Engineering A Cleaner World

Rajesh Khatwani Has Built IPWT India Into One Of The World’s Most Reputed Urban Environmental Infrastructure And Services Group. He Speaks To Tina Thakrar About His Aim To Create A Cleaner Future

- Tina Thakrar

When you put ‘engineering’, ‘niche’ and ‘empire’ together, you get the businessman that is Rajesh Khatwani. Dubbed ‘Iron Man’ after his strong will, Rajesh heads IPWT India, an engineering business engaged in environmental infrastructure, aviation ground support equipment and construction chemicals, across the Indian subcontinent and the UAE. With the support of his brother Tarun, he builds new generation equipment that enables environmental cleanups, thus eliminating the inhumane methods of manual cleanup.

IPWT India was first founded under the watchful eye of Rajesh’s industrialist father, Shankar Khatwani. And since its inception, it has been steadily and successfully evolving. It has gone from being an environmental infrastructure projects company, to adding on a hightech factory on the outskirts of Mumbai for environmental special purpose vehicles and aviation refueling vehicles under Rajesh, to expanding into construction chemicals, coatings and paints under Tarun. Rajesh also operates out of Dubai, where he runs C.S. Enviro (City Star Environment Engineering Services), an enterprise for tie-ups in global environment technology.

Born in New Delhi, Rajesh comes from an illustrious lineage. He and Tarun are grandsons of freedom fighter, philanthropist and congressman Late Seth Issardas Varandmal. Rajesh grew up in Mumbai in a closeknit family, quietly nursing ambitions to become an actor. However, education was considered sacrosanct in the Khatwani family, and despite limited resources, his parents ensured that he enjoyed the highest quality of education in India and overseas, which led to him acquiring a degree in environment technology.