From Startup to Global AODD Pump Manufacturer: Meet Jain’s Antlia Engineering Works Redefines Industrial Fluid Handling
Meet Jain transformed Antlia Engineering Works from a Mumbai startup into an ISO 9001:2015-certified AODD pump manufacturer exporting to over 20 countries. Discover how strategic decisions, global expansion, and digital innovation shaped the company's rise.
The company's journey began in 2017 when Meet Jain, then a young entrepreneur based in Mumbai, contacted India's biggest Air Operated Double Diaphragm (AODD) pump manufacturer with the ambition of building a significant business. Instead of an opportunity, he was met with two questions from the owner: "What value addition will you bring to my company?" followed by "What's your MOQ?" The conversation ended there.
Rather than abandoning his plans, Meet approached a mid-level manufacturer that offered Antlia Engineering Works the attention and support a new business required. The partnership brought competitive pricing, strong after-sales service, and a willingness to co-develop products. Together, they developed a flap-type AODD pump that later became one of Antlia's key products.
Within three years, Antlia Engineering Works had become that manufacturer's largest purchaser, establishing the foundation for its future growth.
The company's next defining moment came when its supplier increased prices by 30–35% overnight. Faced with the choice of absorbing the additional cost or rebuilding the supply chain, Meet Jain opted for the more challenging path. Antlia shifted its entire AODD pump manufacturing operation from Vasai to Gujarat, a move that required substantial investment, coordination, and patience.
The transition resulted in improved product quality, enhanced after-sales service, and a stronger manufacturing partnership built on mutual respect rather than dependency. Five years later, India's biggest AODD pump manufacturer has reportedly been approaching Antlia for more than a year in an effort to regain its business.
Founded in 2017 and certified under ISO 9001:2015, Antlia Engineering Works is today recognised as one of India's largest AODD pump manufacturers. The company manufactures a comprehensive range of Air Operated Double Diaphragm pumps in Polypropylene (PP), Stainless Steel 316 (SS316), PVDF, and Aluminium, along with barrel pumps and centrifugal pumps. Its products serve industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paints, oil & gas, and automotive.
The Air Operated Double Diaphragm pump, invented by Jim Wilden in 1955, has remained fundamentally unchanged for seven decades. According to the company, the technology requires no electricity, is intrinsically safe around flammable fluids, self-primes, operates dry without damage, handles abrasive slurries, and functions while submerged. Antlia Engineering Works has built its manufacturing expertise around this established technology.
The company's customer portfolio includes the Ministry of Defence, Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), Asian Paints, ITC, Godrej, Adani Solar, Coca-Cola, and 3M. The company states that 3M connected with Antlia directly through a Google search without any cold-call engagement.
Meet Jain has also pursued international expansion from the company's Mumbai base. Antlia Engineering Works now exports to more than 20 countries, including the USA, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, Ghana, Nigeria, Nepal, Chile, and several others.
In 2024, the company strengthened its international strategy by launching a multilingual website in English, French, and Arabic. According to Antlia, the decision was based on the fact that more than 300 million French speakers across Africa and Europe search and purchase products in their native language, while the Middle East's oil and gas sector relies heavily on Arabic-language search. The company also notes that Google's search algorithm favours local-language content in regional search results, making multilingual digital visibility a strategic business advantage.
Antlia Engineering Works also holds GeM (Government e-Marketplace) seller registration, Ministry of Defence approval, and has participated in industrial trade exhibitions in Indore, Hyderabad, and Delhi. International exhibition participation is also planned.
In an industry where procurement is traditionally driven by distributor networks, telephone enquiries, and lengthy purchasing cycles, Meet Jain introduced what the company describes as India's first direct diaphragm pump e-commerce website, enabling customers to purchase AODD pumps directly from the manufacturer.
While platforms such as Amazon, IndustryBuying, and Moglix offer double diaphragm pumps through third-party sellers, Antlia's platform connects customers directly with the manufacturer responsible for designing, manufacturing, testing, and servicing the equipment. The company says this eliminates intermediaries while providing accurate specifications, application guidance, and integrated after-sales support.
Meet Jain, Founder and Owner of Antlia Engineering Works, brings more than a decade of experience in B2B sales, strategic partnerships, manufacturing operations, and international trade. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from NMIMS-MPSTME and an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), while simultaneously building Antlia Pumps.
At Antlia Engineering Works, Meet Jain personally oversees product quality, customer deliveries, and technical support to ensure every pump leaving the factory meets the standards required by defence establishments, public sector undertakings, and international industrial customers.
From a Mumbai-based startup that once struggled to secure a callback from India's largest pump manufacturer, Antlia Engineering Works has grown into an ISO 9001:2015-certified, Ministry of Defence-approved manufacturer exporting to more than 20 countries and serving some of India's largest industrial organisations. With plans for international trade exhibitions in Southeast Asia, a multilingual digital platform, a direct e-commerce business model, and a YouTube channel whose technical content has crossed 465,000 organic views, the company continues to expand its global presence while building on a technology that has remained unchanged for 70 years.

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