admin Manufacturing is fundamental to a country’s economic success and industrialization has driven the growth of many developed economies, boosting innovation and creating jobs. Today, in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which fuses physical, digital and biological spheres, and transforming global production systems; looking back to journey one name profoundly comes first which is Aditya Birla Group.
The values and the success of the Aditya Birla Group can be traced back to the inspiring ideals and vision of two legendary leaders Shiv Narayan Birla and G D Birla. The Group’s roots can be drawn back over 150 years to the 19th century. The flagship company Grasim, established in post-independence India in 1947, with Mr. G D Birla’s envision that the country would face an acute shortage of cotton, and man-made fibres will be needed to supplement textile fibre availability for clothing. It was one of the first Indian businesses to set up international operations. Grasim was incorporated just 10 days after India’s independence and thus began Grasim’s journey which mirrors India’s growth story.
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Today, it has evolved into a leading diversified player with leadership presence across many sectors. It is a leading global producer of Viscose Staple Fibre, the largest Chlor-Alkali, Linen and Insulators player in India. Through its subsidiaries, UltraTech Cement and Aditya Birla Capital, it is also India’s largest cement producer and a leading diversified financial services player.
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A Team Builder
Mr. Dilip Gaur is the Managing Director of Grasim Industries Limited & Business Director of Pulp & Fibre Business. He is also Director of Aditya Birla Management Corp. Pvt. Ltd. He is a chemical engineer and has undergone several National & International programmes in Management & Leadership Development including AMP at Harvard. Mr. Gaur is also the current Chairman of CII’s National Committee on Textiles & Apparel, a member of India-ASEAN and Indonesia-India CEO’s forum.
Prior to his current assignment, he worked with Ultra Tech Cement Ltd. as Deputy Managing Director & Chief Manufacturing Officer and with Hindalco as Head of Global Copper Business, with Birla Carbon as Managing Director of the Egyptian business and as President & Country Head of Group’s Edible Oil & Oleo Chemicals business in Malaysia/Philippines.
Mr. Gaur joined Aditya Birla Group in 2004 and has spent the best part of his professional career in managing transformational changes and turning around fledgling businesses across geographies. He likes working in a multi-cultural global business environment and is a firm believer in the Power of ‘Teams’.
Forerunner in Viscose Staple Fibre & Viscose Filament Yarn
Grasim is India’s pioneer in VSF — a man-made, bio-degradable fibre that is fast emerging as a sustainable alternative to cotton. A versatile fibre, VSF is used in apparel, home textiles, dress materials, knit wears, and non-woven applications. Grasim’s Birla Cellulose range of fibres can be used in their original form or can be blended with all natural and synthetic fibres for enhanced comfort and feel.
Additionally, Grasim is one of India’s major Viscose Filament Yarn (VFY) players. Manufactured under the brand name, Raysil (formerly RayOne), by Grasim’s Indian Rayon unit, the VFY comes in a wide range of 600 shades with the flexibility of reproducing any shade to suit customer needs. 55% of VFY exports from India, making it the largest Indian VFY exporter.
Leaders in the Chemical Industry
Grasim’s chemical business is one of India’s largest caustic soda producers and is a market leader in the chlor-alkali segment. Grasim’s chemicals business has created a strong foothold in the industry and offers a wide range of products from chlorine derivatives to epoxy. Today, Grasim’s total caustic soda capacity is 1,147 KTPA. In FY19, the chlor-alkali business achieved 1 million tonnes of caustic sales entering the ivy league of the top 10 businesses in the sector globally.
The company uses cost-effective membrane cell technology and is largely self-sufficient in power. For gainful utilisation of chlorine, the comapny has a portfolio of chlorine derivatives like Stable Bleaching Powder (SBP), Polyaluminium Chloride (PAC), Chlorosulphonic Acid (CSA), Chlorinated Paraffin Wax (CPW), Calcium Chloride (CaCl) and Aluminium Chloride (AlCl).
Innovators in Textiles
Grasim ventured into the textile industry in 1949 by setting up Jaya Shree Textiles at Rishra, West Bengal. Today, Jaya Shree Textiles is one of India’s leading linen and wool manufacturers. It has four strategic business units (SBUs) i.e., linen spinning, linen fabric, wool combing, and worsted spinning. All four SBUs are driven by the common goal of making the workplace a source of creativity, innovation, and self-fulfilment for all employees. Jaya Shree Textiles has provided the evolving Indian fashion industry with an international edge. Finest flax is sourced from France, Belgium and other parts of Europe to make 100% pure linen. Cutting edge European technology is used to spin the fibres, weave and dye them which makes it unique and difficult to replicate. This superior technology also enables Jaya Shree Textiles to manufacture over 3000 different types of weaves, textures, and blends. The company has significantly revolutionised the Indian textile market by popularising linen in India across a wide customer base with its brand ‘Linen Club’.
Most-trusted Brand in Fertilisers
Grasim’s fertiliser division, Indo Gulf Fertilisers (IGF) is a leading agri-solutions provider. From sowing to harvesting, it develops solutions and products for each stage of farming. Marketed under the name ‘Birla Shaktiman’, the brand is one of the most popular fertiliser brands in the Indo-Gangetic plain, the core market where it operates.
IGF is also the most energy-efficient urea plant and is the 8th largest manufacturer of urea in India. Moreover, IGF reaches around 6M farmers through a unique customer centric approach serving them through soil testing, