Page 22 - ITLN MAY-JUNE 2022 for Magzter

Interview
Rajat Gupta

What kind of temperature-regulating as delivery times were vague and no set
innovations or energy storing This is the time for parameters were in place. Long story
devices were used to store the us to make a mark short, we now have a capacity of around
vaccines around Covid-19? 2.5 million pieces a month.
Our thermal battery technology is because the market
essentially a way of storing energy looks ripe. Our simple What are some of the challenges
in a liquid that converts into a solid mantra for whatever we while designing a PCM product?
and then back into a liquid and then make is based on three I think the primary objective lies in
releases energy. So, this is the core of primary principles – defining the customer’s requirement.
our solutions. The only difference is that viability, reliability, and The biggest challenge for us is to
depending upon the application; target rationalise their requirement and bring it
temperatures could be different. Like sustainability. Given the to a point where we consider budget and
chocolate could be between 15 and 25 phase we are in, I think product suitability. Then we start building
degrees Celsius, we would need -18 this is the right time for a product or a budget and circle back to
degrees Celsius for ice cream; however, us to invest on them with the logistics method they need
for a vaccine temperatures need to all fronts. to use to make the supply chain viable.
be at about 2-6 degrees Celsius. So, It's essentially a close development you
all these different chemicals that we need to have with the customer to see
use have formulations with different when people said they deliver food the logistics aspect. We then have to play
encapsulations. Each of those can along with dessert. If you put piping hot with different temperatures and different
maintain the temperature in the desired food together with dessert, it tends to installations, packaging, products or
range for a certain period. Though the melt. Similar problems came in from materials and then repeat testing. We
form and shape of the invention may be ice cream customers performing home work closely with the customers and
different, the core technology is the same. deliveries. When we started building give them different options at different
the product, the primary challenge was temperatures to choose what is best. It’s
How much of your funding and meeting the price point. Nobody was a highly inclusive development process.
investment goes into R&D? willing to pay a hefty amount for this
Most of our work is centred around even though it could perform well. So, What is the Tessol blueprint for the
application engineering and we innovated on the chemicals and built future?
development. Customers often specific cost-effective formulations. This is the time for us to make a mark
approach us with specific requirements, because the market looks ripe. Our
as per their route and delivery needs. How was the product received in the simple mantra for whatever we make
Most of our designs demand application market? is based on three primary principles –
engineering. So, about 30% of our team Once built, we started with around 40 viability, reliability, and sustainability.
is involved in application engineering brands in April 2021. We sent out all Given the phase we are in, I think this
and design development. the samples, but before we could get is the right time for us to invest on
For customisation, we group any response, the second Covid wave all fronts. We are looking to invest in
similar modules together as per need. stuck. Then, a well-known e-commerce infrastructure and boost manufacturing
Solutions come at a modular level, brand validated it and started using capacity, and we also want to invest
and customers can pick and choose it for home deliveries. We had limited in sales and marketing and the
different modules and put them capacity when we started with only about international market.
together. Sometimes, we need to build 1.5 lakh pieces a month. The birth order
new modules, and that's where the was about 2 lakh pieces a month. After Do you have any plans to go
difference between development and that, the next customer placed an order international?
application engineering comes in. for about 5 lakh pieces. Back then, we We've already started a few exports
Let's talk about one of your latest didn't have the capacity even to produce and carried out work in Nigeria and
offerings – the Indiwrap. Can you tell it. We started adding the manufacturing Saudi Arabia. Currently, we’re exploring
me a little about the journey around infrastructure, which was a big challenge options with some customers in the US
designing the product? and Singapore markets. There has been
It came about after conversations initial outreach from our side to evaluate
with some of our hyperlocal customers. how the market receives our products
They had delivery boys who would go to and explore customer requirements.
a place but wouldn't necessarily return Feedback has been positive, and we've
to the same site again. These hyperlocal already made some sales. Now, we'll
customers did not want to send any have to build both sales and marketing
assets which may not capability dedicatedly and production
come back. Secondly, certification capability to address these
this became an markets. That's something that we plan
exciting requirement to do this year. 
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