At a time when air quality in several cities in the world is plummeting, a Canadian startup, which recently finished a stint in Hyderabad, is seeking to bring about innovations in respiratory products.
Speaking to The Hindu at the recently-concluded Global Bridge: Canada-India programme, O2 Canada co-founder Richard Szasz said the startup, which has developed a high quality air-filtration mask, has now set its sights on the Indian market.
Price-sensitive market
While the O2 Curve mask, that was tested at the University of Waterloo, Canada, costs $60, the price-sensitive market in India demands a high quality product, but at a lesser price.
“We have local partners here and we are working on localising production to reduce cost,” Mr. Szasz said. The three-month period at T-Hub, which began last October, has enabled the company to learn from and understand the Indian market better.
Explaining how the Indian market is different from others, he said, “There is a need for education in the Indian market about poor air quality. India has cities that have recorded one of the highest air pollution levels. There is a need to understand its hazards,” he said.
Touching upon the experience in Hyderabad, Mr. Szaz said, “We didn’t know what to expect, but it was amazing to be here”.
The company, he said, was mentored and exposed to the nuances of the Indian market. While the product was launched around six months ago, the company claims it has so far sold 10,000 units.
O2 Canada has a presence and distribution networks in 15 countries, including Malaysia, South Korea and Canada, but China is its largest market.
The founders are now looking at the West Asian markets for expansion.
