By Nabamita Mitra &
Willie Gordon Suting
The numerous natural springs gurgling through the crevices on the hills had always been the source of purest drinking water for people in Meghalaya. But with urbanisation and an uncontrolled growth in population and subsequent problems of pollution, embracing technology for the convenience of city dwellers became imperative.
Wendarly Marwein, who was born and brought up amid the picturesque meadows and hills of West Khasi Hills, found it difficult to forget the roots and the locals’ deep connect with nature. “There is no denying that we need technology. But there should be some honesty and purity in the end product and I have always wondered how to deliver a thing like that,” reflects Marwein, the owner of Marwein Group of Industries that produces bottled water under the brand name Um Rupa.
Um Rupa, which was launched last July, is the result of Marwein’s thirst for adventure and efforts to bring nature closer to the straying indigenous populace. It is the first local brand of bottled water in West Khasi Hills.
The 57-year-old entrepreneur, who started his career as a tailor, says unlike other brands in the market, Um Rupa, which translates in English as “precious water”, reflects the indigenous way of life. “The source of water is a spring up the hill nearby,” he says as he points at a hill from the window of his office at Kynshi in Mawthadraishan C&RD block, West Khasi Hills.
Marwein’s inspiration, however, came from his numerous visits to water purification factories in the southern tech city of Bengaluru where his son Victor Nongsiej was searching for an MBBS college.
“During my visits to these plants, I was surprised to see the technology they were using. Meghalaya lacked it,” says Marwein.
This drove Marwein, then working as a road contractor, to turn to the next chapter of his life as an entrepreneur. For someone who has spent his life in a quaint hamlet, Tihnongbah, amid the green and the pure, it was a natural thought to use the existing technology to reinvigorate the purity of the local stream water.
The inchoate idea took shape in no time and Marwein, with the help of his son Abetsing Nongsiej, who studied BBA at Sikkim Manipal Shillong and is now the managing director of the company, was studying, swung into action and started their groundwork on the internet. The father-son team got connected to Eco Water Solution Technologies Pvt Ltd. The Chennai-based company helped Marwein choose the site for the bottling plant as well as set up the machinery.
With an investment of Rs 5.4 crore till date, Marwein, who speaks only Khasi and Hindi, says the plant has latest technology and abides by the guidelines set by the Government of India. “There is a chemist and microbiologist in the plant who run regular tests of the water before and after purification,” asserts Marwein as he shows into the laboratory above the plant.
Spread over 30,000 sqft, the plant sources water from the stream, located around 150 m away, through a pipe. The water is first collected in a concrete reservoir with basic purification mechanism to strain the leaves and twigs which flow into the pipe. The water is stored in three concrete tanks of 20,000 liters each which are connected with the purification machine in the plant with pipes. The entire set-up and the quality of the product were tested by the Bureau of Indian Standards, the owner explains all these while taking his visitors from city on a tour of the plant. The plant, which has 20 workers and 12 distributors, sources plastic from registered companies in Delhi.
Marwein can also be credited for designing the logo of the brand. “I did a rough sketch with pen and later the graphic artist added colours to it,” he says with a humble smile.
Marwein informs that engineers from Eco Water Solution come every year to monitor the machines.
The plant produces 24,000 bottles of 500ml each.
“We have a monopoly in West Khasi Hills and send supply to parts of East Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills. So far, we did not resort to any advertisement or other marketing strategies because our plant does not produce enough to supply all markets. Once we expand, we will think about ways to advertise the product,” says 27-year-old Nongsiej who also looks after his father’s contract business.
The young MD informs that the company plans to expand in five years. Both Nongsiej and Marwein say the subsidies that the state government provides are negligible.
Aiborlang Lyngdoh Nonglait, a customer, says Um Rupa is in high demand in the district “because it tastes like unpolluted river water as we would get during our childhood”.
Nongsiej says though his father has the nous for business despite not having formal education, his degree in business administration has helped him understand the nuances of the trade and he helps his father with the formal documents.
Marwein, a father of 11 children, banks on his sons and daughters for taking the venture ahead. “One of my daughters Jubilee, who is a nurse, will join as manager and another son, Pipalde, will be a senior officer. It is on them to expand and extend the business in my absence,” says the concerned father.
“I have come up the stairs in life with much difficulty and after a lot of struggle I set up this plant with an intention to provide the best to my people. So my children too have to traverse the difficult path to make Um Rupa a bigger success story,” adds Marwein as he sees off his visitors at the gate.
