thing very clear that education will continue in
schools, homes, during the professional journey and
throughout life. And so will the demand for service
providers surge. They have today become the backbone
of the education institutes with respect to meeting the
pedagogical changes.
In this edition of The Knowledge Review, India’s 10 Best
Service Providers to Watch in 2021, we bring you some of
the providers with diverse services. T R
Sumita Sarkar
sumita@theknowledgereview.com

Featherlite
O ce Furniture
How to Lead the Indian O ce Furniture Sector
08
A R T I C L E S
A R T I C L E S
Growth Insights
How to promote
Leadership in SMEs?
18
Productive Sophistication
Technology Impact in
the Furniture Industry
30
C O V E R S T O R Y
C O V E R S T O R Y

C O N T E N T S
C O N T E N T S
20
Burosys Furniture
Crafting your Dream-desks
from Generations
26
Sharda Stationery
From Corporate to Household
Stationery, Sharda has it All!
24
Evolution of Study
From chalk and blackboard to
the screen - Pros and cons
of the transition
C X O
C X O

JUNE, 2021
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Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar
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URL
Name of the Institution Brief
Breathe Easy Labs
featherlitefurniture.com
Breathe Easy Labs' goal is to improve people's
comfort, health, and quality for life and for that,
they research, test, and design innovative
solutions to India's air quality problems by using
state-of-the-art technology in air purication.
Burosys furniture
conwaywater.com
Conway Water Purier
eyematic.co.in
Burosys furniture is a leading design house and
manufacturer of high-quality commercial ofce
furniture. The rm considers itself as a dimension
of workspaces, aiming to represent the company's
vision and values through material and products.
El Tech Electronics
& Electricals
shardastationery.com
Eltech Electronics and Electricals provide
service and support on a national basis with its
In-House team based in Pune and a network of
experienced technical agents throughout India.
Featherlite
Incorporated in 1965, Featherlite is one of the
leading furniture manufacturing organisation in
India today, providing complete ofce furniture
solutions for all segments of the market through its
strong base of direct and franchisee ofces present
across 62 locations in India.
innomedia.in
Leak Seal
raja-n-raja.com
Raja & raja waterproong
Innomedia Creations
Honeycomb Creative Support is a leading
marketing communication services provider,
dedicated in producing engaging and effective
content through graphic design, video production
and web-design and development, among others.
Innomedia Creations is a non-govt company,
incorporated in 15th April, 2004. The company is a
creative agency with a team of focused and
experienced creative professionals primarily dealing
with commercial printing and allied services.
With an experience of over 30 years, Leak Seal
constantly endeavors towards customer satisfaction
by delivering products and services of the best value
and quality with professional and systematic
approach, in elds like waterproong, restoration,
nishing, and structural glazing.
Raja & Raja Waterproong Pvt. Ltd. is a pioneer in
waterproong technology and specialise in solving
any kind of leakage problem since 1984. It is a
subsidiary of R. K. Group, also known as Raja &
Raja Groups of Companies.
Sharda Stationery shardastationery.com
Sharda Stationery is a reputed name in the market
in the eld of supplying a wide range of corporate
stationery products and is a emminent name in the
eld with over 17 years of experience and therefore,
a hghly-trusted brand in the region.
Honeycomb
Creative Support
leaksealindia.co
breatheeasylabs.com
With the aim of educating customers on the effective
use of available purication methods depending on
the water quality and offering customized water
purier and cooler/dispenser, is Conway Water
Purier - a Coimbatore based startup.
burosys.com
India's
1 BEST
SERVICE
PROVIDERS
to Watch in 2021

HOW TO LEAD THE INDIAN OFFICE FURNITURE SECTOR
All our new
products are
showcased to our
customers in our
experience centres
across India, to give
them a proper feel
of the products

