Founder and managing director of EP Biocomposites Limited (EPBL), Rajkumar Kamat talks about his ideations, current plans and future direction for his company
From their first 12 ft VOC (volatile organic compounds) environmentfriendly powder coating plant in 1991 to creating a variety of cost-effective, green tech products and services, EP Biocomposites Limited has diversified and grown keeping the environment in mind. They manufacture products such as fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) doors, bio-digester tanks, fire retardant doors, passive fire protection products and more.
EPBL’s focus was always FRP long with bio-digester tanks with DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organisation) certified technology which was introduced into the market through OM Ventures. In 2019, through ‘Vibrant Goa’ during a visit to the US and Canada, the company captured the idea of FRP doors. Their aim with their bio-digesters is to develop standardised products for specific sectors such as beach shacks, villas, restaurants, etc. After taking over OM Ventures, EPBL added sewage and effluent treatment plant vertical to their collection by creating a team with more than 25 years of experience within the sector.
With more than 2500 biotoilets installed in individual households in Goa, their toilets are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and maintenance-free with their only byproduct being odorless bio-gas and water for gardening. Their products help eliminate groundwater contamination and are present with big brands in the Goan hospitality sector, industry, and construction companies. EPBL offer customised combinations of technologies to work towards a zero liquid discharge (ZLD), while also offering standardaffordable containerised sewage treatment plant (STP) solutions for small volumes.
While staying alert for the latest technologies in the water sector they took on the Swedish sustainable technology leaders, Wayout International, and their ‘pure water without plastic bottles’ initiative. This water purification and dispensary system reduce the use of plastic bottles, reducing the overall carbon footprint. Just one Wayout System provides clean and safe drinking water to almost 2000 people with no by-products. This system prevents up to 483 tons of greenhouse gases and 5.7 million single-use plastic bottles from being created annually. “The next-gen technology can run entirely on solar energy and stores data on water purify in an inbuilt digital chip which forms in communicating information on consumption and quality to the users”, says Rajkumar Kamat. In 2020, the roup offered sewage treatment and effluent treatment plants as a highly advanced solution to recycling domestic as well as industrial wastewater, “As water conservation has become increasingly important, sewage and effluent treatment plants are the solution to this. They recycle water to a safer level for reuse or safer discharge into the environment”, says Kamat. Since then, there has been a 300% growth achieved by the EP Kamat Group in the span of 3 years, despite the pandemic.
In an attempt to go for an SME IPO (Small and Medium Enterprise Initial Public Offering), EPBL’s initiative will be the first SME IPO from Goa with an issue size of more than Rupees 5 crores. Kamat believes that the success of the public issue is not solely based on the issue subscription but also on the continuous and positive performance of the company. “Narayan Murthy of Infosys highlighted the importance of PSPD. 1. Predictability of revenue, 2. Sustainability of business, 3. Profitability through cost control and 4. De-risking by not being dependent on one product, market, or customer. We believe EPBL is well poised on all those fronts to ensure sustained value to investors”, says Kamat.
When asked about the future of the company Kamat says, “Our major initiatives include development of cost-effective bio sewage treatment plants for beach shacks, small restaurants, and hotels.” Expanding on their Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP)doors to Maharashtra and Karnataka in their first phase followed by North America in their second phase is also a part of their plan, along with this they are also looking into developing sewage treatment plant automation and containerised cost-effective STP systems for real estate and other sectors within Goa.
As of today, the EP Kamat Group recycles 1 million litres of wastewater every day and their goal is to recycle 100 million litres of wastewater by 2025
SWEDISH SUSTAIN TECH COMPANY WAYOUT AND EP KAMAT GROUP INTRODUCE ECO-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY TO BRING DOWN THE CARBON FOOT PRINT
Award-winning sustain-tech Company, Wayout and EP Kamat Group, signed a partnership contract in the presence of Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant. The companies revealed that eco-friendly technology that can be effectively leveraged to bring down the carbon footprint and its positive impact on future resources of the state in the presence of Ulf Stenerhag – CEO, Wayout International, Rajkumar Kamat, Managing Director, EP Kamat Group, and Aticka Chona, Sustainability and Growth, Global Wayout International.
The contract includes a pioneering world-class solution that can locally produce and distribute drinking and cooking water with minimal eco-footprint, anywhere on earth. This innovative water purification and dispensation system is touted to reduce the use of plastic bottles and therefore carbon footprint.
Ulf Stenerhag, CEO of the Swedish sustain-tech company shared that the company provides water production systems for local coverage of high quality, secured, and eco-friendly drinking water solutions, which further help reduce carbon footprints. “A single Wayout system provides 3,000 persons with clean and safe drinking water.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajkumar Kamat, Managing Director, EP Kamat Group, shed light on the establishment of the EP Kamat Group as ‘Leaders in Goa’s Sanitation and Wastewater Recycling Segment’. “We are happy to partner with Wayout in this world class solution that does away with millions of single-use plastic bottles”
The EP Kamat Group is associated with Goa Government’s mission of Swachh Bharat, providing customised solutions for reusing wastewater through Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) and Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP).
Aticka Chona, Sustainability and Growth Director at Wayout shared, “The partnership with EP Biocomposites has the potential to reduce 14,500 tons of CO2 emissions by cutting down the use of 170 million plastic bottles in Goa. Speaking at the signing of a partnership contract between the two companies, Chief Minister of Goa Dr Pramod Sawant appreciated the initiative of the companies to reduce the use of plastic bottles and therefore carbon footprint, adding “We are also working on the Plastic Free Goa, it will definitely help with ‘Green Goa, Clean Goa
