A reflection on the helmet company’s roots and its ambitious future, from humble beginnings to global recognition
Discovering the essence of a brand by visiting its birthplace is important to me. It’s similar to visiting the hometown of someone you admire. You get to see the person’s roots and experience the environment that shaped them. In this journey, we travel to India to learn more about one of the largest manufacturers of motorcycle helmets in the world, a company that can produce up to a staggering one million helmets a month.
The first time I visited India was about 10 years ago, though I wasn’t there as a rider. I was performing at the Madras Music Festival with my band, Humanfolk. That experience gave me my first taste of India’s public roads, aboard an Oto—a three-wheeled tricycle similar to the Bajaj and TVS models found in the Philippines. Just like in Metro Manila, the chaos on the roads can be intense, with a symphony of honking that adds to the madness. I love it; it feels familiar. The way people drive and ride in India shares many similarities with Metro Manila.
Since that first visit, I’ve fallen in love with this country, often referred to as the land of diversity. Over the years, I’ve ridden through various parts of India, from the Himalayas to Goa, Jaipur, and Chennai. This trip, however, was more than just a visit to the SMK Factory. We also rode from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, immersing ourselves even deeper in the land where SMK Helmets was born.
The Heart of SMK: Quality, Innovation, and Local Pride
SMK Helmets is produced by the same company that launched Studds Helmets, one of the largest helmet brands in India. Founded in the 1970s by Mr. Madhu Bhushan Khurana, the company started as a small operation in a makeshift garage, handcrafting fiberglass helmets. Today, it stands as a remarkable success story. We visited their factory in Faridabad, which covers an impressive 70,000 square meters—about seven times the size of the SMX Convention Center! For those who have attended the Makina Moto Expo, you can only imagine the sheer scale of their facility. This is just one of four factories, with a fifth one currently in the planning stages.
SMK Helmets was established in 2015 when the company decided to produce higher-end helmets. The initials SMK stand for the founder’s name and his son’s first name: Sidhartha Madhu Khurana. SMK benefits from the decades of technology and expertise that Studds Helmets has accumulated, ensuring a legacy of quality and innovation.
India fosters a supportive environment for its businesses, making it an ideal place for manufacturing. Every component of an SMK helmet is produced in-house, using domestically sourced raw materials. From the plastics used for injection molding to the inner lining, paint, visor, screws, and graphics—everything is made in India. Even the machinery used to create the mold, though designed in Germany, is manufactured in India. This approach ensures consistent quality, as the company doesn’t rely on external suppliers for any part of the production process. Few helmet brands can make this claim.
However, all of this would be insignificant without the human factor of quality control. The SMK team maintains a dedicated quality check process, where a person oversees inspections, and an additional checker reviews the work. The finishing is top-notch. I noticed that even during the painting process, there are multiple stages of rigorous checks. They hand-buff helmets, performed by workers with decades of experience. While aesthetics are important, the most crucial aspect of a helmet is its ability to protect your head. Unfortunately, many helmets on the market fail to meet safety standards, putting your life at risk. SMK has invested in state-of-the-art testing equipment to ensure their helmets pass ISI, DOT, ECE, SNELL, and SHARP standards. They also engage an independent company to certify that their testing is legitimate, providing additional assurance. It’s worth noting that our very own DTI visited India to double-check and verify that SMK met these safety standards. Rest assured, SMK is not one of those brands that simply slaps certification stickers on their products without proper testing. The thought that some helmets falsely claim safety certifications is disconcerting.
Highway to History: Our Ride to the Taj Mahal
After a full day of exploring the factory, we had dinner with Sid, the son of the SMK founder. I had met him before the pandemic at EICMA, and I was surprised he still remembers that I won a photo contest in 2018 using an SMK helmet as a subject during the Honda Asian Journey. I congratulated him on SMK’s progress, now available in 70 countries, and he shared, “Oh, we’re taking the next step. We’re joining MotoGP. We’re producing an FIM-approved helmet.” Wow! It doesn’t get any bigger than a brand joining MotoGP, especially considering the investment involved in such a project. SMK means business, and in the coming years, we can expect them to flex even more.
The next day, SMK hosted a 220-km ride from Faridabad to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. It was a relaxed highway ride that took us about three and a half hours. I rode a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650. Since we were on the highway, we didn’t worry much about being on the “wrong” side of the road. We just had to deal with the occasional counterflowing cows at the shoulder and some pedestrians trying to cross the expressway. Oh yes, kamote knows no race or nationality.
Apart from that, the ride was awesome. We also got to experience a cultural exhibit and ride some elephants. This trip reminded me of the magic of India—its chaotic roads, 33 million gods, wandering cows and monkeys, and how love can inspire the creation of one of the wonders of the world. This is the land where SMK was born, and it’s a testament to the company’s roots and spirit. I’m thrilled to see their continued growth and presence in our country. Namaste, SMK!
SMK helmets are distributed locally by Motoworld Philippines.
