Sunday, December 22, 2024

Steelbird Helmets: A Journey of Resilience and Innovation

New Delhi: Steelbird Helmets Rajeev Kapoor-Delhi resident Rajeev Kapoor’s father started Steelbird in the year 1964. Rajiv’s father started a company named Steelbird in the year 1964. Steelbird started manufacturing helmets in the year 1976. Steelbird started manufacturing rubber components in the year 1980. In the year 1990, Steelbird started manufacturing technical products. For this, Steelbird has entered into technical collaboration with a foreign company. After this, Steelbird started exporting many engineering products. Today Steelbird exports engineering products to all the helmet companies in the world.

Steelbird has its own strong research and development team due to which Steelbird exports components to leading helmet companies around the world. Steelbird was split in 2000 due to a family split. After this, by signing an agreement with an Italian company, Steelbird set up a big plant in Mayapuri to save 7 lakh helmets in a year. This factory, which was built at a cost of Rs 25 crore at that time, has today made Steelbird a leading company in the country in the field of helmets.

Abstain from work with helmet

After this, even before the helmets could be exported, a fire broke out in the lot of the company and everything went haywire. After this, Rajiv Kapoor of Steelbird again took a loan from the bank and started working again, but in the year 2005, the Italian company with which Rajiv Kapoor was working went bankrupt. Once again Rajiv came to the ground. After this, Rajiv Kapoor thought that he was not liking the helmet work, hence the helmet work should be stopped.

Engineering export business

After this Rajiv started doing engineering export business. In 2012, Rajeev again joined the helmet industry in the form of Steelbird Helmets. At present Steelbird is making 30,000 helmets daily. Steelbird’s target is to produce 10 million helmets a year. Steelbird’s turnover is expected to cross Rs 650 crore in the current financial year. The share of export market in the total business of Steelbird helmets is less than 5 percent.

Helmet making capacity increased 150 times

In the year 2012, Steelbird was making 6000 helmets every month. After that Steelbird made radical changes in its operations and started an aggressive marketing campaign. Rajeev told that he did a lot of innovation in helmets and introduced many unique helmets in the market for the first time. Steelbird was the first to introduce a ventilation helmet. After this, anti-fog helmet, night vision, helmet with visor etc. were introduced.

Steelbird is selling 125 types of helmets

After this Steelbird introduced hands free helmet. Today Steelbird has 125 types of helmets. Steelbird plans to introduce 10 new helmets next year. Rajeev told that it takes one and a half to two years to design and develop a new helmet. Along with this, it costs around Rs 2 crore to develop a new helmet.

Dedicated Research Center

Steelbird has two dedicated research and development centers in Europe and Noida. Rajiv told that many famous helmet designers of the world work in his Research and Development Center abroad. Rajeev told that Steelbird is supplying components to all the top helmet brands in the world.

Work is being done through huge network

Steelbird has created 2200 direct dealers across the country, along with this Steelbird has started more than 200 exclusive shops across the country. By 2025, Steelbird plans to open 1000 shops across the country. Steelbird helmets are sold in more than 1 lakh shops across the country. Steelbird has created its own online company which sells helmets on e-commerce channels like Amazon, Flipkart and its business has crossed Rs 100 crore annually.

Steelbird’s agreement with companies

Along with this, Steelbird has started working as OEM with companies like Hero, Honda, Yamaha, Bullet or Ola. All these companies buy products from Steelbird and sell them by putting their logo on it. Steelbird also supplies helmets to canteens for paramilitary forces like Army and CRPF. Along with this, helmets are also supplied by Steelbird for corporate purposes.

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