Pune's KNT Creations was found out of the passion and professional knowledge of the Tumne brothers who decided that the time had come to cater to the demand for garden artefacts, more particularly artificial rocks.

Would you believe someone who told you that their company had sent an entire volcano to the United States? It would seem so preposterous! And yet, the Tumne brothers in Pune aren't lying or trying to be funny when they say this. That's because it's normal business for KNT Creations to create structures out of artificial rocks and export them to various countries as also sell them in the domestic market. Quite an innovative line of manufacturing, the creation of rocks and other artefacts made out of fibre reinforcement plastic (FRP) finds a growing demand for use in gardens and public displays. For example, the company has worked on a Danish project titled 'Dawn of the Human Spirit' to make prehistoric dwellings such as caves and tee-pees from across six continents, among many other such specific assignments.

The story, however, begins in the early nineties when Kedar Tumne earned a British scholarship to study in Scotland's Strathclyde University. After finishing his course in polymer engineering, Kedar was faced with two options: either continue to stay in Scotland or even go the UK to take up a lucrative job or else return to India. And like the protagonist of the film 'Swades', he chose the second route. Fired by the entrepreneurial spirit, Kedar started to work on developing processes to mould FRP for producing various artefacts, which, he believed then, would definitely find buyers. His background in chemical sciences helped a lot and eventually Kedar hit upon making artificial rocks.

With his brother Nihar, who had finished his mechanical engineering, joining him, the Tumnes started a company in 1997 called Fiberol, which was later renamed KNT Creations. The company began operations as a manufacturer, wholesaler and exporter of the finest and the most diverse range of garden decoration products. Fibreglass planters, garden planter pots and artificial rocks make up this range of products. Of these, artificial rocks make for one of the mainstays. Made in different specifications, they are weather-resistant and natural in their looks and are extensively used for decorating garden areas of hotels, resorts and homes.

Explaining the process of making these rocks, Kedar says, "The mould used for creating the rocks is prepared using a natural rock to achieve the exact details. This is a Herculean task, as one has to source a variety of rocks from different places, including from places high up in the mountains. The search for a particular kind of rock could take days, especially so if the customer wants it for a specific reason. The mould creation is just one small process; adding the natural look is the most critical task. We use several naturally occurring materials like stone powder, powdered glass, various fossils and natural colours to top coat the artificial rocks. The good part is that these rocks begin to look increasingly natural as they weather with time. Particular care has to be taken with the fading process because that is what imparts the natural look."

With the spiralling demand for artificial waterfalls in bungalow gardens, farmhouses and even on the sprawling premises of industries, FRP planters and rocks have come into vogue and KNT Creations has emerged as one of the largest suppliers of these unique products. "We achieved international recognition after our Danish order in 2001 for which we went to great lengths to source the perfect kind of rocks from across various continents. The effort taken was widely appreciated," Nihar says.

To come back to the volcano project, it was a wonderful experience for the brothers and their team because they were up against competition from Chinese companies that have had a head start over them. Till date, the company has developed multiple FRP-based products for projects in the USA and Europe, including Scandinavian countries. Even international giants like Disney have shown interest in their creations.

Along the way, the company has kept adding to its product portfolio through experimentation and innovation. As for example, Buddha statues. "It finds a demand for the purpose of both decoration and to increase the spiritual quotient of a home or office. It is manufactured in compliance with industrial norms and guidelines, using the finest raw materials. Moreover, it has a very long life with no deterioration in quality," Kedar informs. Some of such other additions include natural garden ponds for fish and water plants as also artefacts made out of artificial bamboo.

KNT Creations has also been doing its social bit by providing employment opportunities to the semi-skilled from various strata of society. Elaborating, Kedar states: "Once the FRP process is optimised, the manufacturing is more skill-driven and does not require formal education. We provide training to those who display an aptitude for this process. In fact, any able-bodied person can learn this art of creating artefacts out of FRP." Therefore, the company is now embarking on an ambitious plan to set up small manufacturing units in rural settings for creating job opportunities, especially for women.

Confident of future growth because of the vast potential for marketing their products across the globe, the company operates with just a 25-member team and yet has managed to attract laurels for their amazing products. The latest addition to their trophy cabinet has come from Netherlands-based Centre for Promotion of Business from Developing Countries, which has selected the company for a five-year business engagement program. As Kedar looks back on how the entire journey has shaped up, he feels good about having chosen to return home. "It was a risk well taken," he says.

Contact: KNT Creations India Pvt Ltd, Pune 411 030. Tel: 08447549055. Email: sales@kntcreations.com.