India's 10 Best Service Providers to Watch in 2021
The Indian Furniture Industry
has made quite a name for
itself in the nation and the
world at large, owing to the rich
handicraft work, impeccable design
mastery and magnificent traditional
attributes of art. The meticulous
woodwork of India has been the envy
of many an artisan community of the
world; the exceptional designs, rich,
compact, and luxurious trends, and, not
in the least, the supreme quality have
given elegance to the furniture segment
in the traditional as well as modern
aspect. India is indeed a land of
wonderful and marvellous artistic work
of wood.
The modern furniture sector, however,
demands more focus on design
proficiency, ergonomical efficiency,
and a necessary amendment of
customer centricity. Our next pick for
being one of the best service providers
in India is a company that is a
delightful mix of traditionally elegant
woodwork and modern ergonomic
design – the foremost champions of the
furniture game in the country,
Featherlite Office Furniture.
Incorporated in 1965, Featherlite is one
of the leading furniture manufacturing
organisations in India today, providing
complete office furniture solutions for
all segments of market through its
strong base of direct and franchisee
offices present across 62 locations in
India.
Featherlite core expertise lies in
manufacturing and marketing
extremely innovative and cost-effective
customised office furniture such as
modular workstations, chairs,
partitions, desks, conference tables,
educational, laboratory, retail furniture
and fixtures.
Featherlite has demonstrated execution
of mega and multi-location projects
without compromising on requirements
of the customers. Powered with the
latest machinery and technology, the
company produces 40,000 chairs and
12,000 workstations every month
which in turn helps them cater to the
bulk requirements of office furniture
from organizations employing large
workforces. Operating from factory
space spanning more than 3 lakh sq.
feet, the company has over 10,000
esteemed customers pan India
including giants like Cognizant,
Mercedes, Hindustan Unilever,
Caterpillar, etc.
Featherlite’s vision statement is built
on three pillars – Passion, Innovation
and Consistency. Passionate about
furniture design which drives
innovation, the company creates
unique solutions for end customers,

Featherlite’s
products create a
sense of freedom,
enhance
productivity, and
increase the level
of satisfaction at
work, all while
remaining cost
effective. The
team strongly
believes that exceptional quality
melded with beautiful design has the
power to enhance great organizations.
Aspiring to Make a Difference
One of the key contributions of
Featherlite in the furniture sector is its
expertise in creating customized
designs for
customers. It tries
to address the
customer's
requirement from
every perspective
and ensure that
the final product
delivers complete
satisfaction. With
the offices
opening up again
after the
pandemic, office
spaces are being
re-designed
which gives rise to the demand in new
furniture designs that follow safety
guidelines. This inspired the company
to take a more employee-friendly
approach with their design. The
Featherlite team came up with
specially designed screens and
separators to create barriers in order to
avoid contact among the employees.
Creation of such isolated spaces helps
to make the workforce feel safe and
comfortable in their office workspace.
On the other hand, organizations and
professionals have also accepted the
work-from-home culture as their new
normal. This change in work culture
led Featherlite to shift its design focus
to work-from-home furniture. With the
surging demand in this sector, the
company not only designed an
exclusive work-from-home furniture
collection but also launched their new
online store ‘featherlitestore.com’.
The Associate Director of Featherlite,
Mr. Arune Chellaram, had this to say,
“At Featherlite, we are proud followers
of the Go Green initiative. This has
contributed greatly to reducing the
damage caused to the environment
from furniture manufacturing units.
Our manufacturing units are solar
powered, actively practice rainwater
harvesting, and are zero carbon
footprint producing factories.”
Powered with the latest machinery and
technology, the company produces
40,000 chairs and 18,000 workstations
every month which in turn helps us
cater to the bulk requirements of office
furniture from organizations employing
large workforces.
Last, but not the least: At the crux of
Featherlite's design language is the
study of ergonomics. Every chair,
every workstation, every table
designed has high ergonomic
functionality. For the Indian workforce
that clocks 48 hours of work per week
on an average, it is extremely crucial
for them to have ergonomic furniture
in the workspace to be able to work for
long hours comfortably.
Featherlite has
demonstrated
execution of mega
and multi-location
projects without
compromising on
requirements of the
customers
who are satisfied through consistency
in product quality and customer
service.
At Featherlite's core is an unshakable
commitment to the boundless potential
of their people – and the products and
services it offers represent this. They
demonstrate the company's tireless
efforts to innovate, to go beyond its
vision and provide you with solutions
that exceed expectations, while
maintaining their commitment to
protecting the environment by
following sustainable manufacturing
methods.

Leading from the front
The management run by the Chellaram
family from B takes a dynamic
approach towards every business
opportunity with an eye for detail.
Besides being highly intuitive of
changing market trends both leaders
also have an in-depth knowledge of
latest technologies. The main reason
why Featherlite is one of the leading
furniture manufacturers today is
because of the passion for design
innovation. Ideating, innovating, and
producing highly efficient products to
meet varying customer needs is at the
crux of their game plan. At the end of
the day, customer satisfaction is the
goal for these two prominent
personalities. This has led them to
make numerous positive contributions
towards product design over the years
and manufactured various furniture
collections that address versatile work
needs.
Starting from open plan office settings
to work from home furniture
collections, the Featherlite furniture
collection is more than equipped to
address needs of vast number of
customers. They also pay close
attention to optimizing the internal
process from the manufacturing units
to administrative teams in order to
make sure the company delivers
quality products on time every time.
Forward Thinking Mindset
Featherlite was quick to evolve and
adapt a holistic marketing strategy
which is primarily driven by brand
activation plans teamed with a multi-
pronged market penetration approach.
The brand communication was focused
to create awareness about its evolution
into an omnichannel retail business
which was accessible to all segments
of the market through their very own
offline and online distribution channels
through the country.
With the advent of the ‘new normal’
and work-from-home becoming a
societal circumstance, Featherlite was
quick to implement go-to-market plans
through strategic alliances with tech
partners and hardware partners to
enable remote working, real-time
desking solutions, touch-free
technology using IoT while
simultaneously providing basic
necessities such as ergonomic seating
for working and studying from home.
Featherlite’s ‘back to office’ strategies
were executed with product innovation
and awareness creation of products
which were developed to create a safe
work environment while adhering to
the code of conduct for a post
pandemic workplace. Screens with
varied features and purposes that could
be retrofitted onto infrastructure, plug
and play installations which would
create isolated work zones, post-
pandemic features which provide real
time information of seating and
sanitization are all part of the latest
offering. Content creation and PR
strategies were executed to create
awareness of these new ranges.
The Challenges
In the initial days, the Featherlite team
had some challenges in assembling the
right design development team, which
they have been able to overcome over
the years. Presently they have a full-

