Mr Bipin Vora, the founder of Thika-based Sintel Security Print Solutions Ltd. PHOTO | COUTESY
By SIMON CIURI, Sciuri@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
- Bipin Vora’s security documents printing firm has deals with Safaricom, Orange Mobile, Vodafone Uganda and six banks.
The small signpost at the entrance to Bipin Vora’s
firm in Thika Light Industries area may give the wrong impression that
one is meeting a commoner trying out his luck.
But Mr Vora is a successful businessman who is behind Sintel
Security Print Solutions Ltd which prints airtime scratch cards with a
clients base that includes regional telecom firms Safaricom, Orange Mobile Kenya and Vodafone Uganda.
Sintel Technology, co-owned with Mr Vora’s wife
Vasanti, was registered in 2010 and renamed Sintel Security Print
Solutions Ltd in 2011.
“This place was deserted and disused for 20 years
and not many people were interested in it when we bought it. We acquired
the six and a-half acres of land together with old buildings,” Mr
Vora, 61, told the Business Daily in an interview.
The property cost Sh920 million, funded through borrowing and family cash.
One year after rebranding Mr Vora sought business
from Orange Kenya and after months of lobbying he secure a two-year
contract to print scratch cards for the firm.
“This was the most trying moment for us. We were
starting off and securing the business was very involving, almost
impossible. We requested to be given an opportunity to prove ourselves
and eventually cracked it.” Mr Vora said he made a fortune from his
maiden deal but could not divulge details citing confidential clauses
signed with the client.
Orange Kenya later gave Sintel exclusive rights to
print their scratch cards for the local market. “The experience was
humbling, we learnt how to take control of a challenge no matter how
big it seems to be,” said Mr Vora.
A few months after the Orange transaction Mr Vora approached Safaricom for another deal.
In September 2012, the firm secure a multi-million
deal with Safaricom to print scratch cards. The company could not
divulge details surrounding the transaction only saying that the
business was profitable.
Secured a deal
“We had already secured a deal with Orange and
their recommendations. My business principle has been to take necessary
risk, if I fail there must be lessons learnt, if I succeed that’s an
additional challenge and motivation to take on the next risk, no
complacency,” he said.
Mr Vora said that Sintel does not have exclusive rights to print Safaricom’s scratch cards.
Safaricom chief executive Bob Collymore could not
be reached for comment on how many local companies print their scratch
cards, while corporate affairs director Nzioka Waita’s mobile phone was
off when we tried to reach him.
The leading player in the market is the
Mombasa-road based Ellams, which has supplied all major telecom
operators in Kenya and exports to Tanzania, Uganda, Zanzibar, DR Congo,
Malawi, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Congo Brazzaville, Ghana,
Gabon, Niger, Burkina Faso & Chad.
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