Kapil Sachdev's Toshi Automation & Smartroof top automation companies in India

A visit to the Ghaziabad based Head Office of Toshi Automation Solutions (TAS) feels almost like what Alice must have felt on her trip to Wonderland. All those automated doors, automated sanitizer and soap dispensers, automated flushers and urinals in the rest rooms, automated roof, pergola and awnings, and scores of other automated products installed for demo make you feel as if you are in some magic world. It is no wonder that Toshi Automation Solutions is considered to be the best automation company in India.

Kapil Sachdev, an automation industry veteran and the founder of Toshi Automation Solutions (www.toshiautomation.com), leads the firm as its CEO. His wife and business partner, Reema Sachdev planned for and designed TAS head office in a manner that showcases its products in the best possible light and wow their prospective customers.

It was more than three decades ago, when a young undergraduate from Ghaziabad, barely in his late teens, used to travel to his mentors office in West Delhi just to learn the basics of automation. After spending hours in the workshop, he was sent into the field to various client sites in NCR. Quite a few times every week he ended up travelling more than 200 km in a day, going from one site to the other on his scooter, and then back to office before finally going back home. Kapil never complained and made sure that he was never late for an appointment.

“After spending over a year at my mentor’s tutelage, I asked for his blessings to set up my own automation business. I promised him that my venture will never compete with his and we don’t even today. That was the guru dakshina to my mentor for the knowledge that helped me start out on my own,” shares Kapil on how he came about setting up his own business.

Being really close to his mother, Kapil chose her name, Toshi, to be the brand name for his venture. With his hard work, the brand saw a meteoric rise within the first couple of years and Kapil’s elder brother also joined the business to help with its expansion. With his family by the side, Kapil decided to reach out to globally known brands in the automation business and bring their technology and proven automation products to India.

Over the next decade, Kapil built multiple partnerships with major global automation companies including Dynaco (Belgium), RIB (Italy), PAW (Turkey), Dortex (Taiwan), etc. Kapil has also trained with specialists from Belgium,Italy, Spain and Turkey to have hands-on experience on every product that TAS deals with. His vision and hard work have enabled TAS to emerge as the No.1 Automation Brand in India and win the trust and confidence of its hundreds of customers.

Seeing the growing popularity of ecommerce, Kapil took TAS online in a big way in the year 2010. it became the first Automation company in India that made its entire range of automation products available online on its exclusive ecommerce shop https://shop.toshiautomation.com. This initiative further consolidated the position of Toshi Automation Solutions’ among the best automation companies in India.

Today TAS has clients and an extensive dealership network spread across the length and breadth of the country. It offers an extensive product range across several different verticals.

“The High Speed Doors that we offer to our customers are very much appreciated for their build quality, dependable performance, innovative features and low maintenance by all our clients from the Industrial sector,” says Kapil talking about the most popular product of TAS.

Toshi offers Entrance Automation solutions including Automatic Sliding Doors, Automatic Platform Screen Doors, Automatic Swing Doors, Automatic Garage Doors & Shutters, Automatic Boom Barriers etc.

Toshi also offers Secured Entrance Automation solutions that include Anti-crash Secured Barriers, Security Turnstiles, Smart Security Flap Barriers, Spike Tyre Busters/Killers, Road Blockers & Bollard Systems, Parking Management Systems etc.

Toshi’s range of Hygiene Automation products includes Contactless Automatic Soap & Sanitizer Dispensers, Sensor Taps, Automatic Hand Dryers, Urinal & Flusher Sensors, Recess Panels and more.

“You can see Toshi brands’ Boom Barriers installed at hundreds of Toll Plazas and commercial parking spaces. Our barriers, bollards and tyre killers can be seen as the first defence system installed in several high profile government buildings including courts and several embassies. Our sensor taps, urinals and flushers can be seen in the rest rooms of hundreds of restaurants and hotels and even embassies,” says Kapil with obvious pride in his voice.

And he has every reason to be proud as he has built a national brand from the ground up and achieved unparalleled and sustainable success for his brand. Kapil’s deep insights into the automation industry in India are legendary, as are his business ethics and absolute focus on the satisfaction of his customers and employees.

Currently, Kapil is working on building awareness amongst the end consumers how automated products offered by Toshi Automation Solutions  can help them avoid infections in workplaces and even homes. “Our Hygiene Automation range is a game changer and fast gaining popularity as a safeguard against COVID-19 infections in workplaces. We’re doing our bit to help Unlock the Indian economy and get it back on the path of growth,” he says.

Kapil Sachdev’s second business venture, Smartroof (www.smartroof.in) is an automation brand focused on automatic roofs, retractable pergolas, and awning systems meant to add a dash of style and luxury to open spaces in people’s homes, gardens and terraces. He bought this company to help the family of a deceased friend and has transformed it into a nationally recognised brand since.

“While I primarily bought Smartroof to help my friend’s family, the decision also made business sense. We’ve already been in the automation business for decades and Smartroof adds yet another dimension to it. Smartroof’s premium products stand for unparalleled luxury, remarkable craftsmanship, and exceptional quality. The brand is highly customer oriented and aims to win and retain their loyalty by delivering them real value,” says Kapil.

Today, both Toshi Automation Solutions and Smartroof are considered to be among the most valuable brands in the Automation Industry in India and Kapil attributes their success to his team and the support from his family.

Extroverted, strong willed and passionate about his work, Kapil enjoys travelling, meeting new people and trying different cuisines. It is remarkable that even with so much happening on the business and personal fronts, Kapil still finds time to get involved with social activities.

Kapil also works with an NGO, Utthan Samiti as its Deputy Director and takes keen interest in its various programs. Being a nationalist, Kapil took charge of one of Utthan India’s campaigns and made sure that his city hoisted the highest Flag on a stainless steel pole of 111 ft height at Central Park, Rajnagar, Ghaziabad on Republic Day, Jan 26, 2018. Team building activities and blood donation and free health checkup camps are also conducted regularly at TAS.

No wonder then, Kapil has a crazy schedule that he breaks up in a very interesting manner. “I am up and about for 16-18 hours a day. I try to divide my time between my work and my family and be fair to both. I also like to spend a couple of hours reading online articles on personal growth for a better perspective. I find time to read while commuting and even in between meetings. If you ask my wife, she’d probably say it’s the other way round and that I find time for everything else in between my work as I am rarely found without my phone or laptop,” concludes Kapil with a huge smile on his face.

We can’t help but smile ourselves and wish that there were more such people with so much positive energy. A self-made tech-entrepreneur and a seasoned business leader who cares for the society and his nation. Men like Kapil Sachdev are rays of hope for our future generation.

In the end, we’d like to share a quote from Kapil - No dream is too big if you can work hard for it. He sure has proved this many times over the years.

Disclaimer: The views, suggestions and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Forbes India journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.