Interview: Aliasgar Rampurawala – Director of Sapphire Tuff

An interview with Aliasgar Rampurawala – Director of Sapphire Tuff, one of India’s leading glass processors

Welcome to an insightful conversation with Aliasgar Rampurawala, the esteemed Director of Sapphire Tuff, a pioneering name in India’s glass processing industry. With a reputation for excellence and innovation, Sapphire Tuff stands tall as a leader, shaping the landscape of glass manufacturing in the country.

Aliasgar Rampurawala’s leadership has been instrumental in guiding the company to new heights, fostering growth, and setting benchmarks for quality and customer satisfaction. In this interview, we delve into the journey, vision, and future endeavors of Sapphire Tuff under the stewardship of Aliasgar Rampurawala.

Can you share the inspiration behind starting Sapphire Tuff and your journey as a first-generation entrepreneur in the glass processing industry?

Aliasgar Rampurawala: Initially, I started my career in the year 2000 as a trainee in the glass industry that is when I was at my learning phase to know about glass, its technical aspects and a lot. Then, later we started trading in 2003, and after gaining a good amount of experience and exposure we as a company started glass processing in 2009.

As we were into trading, we noticed people had very bad times regarding the service of tempered process glass, and faced problems like not having enough factories for processing, and had to wait for days just to get the processing done leading to a bad customer service experience.

This inspired us to enter the glass processing industry initially at a smaller scale where we provided exceptional services and fastest smoother solutions for lifetime. Therefore, we feel that starting this was not an inspiration but a necessity.

Also, considering the huge achievement and success with a notable change for the whole industry like earlier which had consumed 7-8 days processing, Sapphire Tuff made it possible within 2-3 days which saved a lot of time.

What challenges did you face as a new entrant in the industry, and how did you overcome them to establish Sapphire Tuff as a leading player in the market?

Aliasgar Rampurawala: As we were new to the industry, we were not familiar about the processes, machineries, technologies, quality parameters. After attending a lot of exhibitions and seminars, we gained understanding and advancement about the sector and its growth parameters.

We indulged into expansions of the business starting from 2009 to 2024, and grew to what we are today by eliminating the challenges that we faced in our past expansion period. As knowledge increased, advancement in technology helped in booming the industry.

Nevertheless, competitors proved to be a regular hurdle and challenge to crack on. Since then, however, Sapphire Tuff has been dominating the glass processing industry.  

How has the glass processing industry evolved since the inception of Sapphire Tuff, and what trends do you foresee in the coming years?

Aliasgar Rampurawala: Sapphire Tuff entered and made a revolution for the service in whole industry, as earlier mentioned, the time-consuming factor was resolved by us and hence the processing and waiting time reduced significantly.  

Our main objective and motto are to provide high quality and professional service. Sapphire Tuff has established a new quality parameter that has made the whole industry follow the same.

Could you highlight some of the key products or services that differentiate Sapphire Tuff from its competitors in the market?

Aliasgar Rampurawala: We specialise in Acoustic Lamination that helps in cutting down noise in residential projects, like second homes in cities and in congested areas. We also manufacture three metre by six metre jumbo sized laminated glasses, DGU glasses, DGU-laminated tempered glasses and we also make curved glasses, curved laminated glasses, and curved DGU glasses.

Due to advanced technologies in tempering and processing, our glasses have the least possible distortion giving you aesthetically more beautiful buildings.

Across the whole industry, however the products are same but what makes Sapphire Tuff different is purely its high-grade quality and professional service!

Sustainability is a growing concern in various industries. How does Sapphire Tuff incorporate sustainable practices in its operations and contribute to environmental conservation?

Aliasgar Rampurawala: Sapphire also makes sure that we care for the environment and hence, we undergo water recycling technology that saves 40,000 litres of water per day and we have invested a huge part in renewable energy.

As our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has internationally declared that our country is moving towards becoming net-zero in energy wastage, we have also taken this situation seriously, and are following the Prime Minister’s good initiatives and are also moving towards becoming a net-zero energy wastage company.

How does Sapphire Tuff embrace technological advancements in the glass processing field, and what role does innovation play in the company’s growth strategy?

Aliasgar Rampurawala: Sapphire Tuff embraces international technological advancements by using premium technologies like German Lamination and DGU lines, and Dual Chamber Tempering Technologies to reduce the defects while processing to a maximum level.

We feel privileged to share that we have invested in high advancements with respect to our field across the country. Currently, the market is majorly concerned with basic processing but that’s where Sapphire gives an outstanding outcome in opposition to the competition.

Collaboration and partnerships are essential for business growth. Are there any notable collaborations or partnerships that have significantly contributed to Sapphire Tuff’s success?

Aliasgar Rampurawala: Our Business growth would not have been possible without the support and collaborations of our suppliers like Sisecam Turkey, Guardian, and Asahi, who believed in us and stayed throughout, marking it a massive success. Loyalty stood as an important factor for us when it came to collaborations and partnerships.

In your experience, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the glass processing industry or start their own businesses?

Aliasgar Rampurawala: I feel this industry has a good growth overall across the nation. The supplying capacity is much higher than the demand for this industry, no doubt which indicates that the demand is also increasing.

For those that are thinking about entering the glass processing industry, I would highly suggest to check out the demand and supply ratio before entering, as it could be a risk post investing and one should not get into a loss.

However, I want to encourage all the entrepreneurs who are planning to start, always focus on the quality and not the quantity. Always do your research and come up with something better that you can offer the market, and be different from the majority who just copy what others are doing.

For all those that are planning to be an entrepreneur, get well trained in that particular field – maybe even as an employee. Learn from scratch before starting.

Sapphire Tuff wants even the common public to be aware about the importance of quality tempered glass. By investing a slightly bigger amount into getting quality toughened glass put into your homes can drastically improve your living experience.

Performance glass can be installed which can drastically reduce your electricity bill by keeping your house cooler and keeping the heat outside. Not only this, but selecting a good processed glass can keep families and home life happy and safe!

In conclusion, our conversation with Aliasgar Rampurawala, Director of Sapphire Tuff, has provided a fascinating glimpse into the world of glass processing and the visionary leadership driving the industry forward.

His insights into the challenges, triumphs, and future prospects of Sapphire Tuff underscore the company’s commitment to excellence and innovation. As Sapphire Tuff continues to push boundaries and set new standards, Aliasgar Rampurawala’s strategic vision and dedication serve as guiding beacons, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of India’s glass processing sector, poised for even greater achievements in the years to come.

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