Working in the materials handling industry in India, James Jose – CEO of Revival Engineers, director of Geomatt Equipment Rentals, and founder of LIFT Academy – has witnessed the power of forklifts, beyond the day-to-day practicals of moving goods. 

He explains how forklifts, through the technical training and compassionate guidance of operators and technicians, can transform lives – lifting people out of adversity and into meaningful careers that ultimately shape the narratives of the individual, their families and even the wider community.

James talks to Forkliftaction about his work in the Indian market, life after the pandemic, emerging opportunities, and his passion for teaching.

RC: In 2021 you shared a thoughtful post on your challenges as a dealer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you share some of the key business challenges that you have had to overcome since? 

JJ: The pandemic reminded us of one simple truth: the world can stop, but forklifts don’t – especially when essential services depend on them.

Post-COVID, the real challenge wasn’t machines or markets; it was rebuilding discipline. We faced unpredictable lead times and shifting customer expectations.

But the toughest battles were internal. 

We had the need to re-train manpower whose priorities had changed after two years of uncertainty.

And we had to unlearn old habits, simplify the way we work, and rebuild our culture around one belief: “simple rules, extreme clarity”.

At Geomatt, we were fortunate enough to be shortlisted by Stanford Seed for their Transformation Program. 

Very often, it’s complexity that kills small companies, not competition. Through the program we have learned frameworks that are more than just academic notes; they are tools for transformation. 

RC: What are the biggest opportunities for dealerships right now. How do you intend to harness these opportunities in the near future?

JJ: Three big opportunities that excite me right now are:

1. Everything-as-a-service: Customers want uptime, not ownership. Forklifts have officially joined the subscription economy.
2. India’s manufacturing boom: If the world wants “Made in India”, someone has to move all those pallets… and happily, that’s our department.
3. Data-driven service: Premium margins follow premium visibility.

So, in answer to this, we’re building Geomatt’s Smart RAAS (Robots as a Service) model and Revival’s service-intelligence layer to predict problems before they appear on the customer’s radar.

RC: What sets India’s materials handling landscape apart from other regions, and how do you see it evolving over the next five years?

JJ: India is beautifully chaotic, but in that chaos, something extraordinary is happening. Today, many Indian companies deeply value safety belts, orange helmets, yellow walkways, toolbox talks… not just as routine, but as culture builders.

We love working with teams who honour the yellow line – they’re building India the right way.

 Over the next five years, I see:

• A big shift to electric;
• Safety moving from posters to practice;
• Telematics becoming standard;
• RAAS (Robots as a Service) becoming the default.

India never evolves slowly. When we change, we jump!

RC: What are some of the unique challenges and opportunities specific to materials handling rental businesses right now?

JJ: Rental is a beautiful business if you have patience, empathy, and a strong heart. Some days, all three. If you ever want to understand character, run a rental company for one month!

The challenges:

• Manpower forms 60% of the cost (labour being the single largest operating expense);
• Skilled operators are becoming rare;
• Uptime expectations are rising, while budgets are falling;
• Machines need constant love, spares, and occasionally counselling.

 The opportunities:

• Predictable long-term revenue;
• OPEX (operational expenditure) over CAPEX (capital expenditure) is becoming common sense in today’s market;
• The switch to electric forklifts is reducing surprise breakdowns;
• Data is giving us X-ray vision into fleet health.

RC: In 2016, you founded LIFT Academy, a training provider for logistics, warehousing, and hospitality. What inspired its creation? Was there a moment, or perhaps a conversation, that planted the seed?

JJ: I love simplifying complex concepts into bread and butter, I even changed the Stanford Programs to an Indian version of ‘curry and pani puri’ (I know but trust me it works with like magic).  

But LIFT started from one simple, emotional moment. A senior operator told me: “sir, I’ve driven forklifts for 20 years. But no one has ever given me a certificate saying I’m good, even my children will never know how hard this father worked”. 

That stayed with me. 

In India, forklift training is encouraged but not governed by a single national standard, and enforcement varies widely. There is no single uniform national certificate like in the UK, Australia, or the US. That’s exactly why LIFT Academy was created.

We built LIFT Academy to give operators, technicians, and warehouse teams what they deserve: dignity, recognition, and real career paths.

