I embarked on my professional journey in the early 1980’s, and since then, I was always interested in cars; doing something different and innovative always excited me. Since we always had cars in our garage, I had a car to tinker with me. I got into a regular job offshore in the engine room on a drill ship Fredericksburg and also sailed on a merchant ship as a cadet on M.V. Indian Tribune for a few voyages. However, my passion for cars and doing something different was always alive. A friend unknowingly inspired me, triggering my passion inside. I realized that I could do much more with God’s gift of talent and make a difference to others. A gift that came natural to me! So, with my regular job in hand and on holidays and weekends, I would pick up my tool boxes and modify vehicles.

My friends called me crazy, as at that time, one had to wait for months to buy a car or scooter. The cars available were Fiat or Ambassador; Maruti was just getting into the market. With crazy ideas in mind, I managed to modify a Fiat, and that was just the beginning. Then I had to give it a brand name, and a friend suggested “Ferro Equip” (“Fer” being the beginning of my name and “Ro” being the beginning of my surname); that’s when it all started.

Later, I worked with a company that was into production and tool-and-die making, which gave me the background of the manufacturing processes, materials, etc., and it helped me to do my Mechanical Engineering. With knowledge and technology, I wanted to do more and realized I could reach out to more people with special needs as I better understood them. Soon, I was innovating not only driving hand controls but a lot of other devices and mobility aids. I could easily understand needs and find a workable solution for the same. I wanted to do more, something for specially-abled people who needed transportation for daily chores, and give them mobility, dignity, and independence. Driving their own vehicles was no longer a luxury. My work experience took me through another field of water sports, and I worked as a works manager for an outboard motor dealer dealing in power boats, jet skis, and engines in the early 1990’s, which was a unique field at that time; after this, I got back into the automobile industry as a GM for Tata Authorized Service Centre and further as a CEO in 1999 for a Mahindra Authorized Service Center known as “The Milestone.” I believed in proffering the best customer care and reaching out to people.

The knowledge learned over the years was there for sharing. I have been conducting training programs for staff and department heads and teaching them the values of life, attitude, and humanity. With over 34 years of experience and in-depth knowledge of automobile engineering, I have invented a plethora of vehicle machinery and modification strategies that have brought a rather huge difference in lives of thousands of people with special needs. Understanding that every special person has needs that are different from one another, I have customized and modified thousands of cars of various brands and models.

Be it for outings, transportation, sports, or a daily routine, at Ferro Equip, we have been getting special people moving and improving their quality of life.