"I
had divested my earlier ventures and invested the funds in Koochie Play. It was
a massive risk, considering that most people did not even know what we were
talking about," Thus, the biggest challenge the team faced was in
educating people why standardized, safety-certified equipment is needed for a
playground. – Said Roben Dass, Chairman and Managing
Director, Koochie Global.
1. As you were the
Serial entrepreneur, what tuned you to close all your ventures and invest the
fund in koochie play, isn't it was it a massive risk?
Big ideas almost always start out as small answers to the
question of “what if?” What if this isn’t what it seems to be? What if we took
a gamble, a risk perhaps? What if we tried it a different way? Even if you look
at big ideas that seemingly began with the effort to revolutionize an industry,
or the world itself, you can trace it back to one smaller instance of a smaller
idea. Let me illustrate-The iPhone began as a response to the question of “what
if the iPod could make calls too?”
Being an entrepreneur itself involves a fair amount of risk
taking! Yes, as I evolved along with each of the businesses I ran successfully
I was inspired to do things bigger and better. At every juncture as we continue
to grow, I take a pause to reflect, critically evaluate and assimilate the
vision of this company.
That’s also how Koochie began ... on my quest for providing a
stimulating environment, a safe play space for my own child.
It was by chance that I accompanied my little son some years
ago to the local park in the area to play. He could barely reach the handrails
so as to climb the steps of the slide and the surface finish of the slide was
extremely abrasive and a potential threat. It was then that I decided to take
the plunge into the playground industry and raise the bar of quality and
‘change the way the world plays’.
At every juncture as we continue to grow, I take a pause to
reflect, critically evaluate and assimilate the vision of this company.
2. How successful is
Koochie Play when it comes to kids’ safety, and what all safety precaution you
take while setting a playground for Kids?
As an organization, at every step we seek to be aligned and sensitized
to the needs of society. Children play intuitively and are constantly exploring
different ways to play and learn. Some do this with caution, while others
continually seek out new challenges. Either way, a child’s right to explore,
play and discover is something that as providers and caregivers we must ensure.
We are proud to be the only brand on the Indian Sub-Continent
to have had its products tested and certified by the prestigious EN 1176,
EN1177, EN16630 certifications (the highest safety certification given to
playground & outdoor fitness equipment in Europe), and the AS 4685 &
NZS 4486 (Australia & New Zealand’s safety certifications). All our
certifications are only verified by reputed, notified bodies such as TUV.
Every Koochie Play System is planned, developed and executed
by a specialized team with extensive and unparalleled skills. The design
component is aided by constant R&D to ensure all International Standards
are met in terms of feasibility, aesthetics, product life and most importantly
– CHILD SAFETY.
3. What is the success
rate of Koochie global as compare to its competitors?
Success is relative. There is no universal definition of
success, so why does the world keep trying to quantify what it is. We identify
ourselves with our very own yardsticks of ‘success’ and attempt to get better
and better at ‘what’ we do and ‘how’ we
do - this comes from a clear perspective and clarity of ‘why’ we do the things
we do . This is embodied in our vision, our words and actions as well. Koochie
today is the most specified brand in the industry purely because of its
consistent deliverance of great design quality and after sales service. Globally, we are the fastest growing brand in
its space, our product and brand verticals are exhaustive and covers all
segments of the markets besides also offering a many solutions under one roof. We are our very own critics, the toughest
ones at that and we lay the benchmarks for success!
4. What major
challenges does Koochie Global faced in India?
Play is a legitimate right of childhood and the benefits in
promoting learning are well established. Play safe is our mantra.
It continues to be our constant endeavor to educate the
market of the value of implementing safety standards in children’s play
equipment. We strive to spread the concept of child safety in a market that has
no regulated or registered body to control or monitor safety standards for
equipment in India unlike other countries in the world.
Ignorance is not an excuse where child safety is concerned.
It is paramount and an undisputed premise, a non-negotiable aspect for our
children.
5. What are your
expansion plans for tier-2 cities?
We have already entered tier 2 cities, some of which are part
of the Smart City initiative. We are
happy to share our design expertise as well as technical know-how on modern and
fast track installation methods that we have adopted globally.
We have also started reaching out to tier 3 cities to mould
that nascent market on the concept of child safety.
Children everywhere deserve access to safe play experiences
which we seek to provide at all levels.
6. In how many
countries Koochie Global is serving currently?
We are currently present across 12 countries globally and
have 20 locations across the globe. We are proud to share that we maintain a
track record of expanding to a new country every year. We continue to work
relentlessly towards our goal of changing the way this world plays.
Reports
Shweta Sharma
