Water purifier makers say budget to boost domestic cos

Reverse osmosis (RO) based water purifier makers have welcomed the government's move to reduce the customs duty on import of membrane sheet and tricot.
To encourage domestic manufacturing, the government today has slashed the customs duty on import of membrane sheet and tricot from 12.5 per cent to 6 per cent, which are used to manufacture membrane, which removes ions, molecules, and larger particles from drinking water in RO system.
Commenting on the development Kent RO Systems Chairman Mahesh Gupta said: "This move would definitely help domestic manufacturers like us. It will not only revive sagging customer demand, it will also uplift business sentiments."

Meanwhile, the government in its budget proposals today also doubled the customs duty on imported units of membrane filters for household use from existing slab of 7.5 per cent to 10 per cent.
Market leader Eureka Forbes welcomed the move but said that it would not have a significant impact on the price.
"With regards to the announcement on the water filter membrane, we are yet to get the exact details, however if there are benefits that come to the industry we will be keen to pass it to the consumer to grow the market," said Eureka Forbes CEO Marzin Shroff.

He further added: "We appreciate the efforts of the government in solving the drinking water problems of India. Eureka Forbes as a market leader with our technology knowhow and available solutions will be happy to extend our support to this initiative. We welcome this move.