# Reena Varghese Kannimala
Until now, Kerala has never been heard of as being industry-friendly. Dent Care CMD is an exception to that. He declares with great pride-
"There is no other state as suitable for industries as Kerala"
Malayalis are hardworking and sincere. Therefore, he emphasizes that Kerala is a suitable environment for establishing businesses. Dent Care is an organization that has never been touched by strikes or unionism. Eighty percent of the employees here are women.
The Dent Care CMD, who takes a neutral stance no matter which political leaders visit him, says that although the industrial sector in Kerala was not at all industry-friendly in the early days, now Kerala's Industries Minister Rajiv sir is giving great encouragement to the industrialists, says John Kuriakose.
Dent Care now manufactures most of the dental products available globally.
There are over 10,000 dental labs in India alone.
Despite being highly competitive, Dent Care has reached the second position internationally because of its high quality. An example of this is the certifications of this company. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), which is an essential component that only a few dental labs have received.
"Dent care is the first in India. Also owns multiple ISO certifications, US FDA and FDA 510 (k) clearances for Dent Care. We are the first to introduce ISO certification in dentistry in India."
The pride on John Kuriakos' face when he said that.
Today, only one company can surpass Dent Care -Glide well in America.
He also explained why Dent Care is lagging behind in terms of sales:
“Our goal now is to grow Dent Care into the number one dental lab in the world by 2030."
Restrained in the face of challenges: This visionary who first brought a casting machine to India for the manufacture of dental products had to pay 200 percent import duty on it.
Fourteen times he had to go from Moovatupuzha to the Regional Industrial Office in Ernakulam for a mere fifteen percent subsidy. Even though there were documents proving that the money was paid directly to the German manufacturer through a banking transaction, the then industrial department tried to delay it for seven or eight months, suspecting irregularities. There was a group of locals who made fun of Kuryakon's son as he was from a family of madmen. The biggest challenge we faced was the trade union issues.
"When the most advanced German casting machine of that time, worth nearly eight lakhs, arrived in Muvattupuzha, the workers came as usual - they demanded a huge amount to install that machine. "
Will he who was born in fire wither in the sun? .John, his brothers and relatives installed the machine.
Who can defeat the one who is with God as a providence?
Currently, Dent Care has less than 4350 employees. John Kuriakose, who reiterates that Kerala is an industry-friendly state, makes one thing clear:
"All the facilities in the state are the same for everyone. Everyone has the same situation where people of different personalities can have different problems. Let me tell you from my 38 years of business experience, it is about how you look at problems, how you face them, how you deal with them. I am not particularly political.
When asked about dealing with problems, he said:
"Love everyone, all human beings are equal, problems will be solved when the mindset comes. Didn't Sree Narayana Guru also say that.. What is caste-human caste, what is religion-human religion, what is God-God is love"
"I am a Christian devotee. But I respect everyone. Would I want a problem for someone I love?…no…. Where there is love, there will be no problems.
Problems can be solved when the mindset of loving everyone and believing that all human beings are equal comes to mind. When someone comes to us with a need, we should be careful and think from their side. We should not use our human or financial influence to silence them without listening."
"Once, some neighbors came here complaining that there was a lot of noise from the dent care. It was post-Covid . So I didn't get angry with them, but I tested whether there was any problem on our side, whether the acoustic system to be provided there, the sound proof system is working properly, how much decimal noise is allowed to come out from here. I looked and one or two machines had that problem. I fixed it very quickly. That's their problem. It's over.'
"Another time, a group of 97 people came in a procession. Their complaint was that feces were being discharged from Dent Care. In fact, we have built an STP (sewage treatment plant) at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore. Even the water used for washing hands in our underground canteen is pumped into the STP tank at the top and purified before being used in the flush tank.
The remaining water is used to water my house opposite Dent Care. I gave a statement in the newspapers. Anyone who wants to come here can come and have a look. Instead of coming to my institution, they kept saying this for another month. Later, some people came here. Their eyes filled with tears when they saw the sewage plant system here.