At the crux of
Featherlite’s design
language is the study of
ergonomics: Every chair,
every workstation,
every table designed
has high ergonomic
functionality
fledged design development team that
is working on innovating better and
more efficient ergonomic furniture day
in day out.
Another problem the organisation had
faced initially was with the efficiency
of the production. However, that
problem has been completely fixed
now as they have expansive
manufacturing units in multiple cities
producing 40,000 chairs and 12,000
workstations every month.
For Featherlite, the goal from day one
has been to be the best and leading
office furniture manufacturer. So, in the
current scenario they are focusing on
competing with foreign furniture
brands and manufacturers. As is
common knowledge, the average
Indian wants the best products at an
affordable rate. Keeping this in mind,
the company is presently aiming to
produce and provide high-end furniture
designs at affordable rates.
The Making of a Brand
Featherlite's design department is at the
core of bridging the gap between client
Mr SatishSharma
President

expectation and customer satisfaction.
The design team is continuously
exposed to the latest designs in the
furniture industry and constantly
educated about the changing market
demands. Through rigorous research
and development, they can create
furniture solutions that meets the
customer expectations. The company
also organizes frequent outreach
programs through webinars with the
aim of educating the audience about
the importance of ergonomics in the
workspace with the help of certified
ergonomists as panellists.
The company has also addressed the
idea of coming back to offices after the
pandemic with various industry
leaders. The discussion shed light for
the audience to understand the
requirements for creating a safe office
environment. The design team has
worked on innovative designs and
created new office furniture solutions
that promote employee wellbeing and a
contact-less work style. This not only
includes special anti-bacterial screens
to provide shelter from the spread of
pathogens but also includes newly
designed workstations rearranged and
positioned in a way that every
employee is able to feel safe and
comfortable in the office. Along with
their design expertise, the company has
dedicated teams to address customer
feedbacks and understand customer
needs which is a crucial part of its
SOP.
“All our new products are showcased
to our customers in our experience

centres across India, to give them a
proper feel of the products. For those
who want to experience the products
from home we have also enabled a
highly interactive 360-degree virtual
tour of our experience centre on our
website,” added Mr. Chellaram.
To Infinity and Beyond
High-quality products, new design
features, ‘make in India’ theme, cost
reduction of product- ‘value for
money’.
Like every year, the company is
planning to create higher quality and
efficient furniture designs to cope with
customer requirements and
expectations. The advent of the
pandemic has led to a drastic change in
working styles. While most
professionals have made work from
home their new normal, some
organizations are slowly opening up
offices. In order to address these needs
Featherlite has taken a two-pronged
approach.
The Featherlite team came up with an
exclusive ‘Work-from-Home Furniture
Collection’ that is available on their
recent online store
www.featherlitestore.com. The store is
currently functional in eight different
cities across the country and have plans
to expand further this year. To address
the second requirement of creating safe
office spaces for employees to return to
workplace they have innovated a
special set of furniture solutions. The
design thinking for this project was
focused on promoting employee
wellbeing and abiding standard safety
guidelines for the office. This led them
to create retro fit furniture designs that
can be easily portable and at the same
time create a safe working
environment. The workstations have
been fitted with anti-bacterial screens
to eliminate the spread of pathogens
and help employees feel comfortable
and safe in the office. “This year we
T R
are focusing more on the “Make in
India” movement and sourcing our
raw materials locally to help the local
vendors grow. We are also looking at
optimising our product pricing to
deliver value for money,” concluded
Mr Chellaram.

