Before appearing on Planting Seeds in front of a Caribbean-wide audience, Roshan Panchoo was a regular guy who just wanted a better life for his wife and children, starting with building them a better home.
However, faced with the daily challenges of making ends meet, he found it difficult to even buy basic building blocks to start construction on his house. He began desperately trying to figure out a way to reduce his building costs, starting with the most basic material: blocks.
While brainstorming various ideas, he found himself becoming more and more creative. And then it struck him: why not create an interlocking block? This would remove the cost attached to mortar application, and would be more efficient and cost-effective than regular blocks.
Panchoo spent countless hours working on prototypes and finalising the engineering design until at last the ‘Ronblock’ was born: an innovative, user-friendly block designed to withstand greater tremors (earthquakes) and soil displacement, while increasing installation capacity and reducing building costs.
Thanks to a shrewd entrepreneurial mindset, Panchoo did not stop at the design of the Ronblock. Knowing that ‘copycats’ would be a risk, Panchoo applied for and received his patent for the Ronblock and its unique design, safeguarding his invention.
This foresight proved invaluable, as the Ronblock has shown itself to be a truly ingenious product. Testing by the University of the West Indies revealed that walls constructed with Ronblocks are 4.79 times stronger than walls constructed with regular blocks.
The Ronblock was later tested by the Ministry of Works and Transport’s Design Engineering Branch, Construction Division, and consequently approved for use in construction throughout T&T. Ronblocks were also tested by the American Society for Testing and Materials, and surpassed its world-class standard.
Panchoo’s product even landed him a spot on the Planting Seeds TV show, where he was able to showcase Ronblocks on a regional platform. Ronblocks’ success is clear proof that Panchoo is a man with a purpose, a man who has taken his vision and turned it into reality.
He has manufactured Ronblocks and built his house, made a better life for his family, and now offers Ronblocks to the general public, in the hope of improving productivity and cost-efficiency in the construction industry.
At Planting Seeds Caribbean, we are confident that the Ronblock created right here in T&T will one day become an internationally-acclaimed product used in construction all over the world. As such, we are proud to endorse and support Roshan Panchoo on his journey to gaining the investments needed to grow and expand his business. To learn more about Ronblock International Company Ltd, contact the Planting Seeds team via email at info@plantingseedscaribbean.com
Planting Seeds was made possible thanks to the collaborative effort of the Planting Seeds producers, Ernst & Young, and JD Sellier, as well as sponsors JMMB, Caribbeanjobs.com, Beacon Insurance, Blink/bmobile, and Very Exciting Things.
Planting Seeds on CNC3
Be sure to tune in every Tuesday at 8 pm on CNC3, and watch as T&T’s very own up-and-coming entrepreneurs vie to turn their business dreams into a reality.