India's 10 Best Service Provider to watch in 2021

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India's

1SERVICE BEST

PROVIDERS to Watch in 2021

FEATHERLITE’s products create a sense of freedom, enhance productivity, and increase the level of satisfaction at work, all while remaining cost effective

OFFICE FURNITURE HOW TO LEAD THE INDIAN OFFICE FURNITURE SECTOR

2021 VOL-06 ISSUE-04

EDITOR’S NOTE

THE BACKBONE OF CHANGING PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES

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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

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 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

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.

Sumita Sarkar sumita@theknowledgereview.com

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Growth Insights

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How to promote Leadership in SMEs?

Technology Impact in the Furniture Industry

Featherlite 08 O c e Fu r n i t u r e How to Lead the Indian O ce Furniture Sector

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20 Burosys Furniture Crafting your Dream-desks from Generations

26 Sharda Stationery From Corporate to Household Stationery, Sharda has it All!

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Evolution of Study From chalk and blackboard to the screen - Pros and cons of the transition

JUNE, 2021

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Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar

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India's

1 Name of the Institution

Breathe Easy Labs

Burosys furniture

Conway Water Purier

El Tech Electronics & Electricals

Featherlite

Honeycomb Creative Support

Innomedia Creations

Leak Seal

Raja & raja waterproong

Sharda Stationery

BEST

SERVICE PROVIDERS

to Watch in 2021

URL

Brief

breatheeasylabs.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.com

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.

conwaywater.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.

eyematic.co.in

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.

featherlitefurniture.com

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.

shardastationery.com

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.in

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.

leaksealindia.co

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-n-raja.com

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.

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.

COVER STORY

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

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he 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 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.

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.

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 multipronged 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.

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.

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, postpandemic 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-

Mr SatishSharma President

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

At the crux of Featherlite’s design language is the study of ergonomics: Every chair, every workstation, every table designed has high ergonomic functionality

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

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.

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

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

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. T R

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How to promote

Leadership in SMEs?

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eadership 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 JUNE 2021

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

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Growth Insights 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. T R

-By Ashish Chandgude www.theknowledgereview.com

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Furniture Crafting your Dream-desks from Generations

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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.

rior 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.

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.

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

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.

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India's 10 Best Service Providers to Watch in 2021

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.

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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.

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

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.

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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.”

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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.

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.

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.

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.

Fast forward to 2020, Burosys represents another major player in the world of furniture – ‘Tecno Spa’ from Italy -

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.

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a 100-year-old company with a rich history and legacy.

Burosys is working on several prestigious projects with 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.

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.

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.

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.

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From

chalk and

blackboard to the

screen

Pros and cons of the transition

ust 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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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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

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Evolution of Study

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 Rupashree Sable, Director and Principal : Bedrock Educare Pvt. Ltd. activities with them which will help them develop their critical thinking skills, collaboration skills, help them feel will not be able to go back to the old, sometimes dogmatic emotionally satisfied, appreciated by adults and peers. Social ways. The efficiency of time and effort that educators can distancing is recommended, emotional distancing is not. achieve by using technology as their friend is immense.

Not only is it efficient, many times, it is also significantly As they say, your life is ten percent about what circumstances more effective than typical age-old methods. or fate presents to you and ninety percent about how you respond to those circumstances. It is important to take this In the end, it does benefit the student. If good content can change in its stride, focus on the positives to be derived out be made available to students with technological aid, it will of it and make the best of it ! actually make both the teacher's and the student's life easier.

If students can do self-learning, specially for run-of-thewww.theknowledgereview.com

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Sharda Stationery From Corporate to Household Stationery, Sharda has it All!

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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.

he 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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India's 10 Best Service Providers to Watch in 2021

WorkForce Pro WF-C869R, SKY-DSB SKY-335R6, SKYDSB 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 that one receives advice that really gets to the heart of one’s business.

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The Co-Founder of the company, Mr. Manji Dubariya, notes: “The right product, in the right place, at the right time.” He added – “We assemble the right team for your business, drawing on our network of professionals. You receive the right product at the right time.”

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

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

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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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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Productive Sophistication

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ere’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.

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.”

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 modernday lifestyles.

“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.

“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.

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.

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.

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. T R

The Associate Director of Featherlite – Mr. Arune Chellaram – elaborated on this ‘mushrooming growth’ by JUNE 2021

-By Aditya Umale

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