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The Knowledge Review

Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people
to work together toward a common objective. This
can entail directing workers and colleagues with a
strategy to suit the company's needs in a corporate setting.
A leader's function at a small-to-medium enterprise (SME)
is unquestionably different from that of a newly launched
start-up or a large and established corporation. In a large
organisation, leader(s) often limit themselves to charting
growth, expansion, long-term planning, and setting
company direction on a macro-level. Whereas start-ups
require their leaders and managers to be in a constant state
of flux, often executing an all-hands-on-deck approach on a
daily basis, with being exceptionally involved in the
smallest day-to-day activity. Leaders in SME’s fall in
between the two extremes, as they have to handle both large
and small tasks.
As a result, good leadership is necessary for organisational
and team success. Effective leadership is defined as
bringing positive efficacy of performance, which
corresponds to improved organisational performance. The
success or failure of a company is influenced by its
organisational performance, which is influenced by the
efficacy of its executives. These are one of the main reasons
why leadership should be promoted in SMEs. Here are
some ways to how leadership can be promoted in SMEs.
Some people are born leaders, but with work, anyone can
learn the necessary skills. You must be willing to put in the
effort if you want to take your career as far as it can go.
Here are nine tips to help you become a good leader and
promote leadership in your organisation.
Practice discipline:
Discipline is required of a competent leader. To be an
effective leader and to motivate people to be disciplined,
you must develop discipline in your professional (and
personal) life. People will rate your leadership ability based
on how disciplined you are at work. Maintain job discipline
How to promote
Leadership
in SMEs?
by sticking to deadlines, making appointments, and
finishing meetings on time. You may have your job cut out
for you if you are inherently disorganised, but you can
always start small: try practising positive habits at home,
such as waking up early and getting regular exercise, and
work your way up from there. waking up early and getting
regular exercise will bring about a change in you within a
week and the change will actually make you feel better
officially and personally eventually leading you to a
positive and healthy lifestyle.
Take on more responsibility:
Taking on new responsibilities is a smart method to
improve your leadership abilities. You do not have to take
on more than you can handle, but if you want to advance,
you must accomplish more than what your job description
requires. The only way to learn something new is to venture
out of your comfort zone and doing so will make you stand
out to executives as someone who takes initiative.
Learn to follow:
When it is necessary, a good leader relinquishes power to
someone else. When someone disagrees with you, questions
your reasoning, or proposes their own ideas, you should not
feel threatened. Maintain an open mind and credit where
credit is due. It will not always be simple, but if you learn
to admire and respect your teammates, they'll be more
willing to help you out.
Develop situational awareness:
Someone who can see the bigger picture and predict
problems before they occur is an excellent leader. When
working on complex projects with tight deadlines, this is a
vital talent to have. A leader's ability to anticipate problems
18
JUNE 2021 www.theknowledgereview.com

and deliver solutions for preventing them is priceless.
Inspire Others:
As a leader, you are a team member, and you should be able to
motivate and inspire those you work with to collaborate as
effectively as possible. When a team member requires
encouragement or direction, provide it. All a person needs at
times is someone to listen to and sympathise with them.
Keep Learning:
The most effective method to become a successful leader is to
continually learning new things. It helps to keep your mind
sharp and your skills up to date. It prepares you for new
difficulties that may arise, which is always beneficial for a
leader.
Empower Your Teammates:
Nobody is perfect at everything, and the sooner you accept
this, the sooner you can learn to lead effectively. Delegating
duties to others not only frees you up to focus on your
strengths, but it also empowers your team members.
Resolve conflicts:
Do not be a devilish boss! Not everyone will always
get along. Rather of ignoring interpersonal disputes
in the hopes that they will go away, talk to
individuals affected privately. If the issue cannot be
resolved, be willing to reassign team members.
Resolve Conflicts:
You do not have to be in the spotlight all
of the time to be a leader. Someone
who listens to other people's opinions,
ideas, and feedback and builds on
them is a crucial quality of a strong
leader. Listeners who are good at
picking up on nonverbal signs like
eye contact and body language
understand that communication is
more than just words.
Leadership qualities are
necessary for career
advancement, but as you can
see, it entails much more than
merely being in control. "If
your actions encourage others
to dream more, learn more,
do more, and become more,
you are a leader" declared
American statesman John
Quincy Adams.
Growth Insights
T R
-By Ashish Chandgude
19 JUNE 2021

