Forged From Fire. More than Metal.
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs
Vibhas Bhutani could have just joined the family business of the legendary Zana Crash Guards that started in 2001 and was booming. 2017 -Vibhas had an MBA from a top university in Australia but he was also a passionate rider and he had disruptive vision. He was also restless to innovate, create and disrupt. This is the story when, Management met Metallurgy and the rest is the Zana as know it.
Where it all began.
“Why don’t I build World Class Motorcycle Protection & Accessories?
At the time, riders were importing motorcycle protection, luggage and accessories or in sheer desperation buying locally made items that were more jugaad than performance.
Indian bike accessories brands were few and far between.
Management studies, restlessness and the learnings from the family business helped him to envision his creation. Create he did, from scratch - In a time when others were rebranding imported items, he was making drawings of what he wanted to create. He bought motorcycles o he could mount prototypes and test them and soon production started. The standards he set were high and it was tough Getting Man, Machine & Metallurgy to be in rhythm was tougher than he thought. The industry thought he had lost it.
The First Product wasn’t just a product. It was a paradigm shift
Vibhas built products and he just didn't test it in the lab. He rode them mounted on his bikes. Deliberately rode over potholes, the mountains in Himachal, the desert in Rajasthan and more. Why ? He wasn’t interested in a good product he wanted a nearly unbreakable product and in the course of testing he invented the drop test which is now folklore.
Zana’s Core Philosophy - Zana products must be tougher than the ride.
Zana was looking to rewrite specifications of products in the market. He knew motorcycles were getting more powerful, riders better and more demanding. Good enough was no longer good enough. It had to be exceptional. Vibhas sent his products to the ride from Arctic to Antarctic on the legendary Deepak Gupta’s Bike. The products not just withstood the 51,000 km of extreme temperatures and all the other things nature thew. Zana had arrived.
“ A soul is forged in the fires of adversity not comfort” Jana Oliver
Zana starts exporting
In the absolutely brutal international market where good does not having meaning as
anything below exceptional is case aside, for life Zana started exporting in 2021 and well it has not looked back ever since. exporting to over 20 countries.
The Zana Ethos
This isn’t story about motorcycle protection and accessories. It’s about making vision, about restlessness to put oneself and India on the map
What started in 2017 from very humble origins is today a world class operation manufacturing operation that makes over 500 unique product.
When Man, Metallurgy and Fire meet. The Zana soul was forged from sweat, tears, adversity determination, self-belief & triumph and the the restlessness to keep going. In many ways Zana catalysed motorcycle gear evolution in India.
Forged From Fire. More than Metal. Zana.
