Water pollution from over-reliance on groundwater and aging water pipes, and poor wastewater treatment are contributing to a global water crisis.Unfortunately, there are places where tap water is not safe because it can contain harmful contaminants such as arsenic and lead.Some brands have seized this opportunity to help developing countries by designing a smart device capable of providing households with over 300 liters of pure drinking water per month that is rich in minerals and free of any harmful pollutants , commonly found in tap and bottled water.In an exclusive conversation with Financial Express Online, co-founder and CEO of New York-based Kara Water, Cody Soodeen talks about the water purifier business and brand’s entry into the Indian market.extract:
What is air-to-water technology?Additionally, Kara claims to be the world’s first 9.2+ pH air-to-water dispenser manufacturer.How good is it from a health standpoint?
Air-to-water is a technology that captures water from the air and makes it available.There are currently two competing technologies (refrigerant, desiccant).Desiccant technology uses zeolites, similar to volcanic rocks, to trap water molecules in the air in tiny pores.The water molecules and zeolite are heated, effectively boiling the water in the desiccant technology, killing 99.99% of viruses and bacteria in the passing air, and trapping the water in the reservoir.Refrigerant-based technologies use low temperatures to create condensation.Water droplets fall into the catchment area.Refrigerant technology lacks the ability to kill airborne viruses and bacteria – one of the main advantages of desiccant technology.This makes desiccant technology superior to refrigerant products in the post-pandemic era.
Once in the reservoir, the drinking water is infused with rare healthful minerals and ionized to produce a pH of 9.2+ and ultra-smooth water.Kara Pure’s water is continuously circulated under UV light to ensure its freshness.
Our air-to-water dispensers are the only commercially available products that provide 9.2+ pH water (also known as alkaline water).Alkaline water promotes an alkaline environment in the human body.Our alkaline and mineral-rich environment promotes bone strength, boosts immunity, regulates blood pressure, aids digestion and improves skin health.Besides rare minerals, Kara Pure Alkaline Water is also one of the best drinking water.
What exactly does “atmospheric water dispenser” and “air to water dispenser” mean?How will Kara Pure pioneer in India?
Atmospheric water generators refer to our predecessors, which were industrial machines created and designed with no regard for the environment in which the consumer is used.Kara Pure is an air-to-water dispenser designed with the user experience in mind.Kara Pure will pave the way for air-to-water dispensers across India by bridging the technology that looks like science fiction and connecting it to the well-known concept of water dispensers.
Many households in India have water supply systems that depend on groundwater.As consumers, as long as we have drinking water, we are not concerned that our water comes from 100 kilometers away.Likewise, air-to-water may be attractive, but we want to improve the reliability of air-to-water technology.Even so, there is a magical feel to dispensing drinking water without a hose.
Many major cities in India, such as Mumbai and Goa, have high humidity throughout the year.Kara Pure’s process is to draw the high humidity air in these major cities into our system and output healthy water from a reliable humidity.As a result, Kara Pure turns air into water.This is what we call an air to water dispenser.
Conventional water purifiers rely on groundwater being transported through underground infrastructure.Kara Pure gets our water from the humidity in the air around you.This means our water is highly localized and does not require extensive treatment to be drinkable.We then infuse the water with rich minerals to create alkaline water that adds unique health benefits.
Kara Pure does not require in-building water infrastructure, nor does it require municipalities to provide it.All the client has to do is plug it in.This means Kara Pure’s water won’t find any metals or contaminants in aging pipes.
How, in your opinion, can the water filtration sector in India benefit from the optimal use of air to water dispensers?
Kara Pure purifies air water using an innovative heating process to eliminate airborne viruses, bacteria and other pollutants.Our customers benefit from our unique mineralizing filters and alkalizers.In turn, India’s water filtration sector will benefit from new access to this premium filter.
Kara water is entering India to address an unfavorable shift in policy for other drinking water solutions.India is a big market with growing high-end consumers and increasing water demand.With policy decisions to mitigate the negative environmental impact of reverse osmosis (RO) and prevent counterfeit bottled water brands from hitting record highs, India is in great need of innovative and safe water technology.
Kara Water is positioning itself as the brand that people want as India continues its shift towards designer consumer goods.The company plans to have an initial impact in Mumbai, India’s highly dense financial center, before expanding outwards across India.Kara Water wants to make air-to-water mainstream.
How is the water purifier market in India different compared to the US?Planning ahead for the challenge, if any?
According to our data, Indian consumers are more aware of water purifiers than US consumers.When building a brand in an international country, you have to be proactive about getting to know your customers.Born and raised in the United States, CEO Cody learned about cultural differences by growing up with immigrant parents from Trinidad.He and his parents often had cultural misunderstandings.
To develop Kara Water for launch in India, he is interested in working with local business organisations with local knowledge and connections.Kara Water started using an accelerator hosted by the Columbia Global Centre in Mumbai to start their knowledge of doing business in India.They are working with DCF, a company that launches international products and provides outsourcing services in India.They also partnered with Indian marketing agency Chimp&Z, which has a nuanced understanding of launching brands in India.Kara Pure’s designs were born in America.That said, from manufacturing to marketing, Kara Water is an Indian brand and will continue to seek out local experts at every level to provide India with the best products for its needs.
Currently, we are focusing on selling to the Greater Mumbai region and our target audience is over 500,000 customers.We initially thought that women would be very interested in our product because of its unique health benefits.Surprisingly, business or organizational leaders or aspiring leaders have shown the most interest in the product for use in their homes, offices, extended family homes and other spaces.
How do you market and sell Kara Pure?(If applicable, please mention both online and offline channels)
We are currently conducting online marketing and sales lead generation activities through our Customer Success Representatives.Customers can find us at http://www.karawater.com or learn more from our social media pages on Instagram.
The product mainly caters to the high end market due to pricing and service, how do you plan to launch the brand in tier 2 and tier 3 markets in India?
We are currently mainly focusing on the first-tier cities where we are selling.It is expanding to second- and third-tier cities.We plan to partner with EMI Services to enable us to develop sales channels in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.This will increase our customer base by allowing people to change our financial strategy over time without having to adjust.
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