Furniture
Crafting your Dream-desks from Generations
Prior to the introduction of lockdowns due to the
coronavirus pandemic, the furniture industry's
growth was perceived to be virtually unstoppable.
The prime reason being that the rising expenditures on
listed sectors expands the revenue of the furniture industry
as almost no brand or company in any given industry
functions without the basic need of furniture. But the
pandemic had other plans in store for this sector.
The Covid-19 outbreak caused lot of damage to the
furniture space: with the dipping of businesses and the
focus shifting away from office spaces, the demand for new
furniture inevitably went down; also, the lockdowns
massively affected the supply chains. However, even during
the present crisis, many brands and thought leaders in the
industry are looking to innovate, form new partnerships and
formulating ways to better the company with any means
necessary. One such exemplar of a truly innovative,
dynamic, yet veteran of a company is Burosys Furniture.
In furniture industry, Burosys is a name synonymous with
office furniture products that are made from high quality
materials and are extremely modern looking. Burosys
works across several areas within the interior space such as
manufacturing and supply of office furniture, consulting on
large projects for interior fit outs and related items. Earlier
known as Pitroda Furniture, the company has been in
business since 1940 and has helped countless companies
redefine their office workspaces. Marrying the concept of
productivity with art, Burosys is at the helm of innovation
which drives their forward-thinking
designs.
Burosys understands the importance
of workplace furniture reflecting the
values of a company as well as its
people. It caters to a diverse range of
corporates and businesses, with their
commonalities being that such
companies put the comfort of their
employees on par with their clients,
while pursuing modernity in their
workspace of which the office
furniture is an essential element.
The Overlords of the Furniture
Game
“At Burosys, we pride ourselves at
working closely with the
stakeholders of the project,” says the
Co-Founder & CEO of Burosys –
Mr Hersh Pitroda. “Listening to
their needs, understanding from
feedback and being able to relate to
what is required to amplify the
purpose of a space,” he added.
20

“ Being the only Indian
company that holds multiple
patents for its unique desking
systems, Burosys has always
been a product-centric
company, a rare feature for
furniture makers in this
country
“
The company’s expertise lies in the field of furniture and
understanding user behaviour across spaces. As offices grew
into corporate parks and as new design philosophies began
to materialise in workspace design, the products also
needed to cater to the needs of the times. And the same was
applicable vice-versa; products that were well designed
began to see mass consumption.
With the right understanding of the project, users, and
application, the company believes it possesses a unique
strength: It is able to add multi fold value to projects the
team chooses to be involved with, and their clients keep
coming back for that effect. Be it schools, large convention
centres, hotels, luxurious and economical offices – Burosys
provides it all.
Standing Apart
An amazing factor that goes into the daily operations is that
the Burosys team yearns to give their prospective clients a
reason to fall in love with the brand. Keeping this in mind,
Burosys goes a step beyond to understand their client
company's DNA and build a solution that reflects and
combines their brand personality with a curated workspace
furniture proposal.
This is easier said than done. This is a result of years of
experience, knowledge of the global furniture market,
understanding what can be curated together and how it can
eventually make financial and functional sense to the end
customer.
“All that the eye can see, your peripheral vision, is the
furniture, your space is not just a space. It should be a
reflection of your brand value mixed with an air of
aspiration.”
21 JUNE 2021

The Passionate Chief
“What I lack in academia, I make up in experience,”
explains Mr. Hersh Pitroda. With years of experience in the
field of furniture, he is known for his tenacity and passion
towards his work. Hersh continues to focus on what he
wants and how he wants to impact lives, companies and
fuel the growth within the organization through design and
good products.
Currently the Co-Founder of Burosys, a new-age
contemporary and modern furniture making company,
Hersh has also done a stint with LVHM PR and Manish
Malhotra as a designer in his earlier days.
Obsessed with Exemplary Design
The Burosys effect on the furniture and office infrastructure
space is – their obsession with product design.
Being the only Indian company that
holds multiple patents for its unique
desking systems, Burosys has always
been a product-centric company, which is
rare for furniture makers in this country.
Unfortunately, however, its customary to
find the exact same furniture design
across most major and local furniture
manufacturers.
“This is where we wanted to be different.
We wanted our products to reflect a
certain personality - in aesthetic, and in
function,” commented the astute leader,
Mr. Hersh Pitroda.
Another unique aspect of the company's products is –
‘dis-assembly,’ which is of huge benefit to their systems,
and it has never been more relevant that today. Due to
Covid, most offices are scaling down or re-jigging their
workspace layout. Burosys' systems provide this kind of
dynamic flexibility.
Throughout the years, the company has worked closely
with most of the major designers and architects in India,
primarily in Mumbai. Their first and most notable
collaboration was with renowned German seating
manufacturer named ‘Interstuhl’, in the late 80’s, where
the company used to manufacture a certain seating line for
them.
Fast forward to 2020, Burosys represents another major
player in the world of furniture – ‘Tecno Spa’ from Italy -
MM 2021 Education. Innovation. Success
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22

