Automatic Sanitary Pad making machine – SWACHH 3.0 | Saral Designs

Unparalleled work satisfaction keeps us going even during the pandemic!
Mr Abhijit Patil, the head of the operations department at Saral Designs, shares
his experience of working on the mask making machine and the challenges
posed due to the lockdown. “It was the honest efforts and dedication of each one
in the team that lead to the success of this project,” he says proudly, as we
discuss the process and his contribution to this project.
What is your role in the organization?
I am heading the operations department, in which we look after the distribution
and after-sales service. Timely delivery of the machine to the client,
manufacturing quality supervision, installation of the machine at client place, the
supply of raw material to the client and the after-sales service and maintenance
are some of the tasks I am responsible for along with my team.
What was your reaction to the first lockdown, and did you think it will affect
your job?
I did not expect the magnitude of the pandemic and resulting lockdown to be this
huge. Honestly, I thought it would be a matter of a couple of months. But the
thought of losing my job did not touch my mind because we had a few projects in
the pipeline and manufacturing of sanitary pads (which was the primary focus)
comes under essential services. So, no matter what happens, the production and
sales cannot stop. We heaved a sigh of relief at our luck! As for the lockdown,
our company had switched to work from home before the official lockdown was
declared. Hence, we were prepared for the coming restrictions and changes in
the method of working.

How was the decision of developing a mask-making machine taken?
The impulse to move beyond the sanitary pads making machine had touched us
for a long time. I coordinate with the existing clientele, and they all were
suggesting we make some modifications and upgrade our machines. But it was
only during the lockdown that the project of making a mask-making machine
began. Due to the pandemic, the enquiries for a mask-making machine had
started to flood in from our existing as well as new clients, in addition to the
sanitary pads making machine. The decision did not come as a surprise, but the
execution was challenging for all the departments.
Since the nature of your work is outdoor, what difficulties did you face due
to the restrictions on mobility?
During the lockdown, I managed most of the work from home with the strong
support of my team. At that time, the operations team had ten people working in
it. We have expanded the team now. But during this project, everyone
coordinated really well, and only about 10% of the work had to be done on-site or
in the office.
How was your experience of working from home?
At that time, we did not have an option but to continue working from home. So
whether or not we prefer it was out of the question. What I found difficult was the
switch between work and personal life while being at home all the time. Usually,
when I leave the office, I try not to take work home so that the balance can be
maintained. But when you are at home all day, it is tough to adhere to that axiom.

What kept you motivated to work during the pandemic?
The fact that we still had work while a lot of people lost their jobs made me feel
very fortunate. To add to it, the project we had was beneficial for the society,
which provided a sense of satisfaction that while people are just sitting idle at
home, we are actually doing something meaningful. That kept me going.
Do you have any experience to share when a colleague had to go out of
their way to keep the work going?
I remember, on the very first day of working at Mahindra, we were all in full
coverage PPE suits. It was the birthday of one of our teammates. Now
considering how birthdays are celebrated these days and how excited everyone
is on their birthdays, the conditions there were really not favorable. But he
seemed to have forgotten all about his birthday and still worked with the rest of
us. All of us had to make some compromises to adjust to the prevalent
circumstances but it was the dedication of each team member that made this
project a huge success!
Would like to share similar experiences when you went out of the way to
support a colleague?
The mask making machine was an entirely new experience for all of us. It posed
before us questions like where to procure the raw material from since the
factories were closed and the regular vendors could not provide us with the
material. It was quite stressful, and a lot of calls were made, but still, we did not
manage to get the raw material. One day I just told Kartik that I would get the raw
material in the next five days. I did not know how I was going to do that, but I
used all my sources and firmly believed that I could do it. Much to my and
everyone’s surprise, I managed to get the raw material within those five days.
Describe your experience of working with Saral Designs in one sentence.
A career with a cause.
Author: Dhruti GanatraBusiness Development
Manager, Saral Designs
Dhruti is Marketing Professional with a Master’s degree in marketing. She has
worked in sales and marketing in India and as well the United States and has her
bachelor’s in commerce.
Her previous work and internship experience include working with companies like
ICICI Bank Ltd, ACG Group, Jio Studios (now Jio Creative Labs) and for a

Veteran Owned startup supported by the Bunker labs in The United States. She
has been a part of various social campaigns which involved awareness about
Breast cancer, Swacch Bharat Abhiyan etc.