Gujarat - a land of opportunities. It is one State in India which has entrepreneurship running in its veins. Hardworking, faster adoption of technology and a smart vision is the backbone of Gujarat's economy. It is the only place in the world wherein there is a concentration of a particular small scale industry having 20% share in the national exports. That particular industry is the one polishing the hardest material known to man, Diamonds. It polishes 10 pieces out of 11 polished diamonds in the world. All these due to one major factor - Laser. (The term LASER is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation).

Since 1989, Dr Arvind Patel ventured into laser application; seeds of a big laser company were sown. A technology which was new and the market adaptability very limited, Sahajanand became a synonym with lasers in India. Stationed at the capital of Gujarat State, it started using wide range of lasers (YAG, Diode, CO2, Fibre, UV, etc), for varied applications such as laser cutting, marking, welding, micro machining, solar cell scribing/cutting, scanning, medical surgeries, medical stent cutting and many more, it caters to the needs of diversified Industries. In a very short span of time the company became the largest manufacturer of laser systems in India.

Diamond polishing factories started around 1960 in Surat city. It was on small cottage industry basis and stayed like that till 1990s. With the introduction of lasers, the scenario changed drastically and the industry started to boom. The total business cycle started to reduce and profits skyrocketed.

New players entered the industry and helped it to become the largest diamond polishing hub in the world. With over 90% of diamonds in the world being polished in the same area, Surat became the Diamond City of the world. At present, more than 85% of the total diamond polishing process is done by laser systems and thus each factory is able to produce more and more goods. Lasers not just increased the production but also increased its yield, lower risk of breakages, higher efficiency and better management of goods, prior judgment of the result and the possibility of Branding.

Director Mr Dinesh Patel said "We were one of the first to use diode lasers for diamond applications and also offer integrated solutions for complete automation to the Diamond processing industry. Our machines use lasers as an enabling technology to convert a rough diamond into polished diamond."

Mr Maulik Patel, Executive Director informed "We are an ISO 9001: 2008 company with over 20 patents and the first in the world to use fibre laser for cutting application. We offer complete automation as well as special purpose machines (which are customised) to various industries.

The company also has global footprint with set-up in USA, Germany, UK and China and exporting to over 21 countries such as Russia, Israel, Switzerland, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Srilanka, Thailand, Namibia, Botswana, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Dubai, Angola, Armenia, etc. In this rapidly moving world, wherein technology of today becomes obsolete tomorrow, we strive for excellence with a strong in-house multi-disciplinary R&D team consisting of research scholars, software engineers, electro-mechanical engineers and Laser specialists."

The company also manufactures instruments for radio frequency absorption, which have its application in Telecom, Defence and Space. The SLT group is also engaged in non-conventional energy, medical as well as software. The non-conventional energy involves solar heating and drying systems, water purification, solar water pumps, power generation and bio-mass briquettes - which is a coal substitute and is made from agriculture waste. The medical unit with collaboration from SLT GmbH is involved in manufacture of medical stent (EPC coated/ DES) and stem cell therapy. The group is mainly developing innovative cost effective products manufactured under strict quality standards for superior and efficient working. Thus SLT strives for excellence through empowering innovations and research.

The company takes pride as per General Manager Mr Ram Ginoya, who said "We are one of the few companies providing indigenous solutions to scientific and research institutes/government organisations in India and abroad. We are bestowed with numerous awards by national and international governments/institutes. These include an international award for World Quality Commitment, national awards for Innovation in Technology, Entrepreneur of the Year, Export Excellence, Outstanding in-house R&D, Excellence in Electronics, Dr Vikram Sarabhai Award as well as the latest award received on May 11, 2011 (World Technology Day), a national award from former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam for R& D efforts in the industry."

(Sahajanand Laser Technology Ltd,
Gandhinagar Gujarat.
Tel: 079-23287461-68.
Fax: 91-79-23287470. Email: marketing@sahajanandlaser.com)