SHARMILA KUMBHAT: A CHANGEMAKER REDEFINING INDIA'S LIGHTING INDUSTRY AND EMPOWERING FUTURE LEADERS

Kumbhat's entrepreneurial spirit ignited early.

- Sharmila Kumbhat

At just sixteen, she began working at Metal Craft, a fabrication unit where she mastered technical and managerial skills. By nineteen, she was already a rising star, receiving the Best Female Entrepreneur Award from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Hungry for greater expertise, she moved to New York, where she spent a decade managing two thriving export companies, gaining invaluable experience in global business strategies.

However, her heart remained in India. Returning to Chennai, she joined her family business, K-Lite Industries— now synonymous with design-forward luminaires and architectural lighting. Her influence was immediate and transformative. She introduced modular systems, streamlined operations, and embraced sustainability, elevating K-Lite into a modern powerhouse. Under her stewardship, the company has supplied lighting to landmark projects such as the Indian Parliament, the Cairo Parliament complex, and sacred sites like the Golden Temple.

Leading the Smart Lighting Revolution