This problem is everywhere. We have only one thing to do, do everything accurately and clearly. If everything is done transparently, there will be no problem."
This maturity is the light and the light of Dent Care's growth. That is, it is inspired by the Spirit of God and does what is right for the employees. If you enter Dent Care, you will understand one thing. The glow of satisfaction that shines brightly on the faces of each employee there. One thing is clear from that, there are no strikes or unionism like in ordinary companies here.
The boy who once walked six or seven kilometers to school, crying and hungry, without even being able to take ten paise in ST money, is now the light of 4,325 families. Many buses belonging to Dent Care ply all over Muvattupuzha and the surrounding areas for those employees to reach and return to the office.
John recalls the Bible verse:
" Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all else will be added to you.... "
Who else but God could be behind the success of someone who dreamed big from nothing?
"During the Covid pandemic of 2020, we faced a major financial crisis, but I took a loan of Rs. 28 crore and ensured that our employees' salaries were paid on time." The words of a businessman who considers his employees as his own family.
“Even when I bought about one and a half acres of land near the Muvattupuzha transport stand and began constructing a new building for the company, some people came rushing in with objections — saying I couldn't build a wall along the boundary of land that I had legally purchased. They claimed no lorry could be driven on the road leading to the site and even threatened to slash the tires of any vehicle that came. "
‘I went there and told them: ‘Hack me first. Then you can hack the lorry driver and cut the tires. What exactly is your problem? I bought this land. I will build my company here.”
“Even when the marble came for the company, the trade unionists raised the issue. We stood firm, got a court order, and finally the trade unionists brought it down for a decent wage. Today, Dent Care has good relations with all the trade unions.’
However, he says, Kerala is relatively better compared to states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Dent Care is also in the forefront of providing relief to those who snore. Dream-Vent is Dent Care’s own product. This product has gained huge demand in the market in the last one year.
John Kuriakose was the first in India to introduce the extensive potential of ceramics in the field of artificial teeth manufacturing through the branded crown and bridge product – “Dent Care Nova”. John Kuriakose was also committed to introducing the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technology to Indians.
He arranged for five German machines worth Rs 5 crores in his company to avoid any inconvenience to his customers who use products manufactured on German machines. This was to avoid the time delay in getting technicians from Germany for service. Currently, Dent Care's popular products are Dent Care Flux, BPS Denture, Cast Partial Denture, Dent Care Acrylic Plus/Impact/Inject/Inject Pro.
In 2014, Dent Care started using zirconia plates made of medical grade zirconia powder for its customers, which is metal-free, the safest in the human body and does not have even one percent of the risk of radiation. With this, the metal-free product ‘Dent Care Zirconia’ became a popular brand that doctors asked for and bought all over the world.
“Dent Care Zirconia’ is available in six types today. Although many other companies have introduced various zirconia blocks available under their brand internationally, they have failed in quality before John Kuriakose’s “Dent Care Zirconia”. John Kuriakose’s principle of true industry is to provide products to the users without compromising on quality. That is what makes Dent Care popular globally.
The Prince of Awards
He has received over a hundred accolades in recognition of his remarkable contributions, including one from the former president of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Among his prestigious honors are the National Oral Healthcare SUSHRUTA Award, presented by the president of India in January 2015 for his outstanding contribution to oral healthcare; the Emerging Kerala Award for Best MSME Enterprise, which he received at the Kerala Business Conclave 2013 from the Chief Minister of Kerala.
One of the goals is to establish satellite units all over India by 2030, twenty-four more in addition to the existing six, so that everything needed to make the smiles of Indians more beautiful can be achieved quickly.
Dent Care is also currently looking into acquiring dental labs in foreign countries. All this is being looked after by John Kuriakose's second son Joel. The elder son, Dr. Joshua, is one of the directors of Dent Care in Kerala. The younger ones, Job and Jonathan, are students. All of them are going into the dental field. Yes, John Kuriakose's Aswamedham continues ...for generations ...like William Colgate...
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