a 100-year-old company with a rich history and legacy.
Burosys is working on several prestigious projects with
them.
Pandemic times
2020 was such an iconic year that they named it twice.
Needless to say, the office-furniture industry has been hit
severely as most employees haven't made their journey
back to work as of yet. As a result, many of Burosys's small
to mid-size projects have been delayed. But the larger
projects have not been affected as such.
As per Hersh Pitroda, work-from-home is not a viable
option in India, give the average home sizes, joint families,
home chores etc. People can't wait to get back to work.
Make in India
Ever since 1940, Burosys has been strong contributors of
the 'Make in India' concept. It claims to be the first
company to put casters on chairs, and certainly one of the
first few companies to provide office chairs that were
completely manufactured by them.
Fast forward to 2021, and nothing has changed. Three
generations in the business, the company is still strongly
focused on Make in India. More than 70% of the products
are made in India.
Striving for Excellence
Speaking of the future, Burosys plans to expand into the
retail industry, a plan that has been kept on hold at the
moment due to the aftermath of the pandemic. However, in
the backend, the company continues to churn out new and
innovative products, pitching for prestigious projects,
forming partnerships and joint ventures with international
designers and furniture companies.
23 JUNE 2021

Just a little while ago, I received a meme on – you
guessed it right – WhatsApp, about how mobiles were
not allowed inside the school and ironically, now the
school is inside the mobile! Talk about turn of events! Not
just an ordinary turn, a complete U-turn. The word
“paradigm shift” is what we are experiencing now.
Lots of debates are happening about the pros and cons of
the situation we are in. While the resounding sentiment is
that of frustration from all parties involved – parents,
educators and students, I strongly believe we need to put
things in perspective and see the positives in this change,
too.
My biggest worry about this change is that children miss
chatting, playing and through that, bonding, with their
peers. The essential social and life skills that develop as a
result of this can be drastically reduced too. This may add
fuel to fire in the age, when communication and connection
between people is already dropping as a result of
technological invasion. We are all too familiar with the
scenes of family get-togethers wherever everyone is glued
to their cellphones and there's hardly any quality
conversation going on. The increased screen time, the
sedentary lifestyle and its effects on children's eye-sight and
health is an issue that's discussed and done to death.
Schools were places where children got to be independent,
outside the safe cocoon of their homes where sometimes
protective parents hover over them like helicopters!
Managing yourself, your belongings, your time and
resources, your emotions, standing up for yourself, fighting
for your rights, learning to spot and grab opportunities,
learning to collaborate and co-operate with others, making
friends, dealing with all kinds of personalities, leading and
taking charge, listening and following… and so many other
life skills developed simply as a result of leaving the safe
haven of home and going to school. It’s unfair that children
are robbed of that. Interactions with peers, friends outside
of school has reduced too.
So is everything down in the dumps? Perhaps not. There are
some visible pros I have seen and experienced. Children
who were unhealthily attracted towards the mobile phones –
are now (healthily) attracted towards outdoor activity. It
may just be the primal human attraction of the forbidden
fruit, but it works to our advantage now. Families are
bonding better with each other as a result of being together
for the whole day – parents' attention is the single most
contributing factor in the mental health of children. A
healthy child, physically and mentally, is in a better position
to be a good learner.
The triangle of students' success has three crucial angles –
parents, educators and student themselves. Educators are
probably the pivot that had to go through a huge change- a
metamorphosis of sorts since the pandemic began.
Otherwise 'outstanding' teachers found themselves at a loss
while performing in this new normal. However, the
educational fraternity has risen like a phoenix to deliver in
these trying times. I personally believe that the “chalk and
blackboard” being taken away, maybe a boon in disguise
for the educators.
While there may have been resistance to technology in the
past, now teachers are forced to explore technology, tools
and content to support their educational process. I am quite
sure that once the power of technology is realized, teachers
Fromchalkand
blackboard to
the screen Pros and cons of the transition
24

Evolution of Study
will not be able to go back to the old, sometimes dogmatic
ways. The efficiency of time and effort that educators can
achieve by using technology as their friend is immense.
Not only is it efficient, many times, it is also significantly
more effective than typical age-old methods.
In the end, it does benefit the student. If good content can
be made available to students with technological aid, it will
actually make both the teacher's and the student's life easier.
If students can do self-learning, specially for run-of-the-
mill, mundane content, the
educators will get more time
to focus on improving the
quality of education they
deliver in classes – one that
encourages children to
critically think, experiment,
analyse, evaluate and apply
their learning. This latter
part is grossly missing from
the education system.
Teachers are constantly
complaining of getting
barely enough time to
complete the curriculum.
This change may actually
ignite and expedite the shift
in our approach to
education.
The younger we are, the
more adaptable we are to
change. They way young
children today are adapting
to the new normal is
laudable according to me.
We, as educators and
parents, need to help them
overcome the cons. Meeting
their friends, relatives,
loved ones even virtually to
spend quality time, can go a
long way in developing
their social-emotional
intelligence. The screen
time they are exposed to,
perhaps cannot be helped,
but at least let's try to make
it “quality screen time”. Do
activities with them which
will help them develop their
critical thinking skills, collaboration skills, help them feel
emotionally satisfied, appreciated by adults and peers. Social
distancing is recommended, emotional distancing is not.
As they say, your life is ten percent about what circumstances
or fate presents to you and ninety percent about how you
respond to those circumstances. It is important to take this
change in its stride, focus on the positives to be derived out
of it and make the best of it !
Rupashree Sable, Director and Principal : Bedrock Educare Pvt. Ltd.
25 JUNE 2021

