Some organisations are built on strong foundation, thanks to the innovation and technological leadership provided by their founders. Unitop is one such company which has established leadership in evaporation and drying sytems, thanks to the vision provided by Mr. S.M. Mondkar, its founder.
Unitop has been in the forefront in recovery from waste for the past 34 years offering various projects such as heat recovery, salt recovery and caustic recovery systems.
Unitop was founded in 1974 by Mr. Mondkar, a Chemical Engineer from IIT Mumbai. He says one of the early breakthroughs was made with United Bleachers and Madura Coats in the 1980s. Mercerisers for textile mills generate dilute caustic liquor, which, if drained to effluent treatment plant, will create considerable problems in meeting the environmental standards. Caustic soda recovery plant concentrating wash liquor and using the same back in merceriser is the only feasible solution. Further, the payback period is less than 5-6 months. Today the company has a long list of customers playing a prominent role in the Indian textile industry.
The company has further expanded its base in zero effluent discharge systems by evaporation and drying of rejects of reverse osmosis systems for effluent / water. “We are the only company of our size to offer both evaporation and drying solutions, and we can claim with confidence that our efficiency parameters are the best in the market”, he says.
Having supplied more than 200 evaporation and drying plants, Unitop is in the process of setting up a new facility near Bhiwandi with a built-up area of around 60,000 sq. ft. This will have a capacity to make about 30 large sized plants per annum. Unitop has also been exporting to countries like Sri Lanka, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh and China. The company employs more than 40 engineers.
Looking into the future, Unitop is exploring possibilities with some European companies who are keen to set up JVs in India. With increasing cost of manufacturing, these companies are looking at setting up a manufacturing base in India to supply to Asian countries, for which they are looking for a reliable partner.
“The strength of Unitop is our clientele who is satisfied with our innovative design, quick deliveries and committed service. Of course, our sales force is not adequate to handle the business volume. However, with its co-ordinated efforts, it relies on the strong references made by our valued customers. This accounts for the superior quality of products and services offered”, adds Mr. Mondkar.