A serial entrepreneur and founder of Warrier Electronics, Rohit Warrier is a passionate person driven to bring a positive change in every industry he touches. Having brought to light the importance of fire suppression and security with Warrier Fire and Warrier Sicura, he has now turned his attention to oral hygiene. His innate drive to innovate coupled with his hospitality background fired the idea of relooking at oral hygiene in a novel way that found expression in Sippline – a protective shield between your lips and the rim of the glass. It ensures no matter where you drink & what you drink lips touch a sterile, clean surface. Designed for Glassware, Sippline is likely to change the way people enjoy a drink out of their homes.

Excellence, innovation, integrity, and respect are the pillars that he leans on to run his business. Being a people person, he is a firm believer in the potential of his employees to deliver excellence time & again. He often says “a company is as good as its people; our excellence is a reflection of their efforts”!

An IHM graduate, with a diploma in Fire Industrial & Safety engineering, and 12+years of experience under his belt, of which 10+years have gone into forming & leading organizations, Rohit is an avid reader and loves music. On the personal side, Rohit is all set to take a new plunge and explore skydiving.

Our Reporter Priya Bharti got a chance to speak with him. 

Excerpts of the conversation 

1. Hello Rohit! It’s a pleasure interacting with a person who has not limited himself with just one start-up idea but is a serial entrepreneur. You have dipped your hands in various fields like Warrier Electronics, WEFIRE, and Warrier Sicura, what attracted you to these ideas?

Ans. I did my graduation in Hotel Management from IHM Chennai. In fact, my 11th and 12th (Junior college) streams were also Bakery and Confectionery. I was selected in Bose Corporation through campus selection in IHM Chennai. From Bose, I moved to a BPL group company called PROFX. While I was in PROFX, I gained knowledge about fire alarm and security systems through my distributors. Naturally with this knowledge, when I decided to start my own business, it had to be something from what I was doing. Initially, automatic fire suppression systems were one of the services our business offered. Over time as we grew, we took stock of what works and what doesn’t, and decided to do only fire suppression and that too only critical equipment fire suppression systems while moving away from fire alarm and security systems.

2. A diploma in Fire Industrial & Safety engineering is a scarcely known area of expertise. Do you taking up this course shows your interest in societal responsibilities?

Ans. It is always nice and advantageous to back yourself up with a professional course in the field of your operation. Thus the course. Fire safety is a challenging field that requires a great deal of responsibility and professionalism. Indian market is still very lenient when it comes to the safety of any kind and I took that up as a challenge to change the mindset. We specialize in CNC machine fire suppression and Kitchen hood fire suppression systems. In both of these verticals, we have had a special role throughout the last decade by first educating people about its importance and now being one of the leading companies in India to provide a reliable fire suppression solution; especially for CNC Machines.

3. In the last two years, we strive to live a healthier and sanitised lifestyle. We have changed not only the way we greet but also the way we eat, drink and live. But society already had straws for it. Then how is Sippline, the revolutionary drinking shield different?

Ans. Sippline® addresses the very same concern that Straw addresses. It avoids lips touching the glass rim, thus preventing possible cross-contamination. Sippline® outperforms straws on many accounts. One it is sterilized so you are very sure that your lips are touching a clean surface whereas straws are not, Two it works for all types of beverages hot or cold, three unlike paper straws it does not get soggy. Fourth, it does not impact the taste or fragrance of the drink. Lastly, it is reusable; with its own Ziplock carry pouch and wet wipes, you can carry it every time you step out of home and be assured of a hygienic beverage drinking experience. Not to forget the environmental impact of single-use plastic straws; thus Sippline is the perfect replacement for straws.

What are the specific features that Sipplineoffers?

Sippline® Safety:
• Sterilized and free of disease-causing bacteria
• Avoids cross-contamination
• Enhances personal hygiene
Sippline® Style:
• Smooth finish to replicate the feel of glass/ cup
• Multiple color choices for differentiation within family members or suit your style
Quality:
• Food grade material
• Heat resistant
• Reusable (by the same individual)
• Recyclable
• Odorless
• Dishwasher friendly
• Non-Toxic BPA free (Bisphenol A)
Packaging:
• Medical grade sterilized packaging
• Special inks on packaging for Sterilization Identification via color-sensitive strip

4. Initially, while stepping in the market with such an innovation, what challenges came your way, and how did you handle them?

Ans. The concept of a hygienic drinking shield is the first of its kind in the world, while the problem has been faced across. Educating people and creating awareness has been our biggest challenge. We have been doing awareness campaigns alongside hotels during brunch or dinner by offering free Sippline’s for the guest to experience.
While the product was ready a couple of years back and the project was on the back burner it was COVID that brought us back to focus on it. Never was the time when hygiene was such a need and focus. So backed by My & my team’s conviction and the response to our sample testing we introduced the product to the market. We realize it’s a habit-changing product and we all know that is an uphill task, It is also the second biggest challenge we face, thus Sippline will require constant education, the creation of awareness, and a network that makes the product availability easy and intuitive.

5. Straws have been a constant and affordable provision for people concerning oral hygiene. How does Sippline make it affordable to its users?

Ans. Our ultimate goal is for the hotels to offer it to their guest, whereby it comes at no additional cost for the guest to use it. Currently available for purchase online @ Rs 99 for a pack of 3. The price becomes negligible over the period of its re-use

6. As Sippline aims to cater to people across the globe, how do you ensure its availability outperforms straws and provides a better way to drink?

Ans. This is one of the key things and SOPs are being defined as the product is getting increased traction in the market. Needless to say, we will get into licensing, contract manufacturing to cater to the needs across the globe.

7.  What are your future plans for sustainable development?

We are exploring options to manufacture Sippline using organic sources. We are also exploring to make Sippline bio-degradable. We already have a successful prototype using Silicon, however not been launched yet.

Interview By Priya Bharti