When the Safety Appliances Manufacturers Association (SAMA) decided to honour me with a Lifetime Achievement Award, I was genuinely overwhelmed. It’s not every day that you get to look back on more than five decades of work and see it recognized in such a meaningful way. Standing on that stage, surrounded by colleagues, friends, and industry pioneers, I felt both proud and humbled.

This award isn’t just about me, it’s a celebration of a journey that began more than half a century ago and of the people, challenges, and small victories that shaped it.

The Beginning: Canada, Curiosity, and a Calling

My story really began in 1964, when I left India for Canada to study Industrial Engineering. Between classes and late-night projects, I worked at Canadian Allis Chalmers on hydraulic turbines and later at Rolls Royce in the field of aeronautics and aerodynamics. Those years (1964–1970) taught me how to think like an engineer, but more importantly, how to solve problems that could save lives.

On my way back home, I stopped in Germany to visit Dräger, a partner who would go on to work with us for over five decades. That visit planted the seeds for something bigger. Together, we began developing respiratory protection devices, the kind you now see across the Indian market. That was my first taste of how technology and collaboration could directly protect people.

The Early Days of SAMA

Back in India, I had the privilege of working alongside the pioneers who founded SAMA in 1969—Joseph Leslie Vaz, Madhukar Shroff, Mr. Kant, and Fida Hussein. We were a small group with a big mission: to create a professional association that could raise the standards of safety across the country.

We worked closely with the Central Labour Institute and the National Safety Council, setting up guidelines and developing standards for products like Emergency Eye/Face Washes, Gas Detection Systems, and Breathing Air Systems. At the time, these were new ideas. Today, they’re industry norms. Watching that transformation unfold has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.

Innovation in the Service of Life

Over the years, my team and I have had the privilege of working on projects that pushed boundaries. We developed Filter Self-Rescuers and supplied Dräger with Closed-Circuit Oxygen Breathing Apparatus for miners— equipment that has protected thousands from carbon monoxide. We supplied High-Altitude Oxygen Breathing Apparatus to the Indian Army, helping jawans survive the extreme conditions of Kargil.

One project especially close to my heart was the Artificial Lung Simulator, the first of its kind in India, used to test breathing apparatus for mining safety. And for more than two decades, we’ve designed Firefighting Training Simulators for the Oil & Gas industry, the Ministry of Defence, and even the Indian Navy, including a one-of-a-kind Submarine Firefighting Simulator built with over 85% indigenous content.

Each of these innovations carried a single goal: to save lives.

Moments of Pride and Challenge

One of the proudest moments of my career was when we were awarded the Defence Minister’s Prize for indigenizing gas masks and filters for NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) warfare. We managed to develop these products at one-third the cost of imported equipment, without compromising on quality. It wasn’t easy, this was highly complex technology, but seeing our soldiers equipped with life-saving gear made every late night worth it.

Looking Ahead

Today, I watch with pride as the next generation takes the business forward in an increasingly competitive world. India’s safety industry has grown in ways I couldn’t have imagined back in the 1970s. Standards have improved across construction, oil & gas, petrochemicals, and beyond.

It’s exciting and comforting to see how far we’ve come as a country. 

My message to those carrying the torch is simple:

Never forget that we are in the business of saving lives. Develop and market only the best quality products. Never compromise. Never shy away from speaking up. And never back down in your commitment to valuing human life.