Two achievements I’m especially proud of:

LIFT Academy trained and placed India’s first female forklift operators in 2019–2020. This was part of the government program Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and is now four years strong. It was a self-funded initiative by Mahindra and Mahindra, a long-standing client. Together, we created a structured plan for training, onsite familiarisation, and supervisor sensitisation.

The initiative gained industry attention because:

• Women forklift operators were extremely rare at the time;
• Their performance was so strong that the program kept expanding;
• The story was later highlighted during a national event, where they were recognised at a ceremony attended by the President of India.

We trained an operator, Viraj, who was deaf and non-verbal. We made a number of adjustments to his training including:

• Fitting the forklift with anti-collision system, 360-degree Ai Camera Human detection system;
• Designing a visual-first training module – diagrams, signals, colour codes;
• Replacing verbal instructions with hand gestures, light cues, and step-by-step demonstrations;
• Providing extra hours on;

- Mirror usage
- Peripheral awareness
- Load balance feedback through vibration and visual cues.

Learning was slow initially, but incredibly deep and consistent. His natural visual alertness makes Viraj an exceptionally safe operator.

Viraj is now working for Geomatt Rentals, which provides services to Dow India. Dow has taken several steps to support Viraj in pursuing his career as an operator:  

• Visual safety alarms: All safety alarms were adapted to visual signals, positioned at eye level to ensure clear visibility for Viraj;
• Buddy system: A dedicated buddy system was established, guided by the principle of “never leave him behind,” ensuring continuous support and coordination;
• Optimised work zones: Viraj’s work zones are carefully selected to provide clear line-of-sight and minimal cross-traffic, enhancing his safety and comfort;
• Standardised communication: Hand signal communication protocols were standardised across all shifts, and Viraj was assigned a fixed shift to minimise adaptation challenges;
• Team Sensitisation: Team members received targeted sensitisation and orientation, enabling them to collaborate with Viraj confidently and effectively.

Viraj’s dedication, punctuality, and focus have made him a valued and well respected member of the team on the shop floor.

LIFT Academy is now recognised by NSDC and LSC. Our dream is to turn it into a foundation offering free training and certification – lifting lives at scale.

RC: You’ve been in this industry a long time. Is there someone in the materials handling community who continues to inspire you, either for their achievements or their character strengths?

JJ: I’ve had the privilege of learning from many leaders, and they taught me the following: 

• Sunil Gupta, MD & Director KION India - leadership by objective; 
• Dr. Angelo George CEO, Bisleri - the humbleness to learn from everyone;
• Mr. Girish Tekade Bharat Forge - be ahead of the problem.

These are just some of the leaders who have shaped a lot of my thinking. Their principles seem easy to understand but they take a lot of effort to implement 

But my biggest teachers? Mr M George, who teaches me to ‘always respect time’.

And the forklift operators - I’ve seen them quietly build homes, send kids to college, work night shifts without complaint, lift families out of adversity with dignity and discipline.

Some of our Geomatt operators have been with us for 30 to 40 years. They are the backbone of this industry, and the heartbeat of our company.

RC: You made your start in film and TV production. Can you share what sparked your pivot to logistics and later to materials handling? How has the materials handling sector continued to hold your interest?

JJ: My journey has been a Bollywood script with unexpected plot twists.

I started with a small children’s fair in HAL Township (profit: INR14 - USD 0.15), then Zigma Travels, then 50-plus film music shows, media consulting and training. And, somewhere in between, forklifts entered the frame.

Why forklifts? Because this industry is real. No retakes. No editing. Uptime either happens or it doesn’t.

And somewhere along the way, I realised that if I brought the discipline of show business into our family business (Geomatt), I could make a real difference. I wasn’t just improving operations – I was improving lives.

That’s what keeps me here: the honesty, the people and the impact you can touch.

RC: I’ve heard you love coffee as much as you love training and empowering people in materials handling. I have to ask:

A)  What is the secret to a truly exceptional cup of coffee?

B)  And does this secret, in any way, reflect what it takes to be an exceptional teacher?

JJ: In answer to ‘A’: Great beans. Hot water. Zero ego. And most importantly – being in the moment. Coffee fails the minute you complicate it.

And for ‘B’: Absolutely! A great teacher needs strong content (beans), warm delivery (heat), and no ego (flavour).

Nobody likes bitter coffee, or bitter teachers. And just like coffee, great teaching needs to be local, relatable, shared, and rooted in genuine empathy.