Keanat and LiSEC celebrate 20-year jubilee

Keanat Glass Industries is located close to Delhi and employs around 250 members of staff in two factories. The Keanat product palette ranges from tempered high-performance architectural glass, laminated glass and frameless glass façades, as well as glass sheets for interior and exterior living areas, right through to innovative products such as intelligent glass (light-impermeable at the touch of a button) and LED mirrors for the Indian market. Consultancy is a fundamental service of the company and is delivered by a separate branch office with a special showroom for customers.

A DEVELOPMENT SPANNING GENERATIONS

The history of Keanat stretches back to the year 1890. It was during that year that the Indian company was founded by Farhat Kamil, and it plays a key role in the shape of the country’s glass industry to this day. Building on the central pillars of the company: human endeavour, entrepreneurial initiative and a tireless commitment to quality, today the 6th generation is at the helm.

Mohammad Mohib Kamil is proud of the development of the company, from a trading enterprise into one of the leading glass processing companies on the Indian market.

PIONEERING PARTNERSHIP WITH LISEC

1999 saw the company invest in a machine for the first time in its history – the first insulating glass line was purchased from LiSEC. And this was not the only première – this insulating glass line was also the first LiSEC machine to be imported into India from Austria.

The signs at that point were good. With this procurement, Keanat took the first steps in the direction of glass processing. This market was not yet matured and there were no limits to the possibilities in the field of insulating glass in particular. The demand was there, as was the desire for faster reaction times from suppliers. The customer base established by Keanat at that time still remains today.

Back then, the decision-making process regarding investment in the LiSEC machine was swift and characterised by extensive trust in the capabilities of the machine, which positively and sustainably influenced the future of the Indian market. “The offer of after sales service in relation to machine repairs, straightforward maintenance, and the availability of spare parts were naturally also decisive factors. As a quality Austrian company, we took a leap of faith with LiSEC and we were not disappointed”, says Mohammad Mohib Kamil.

Keanat could only profit from LiSEC’s many years of experience in glass processing. The precision with which the newly created LiSEC insulating glass line processed products constituted a quality milestone for the customers of Keanat.

THE STATUS QUO

Keanat is now operating two insulating glass lines, two cutting lines and the software program gps.opt from the LiSEC brand and the company is highly satisfied. The jump from a pure trading enterprise to a processing operation could not have been better supported in terms of both machinery and software.

“The cooperation with LiSEC worked brilliantly from the first moment. From the product quality of the machines supplied to the quality of service, LiSEC delivered on an exceptionally high level that was extremely satisfactory to us. And this is still the case today – if we pose questions to the online service, the reaction speed is really good and we feel well-supported”, says Mohammad Mohib Kamil.

However, the Indian glass processing market is developing and is subject to strong competition, which is reflected in particular in low prices and correspondingly small profit margins. Although the majority of competitors are only able to operate on the market for a short period, they attempt to attract customers with special payment conditions during this time and therefore have lasting negative effects on price levels.

THE FUTURE AWAITS

Despite the hotly contested market, Keanat continues to work tirelessly towards the corporate vision: to become the industry leader in the Indian glass sector and to impress its customers with satisfaction and pleasure in its products. With the mission of offering a broad spectrum of modern, top quality products, it wishes to satisfy the varying requirements of its customers at a high quality level and create added value.

“Our aim is to continue excelling ourselves and to be the best on the market. Top quality and the best service stand at the forefront of this objective”, explains Mohammad Mohib Kamil.

As such, Mohammad and his team have set challenging strategic objectives for the future. They want to develop in particular in the direction of the automotive and rail transport sectors, and to further grow and expand government projects.

The most recent company acquisition in pursuit of its aims was a glass cutting line for jumbo formats from LiSEC. This investment has resulted in a huge rise in productivity. The increased output with enhanced quality and the highly automated processes on the machine itself deliver a significant competitive advantage. Through the automation of a greater number of work steps, it has been possible to reduce the personnel working on the machine by 20%. 

As a complete supplier, LiSEC stands available as a reliable and trustworthy business partner for Mohammad Mohib Kamil. An additional insulating glass line for the second factory is already under consideration.