How this second-generation Noida SME is building a global edge in home improvement exports

As India's manufacturing sector pushes towards higher-value exports, Noida-based KSP Inc. offers a glimpse of how traditional family-run businesses are reinventing themselves through automation, integrated manufacturing and technology. Built over three generations, the company, which operates in the home improvement market, has embraced digital transformation while staying true to its legacy. Founded in 1987 by Puneet Bery as a traditional export unit, KSP Inc. has since evolved into a more system-driven manufacturing enterprise.

A visit to the company's Noida manufacturing facility offers a glimpse of that strategic shift. Inside its 350,000 sq. ft vertically integrated complex, automated lines produce a wide range of export-bound home improvement goods, from fire pits and fireplace tools to garden décor and storage solutions. It reflects how India’s MSMEs are leveraging automation and integrated operations to cater to some of the largest retailers across North America and Europe.


On the factory floor, it’s evident that production is organised across multiple stages, including fabrication, finishing, and assembly, with a visible push towards automation. Robotic welding, powder coating systems and digitised production planning are increasingly replacing manual processes.



Scale, automation, and systems
That shift is closely tied to the company’s recent growth trajectory. In FY25, KSP reported an annual turnover of Rs 128.9 crore compared to Rs 106.2 crore in FY24, Rs 153.87 crore in FY22, and Rs 104.43 in FY21, as per the company data. “We have delivered an estimated revenue CAGR of 22-25%, with export revenue growing at around a 25-28% CAGR,” says Siddhant Bery, CFA, Head of Strategy at KSP Inc.

The company, which describes itself as a diversified manufacturer, marketer, and exporter of home improvement goods, claims that its container volumes have grown nearly threefold in the past five years, supported by repeat orders and deeper integration with large global buyers. Today, the company ships roughly 1,200 containers annually; the US accounts for nearly 70% of its exports, while Europe contributes 20-22%, as per data from CRISIL.

Currently, KSP exports to 12-13 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, and Australia, and supplies products across all categories to retailers, such as Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s.

The company attributes this scale-up to its early investment in automation. “As part of our long-term strategy to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability, we have consistently invested in automation, amounting to Rs 30 lakh so far, across critical manufacturing processes,” says Bery. “As a result, our output per worker has improved by 40-50% compared to the pre-automation phase. Defect rates have come down by 25-30%, and turnaround times have improved by 20-25%, allowing us to handle higher volumes without proportional increases in manpower,” he adds.

. The company also produces fire pits, braziers, and torches for outdoor living spaces, as well as bird baths and bird feeders for garden enthusiasts.

KSP claims around 75% of its manufacturing and finishing processes are now automated, while assembly lines remain partially automated. This hybrid approach allows for both scale and flexibility, particularly when handling customised orders for global clients, the company says.

Beyond physical automation, KSP has also built an internal digital layer that is increasingly driving operational decisions. “We have built in-house systems to digitise and optimise decision-making across production, procurement and inventory,” Bery says, adding that AI-driven scheduling aligns machine loading with order priorities, while procurement systems track raw material trends to optimise buying cycles.”


These systems are now beginning to show measurable results in terms of efficiency and working capital for the firm. “Inventory holding has reduced by 10-15%, and on-time delivery has improved by 8-10% through better planning cycles,” he adds, noting that tighter integration between planning and execution has improved predictability across operations.

As operations scale, digital systems are becoming central to how the business runs. “ERP layers combined with AI-driven decision systems become critical once you cross a certain scale,” Bery says, pointing to a shift where execution is increasingly system-led rather than dependent on manual coordination.

The focus, however, is not on full automation but on intelligent automation, says Bery. “At KSP, AI is being used to enhance efficiency, planning, and quality control, while skilled human expertise continues to play a critical role in manufacturing,” he says.

So, despite automation, the company has increased its employee count. “Our workforce has grown from around 350 to 1,100 over the last five years, aligned with strong revenue expansion.


Navigating markets, costs, and constraints
The company’s broader strategy reflects a deliberate shift towards becoming a more reliable and predictable supplier in the global supply chain.

“Global customers in the home improvement segment today are looking for consistency, scale, and reliability as much as price competitiveness,” says Khalid Masood, MD, Shalimar Group. He believes manufacturers that combine automation with strong operational systems are better positioned to benefit from supply-chain diversification away from China. India’s advantage no longer lies in low-cost labour alone but increasingly in its ability to deliver quality, compliance, and large-scale production for global markets, he says.

In agreement with Masood, Bery says, “We are seeing clear supplier diversification away from China, with India benefiting structurally. Automation is helping us move closer to cost parity, while stronger ESG and traceability standards are improving our positioning with Western buyers.”

However, competing globally also exposes structural constraints within India’s manufacturing ecosystem. Masood points out that logistics bottlenecks, infrastructure gaps, and regulatory delays continue to affect competitiveness and must be addressed for more Indian MSMEs to achieve similar export-led growth.

“Transit delays have increased by 15-20 days in recent periods, and freight costs have gone up by 20-30% during peak disruptions,” KSP’s Bery says, adding that this has extended the company’s working capital cycle by 10-15 days due to higher in-transit inventory.

Despite these challenges, the KSP is gradually working towards diversifying its geographic exposure. While the US and Europe remain its core markets, KSP is exploring expansion into Australia and the Middle East, with a medium-term goal of reducing dependence on any single geography, especially after the recent supply chain disruptions due to the geopolitical and trade tensions.

Globally, the home improvement market is projected to reach $1,354.48 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 4.07% during 2026-2034, as per Fortune Business Insights, driven by an increasing focus on home organisation, outdoor living, and renovation trends. India’s home improvement market, estimated at Rs 3 lakh crore in 2025, is also growing at about 9-10% annually, according to data from global consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal. This shows the tremendous potential of this market.

As global supply chains continue to realign, companies like KSP show how traditional family-run exporters are adapting to a more complex and competitive environment. In many ways, the shift is not just about scale but about building systems that can sustain that scale over time.