Sharda Stationery
From Corporate to Household Stationery, Sharda has it All!
The Indian stationery industry is highly scattered and
is largely dominated by the unorganised sector.
However, the industry is now showing signs of
organised growth, owing to the heavy increase in demand
for stationery products in the country. This demand is
observed as a result of entry of a large number of
international brands in India.
The present-day customer, in general, is educated, has a
knack for experimentation, and most importantly – wants
value for money. An organised player in the stationery and
services sector which aims at capturing the market by
focusing on 'value for money' products and services, is the
eminent company Sharda Stationery.
Sharda Stationery is a reputed name in the market in the
field of supplying a wide range of corporate stationery
products. The founders of Sharda Stationery have more than
30 years of experience in the corporate and educational
stationery space. They started this company with
knowledge of the market, experience and a vision to deliver
high qualitative attributes – something that has earned them
the respect and adoration of their various clients and
customers.
Being the leading BOPP adhesive tapes supplier and dealer
in Mumbai, the company offers its complete range of
products and service in various households, schools,
colleges, institutes, offices, hospitals, banks and wherever
else it is used. If you are searching for a trusted stationery
vendor in Mumbai, Sharda Stationery is the place for you.
Being one of the best stationery suppliers and dealer, the
company offers its products at reasonable market price, with
an extensive range of stationery products that suits all your
needs in the best manner possible.
From Humble Beginnings to Market Leaders
The inception saga of the firm dates back to 1987 when
the Co-Founders Manji and Kanji Dubariya served in a
stationery shop. There, they continued for seven years
before pursuing their passion dedicatedly and setting up
their own shop in 1993 and later anchoring their second
shop in 1997, known as Sharda Stationery. With 32 years of
experience, today, the firm is operating out of four retail and
corporate supplies outlets including Navi Mumbai and
Mumbai.
Some of their major clientele include several reputed names
in education and corporate clientele such as Reliance, HP,
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Homi Bhabha Centre for
Science Education, International Institute for Population
Sciences, International Justice Mission, Tata Institute of
Social Sciences, Helen Keller Institute for Deaf &
Deafblind, and The Gateway School of Mumbai etc.
The firm works with advanced machinery like Konica
Minolta Bizhub Press C1060, Konica Minolta Bizhub Pro
C6501, Xerox Color C60, Canon Image Runner Advance
8585, HP Latex 335, Canon Imageprograf IF8410SE, HP
Designjet T2300, HP Designjet T2500, Epson Surecolor
SC-T7270, Canon imagePROGRAF iPF8410SE, Epson
26

Sharda Stationery
works closely with the customers
to gain deep insights into their
business needs. The company
takes time to fully understand the
client's purchase
WorkForce Pro WF-C869R, SKY-DSB SKY-335R6, SKY-
DSB SKY-325R4, and Zebra ZXP Series 3, offering high
quality printing services and printable media.
The firm has evolved modestly and now has stock of both
Indian and international products for all categories of
school, college, office equipment stationery. Another point
to note here is that the firm possesses the most advanced
machines, which are not present anywhere nearby.
The Sharda Approach
Deep Understanding: Sharda works closely with the
customers to gain deep insights into their business needs.
The company takes time to fully understand the client's
purchase. And it also listens carefully to what the client
requests about their requirements. This means one
that
receives advice that really gets to the heart of one’s
business.
The Co-Founder of the company, Mr. Manji Dubariya,
notes: “The right product, in the right place, at the right
time.” “We assemble the right team for your
He added –
business, drawing on our network of professionals. You
receive the right product at the right time.”
Flexibility: Today's business world requires you to balance
stability with rapid change. The way Sharda Stationery
operates allow it to help respond swiftly to the challenges
the team faces. The employees tackle the customer issues
with enthusiasm, helping them achieve their requirements.
Integrity: Sharda Stationery acts with integrity, having
mutual respect, and being open and honest in everything
“
27 JUNE 2021

