Released on: April 10, 2008, 2:48 am

Press Release Author: AARON KREMER

Industry: Healthcare

Press Release Summary: After investing five years and $2 million, Gangadhar Bathula
is hoping the world is ready for cleaner, better-tasting water.

\"It\'s a hot time with the anti-bottled-water sentiments,\" Bathula said, referring to
the environmental movement that encourages consumers to stop importing bottled water
from exotic destinations. And people are paying a ton for the bottles, he added.

Press Release Body: Water from the tap is much less expensive, after all.

But it may not as safe is it could be, the Glen Allen resident said. Pipes are aging
throughout the country, which can lead to harmful contaminants in tap water, such as
lead.

Bathula, a chemical engineer, has developed SteriPure, a filtered-water pitcher with
an ultraviolet light that kills microbes. He recently received certifications to
sell the product in the U.S. SteriPure sells on his Web site,
www.steripurewater.com, for about $100.

Creating the invention may have been the easiest step in the entrepreneurial
process. Bathula is struggling to overcome unexpected challenges.

SteriPure is already on sale in India, where it\'s manufactured. Bathula, who was
born and educated in that country, said he\'s selling 100 to 200 units a month there.
But Indian consumers want something cheaper and a container that can hold more
water.

The American market, on the other hand, is thirsty for a more advanced, table-top
filter/pitcher, he believes. But after years of fine-tuning the product and
marketing materials, Bathula is still trying to find a way to get the product into
U.S. stores.

Adam Marquardt, a professor of business and entrepreneurship at the University of
Richmond\'s Robins School of Business, said most new products fail for two reasons:
the product isn\'t different enough from existing ones or too few consumers know
about the product.

Bathula said the SteriPure is definitely different, in part because a UV lamp zaps
microbes and a \"smart system\" alerts the user when the water is safe to drink by
illuminating an indicator light. Accessories such as solar panels make it portable.

However, converting users of existing water-purifying systems or generating new
demand for filtered water might be difficult, Marquardt said.

\"People know the Brita name. They see it costs less, and there\'s got to be a reason
why they want to look at this new product even if it\'s the same price.\"

Spreading the word, meanwhile, can be costly. \"Companies just expect people to
stumble across a new product. That just doesn\'t happen,\" Marquardt said. He said
that if Bathula can show the product\'s virtues -- perhaps by setting up a demo stand
-- word of mouth can help spread awareness.

Libby Brown, who co-founded This End Up Furniture and helped market the now-defunct
retailer\'s crate-style chairs and sofas, said Bathula might have a hard time selling
the unit at $100.

\"People want pure water up to a point, but the greater degree of purity costs 2.5
times as much\" as a Brita, which is about $35, said Brown, who has written a book on
entrepreneurship called \"Making Waves.\"

\"What you\'re trying to do is get a value equation where the customer\'s eyes go
\'boing.\' If you get a lot for what you spend, that\'s a great value.\"

Bathula has sought out lots of help.

He hired Stu Neal, a small-business owner and consultant in Richmond, several years
ago to help \"Americanize\" the appearance and wording on the package.

\"We have specific laws, rules and regulations,\" Neal said. \"We have a litigious
society, and the American consumer is very different [from the Indian consumer],
especially for a high-end product.\"

Sally Feltner, a business counselor with the Greater Richmond Small Business
Development Center, spent 35 hours helping Bathula get the certifications he needs
to sell in America. Assistance from the center is free.

\"One of the reasons it\'s taking him as long as it has to get the product to market
is the lengthy certification process,\" Feltner said, adding that potential
distributors were concerned about product liability.

Despite the setbacks, Bathula is optimistic. He has been talking with several
potential distributors, and a new Web site allows him to sell the product directly
to consumers.

\"My goal is to have one on every dining room table and protect the health of all
people.\"


Web Site: http://www.steripurewater.com/

Contact Details: # 179, 1st Floor
MPR Estates
Old Bowenpally Checkpost
Bowenpally
Secunderbad-500011
Andrapradesh, India
Phone:+91 40 65199585