that they do. They only ever do what they believe is right.
This is how the build a loyal customer base and trust among
their clientele.
A Class Apart
Today, Sharda Stationery is a renowned corporate supplier
specializing in office stationery for big names like HP,
Reliance, and many others. Being a retail shop, they supply
stationery and other related products and services to big
companies, colleges, schools, etc. They operate from four
outlets in Mumbai.
In the stationery business, service is everything. If you
deliver good quality products along with exceptional
service, only then you can survive in the market. To deliver
on these to customer/clients in the corporate sector, the
team over at Sharda had to struggle a lot. Yet they
maintained 'Quality and Service' as their prime mover.
Manji comments: “It is all about trust. We at Sharda
Stationery provide the customers with quality, service and
on-time delivery. The customers may choose to go to other
stationery service providers which operate at competitive
prices; their main considerations are to find similar
products cheaper and other cost cutting methods. But at the
end of the day, these customers often return to us because
although they get the products at a cheaper cost, the quality
and the service provided is not up to the mark. That is why
we get so much repeat business.”
Owing to the increasingly competitive nature of the market,
the Sharda Stationery team has to monitor a lot of factors
like new market trends, emerging customer requirements,
new products and services. They also make a point to attend
a lot of exhibitions in Mumbai and Delhi where they get to
learn about new products and interact with new clients. At
the same time, they promote their products and services on
exhibition stalls, hand out informational content to
prospective customers.
Living up to the Dream
In any industry, it is impossible to satisfy every demand of
the customers, but even still, Sharda Stationery tries to meet
most of their customer expectations. Sometimes the
customer wants something out of the ordinary like a range
,
of specific customised products. In that case, the team has
to figure out what exactly they want and how they are going
to deliver the same.
To promote outreach, Sharda Stationery has also launched a
beautiful website so they can interact with their customers
online. Additionally, the company employs salespersons
who visit corporates and big companies to showcase their
products, increase brand awareness, display catalogues, talk
about the speciality of services offered by Sharda, among
other things. The company also promotes itself with digital
advertisements, social media promotions and employs
varied digital marketing methodologies.
To scale the coming future, Sharda Stationery has big plans
of expanding into the manufacturing. Till now, the business
model has been mostly about trading of the stationery as
well as other products and services, but now they wish to
start their own factories to have more control over their
goods and deliver quality service.
28

Here’s the tried and tired bromide – technology is
changing almost every aspect of our lives.
Seemingly every day, we are bombarded with the
news of the latest innovations that breach the firmament of
what is expected to be humanly possible. Even so, it is
fascinating to see how technological advancements are
shaping the furniture industry.
Many of the furniture companies are making strides and
finding new ways to make use of emerging technologies to
improve their furniture and making it more attractive and
comfortable. The technologically advanced furniture is
being designed to meet the needs and wants of our modern-
day lifestyles.
“We are witnessing a mushrooming growth of technology in
the furniture industry. There are several areas where we are
seeing innovation, similar to other industries. From IoT
integrations, Smart Furniture, Sit Stand desks with
reminders and occupancy sensors and so on. Virtual Reality
and Augmented reality, companies moving from Offline to
online are some other areas of tech enhancements in the
furniture and interior space,” remarked the CEO of
Burosys Furniture - Mr. Hersh Pitroda.
For the longest time, the furniture sector in India was
largely unorganised and was largely based on hand-made
furniture. The modernisation of this sector with machine
and technology fuelled the growth of this sector opening
avenues for its huge export potential. Domestic demand has
seen a steady increase for furniture in India, which gives a
boost to the organised sector.
The Associate Director of Featherlite – Mr. Arune
Chellaram – elaborated on this ‘mushrooming growth’ by -By Aditya Umale
saying: “The key thrust will be the “Make in India”
concept. Innovative design as per market requirement. The
products should be manufactured in highly sophisticated
machineries which will ensure high quality, faster
production and cost-effective products.”
“The process should adhere to worldwide environmental
standards, such as minimal carbon footprints and the
utilisation of renewable energy-efficient manufacturing
choices such as solar power. The products should be
ergonomically designed for better occupational health and
safety. Have an efficient technology to monitor customer
satisfaction, customer feedback, post sales and services
with a well-defined pan India dealer network,” he added.
Some of the other key factors driving the demand for
furniture are growth in housing and commercial
construction and also increase in income levels that
influence customers to adopt global lifestyle options,
especially in urban affluent Indians.
Today, even with the disruptions of the pandemic era, the
furniture buying and rental industry are trying to make the
best of the challenging circumstances. With the evolving
market dynamics, the furniture industry can expect online
selling and buying through digital marketing to be the key
to any industry’s success, giving opportunities to the
furniture rental start-ups.
Productive Sophistication
T R
30

31 JUNE 2021

India's 10 best service provider to watch in 2021.

India's 10 best service provider to watch in 2021.

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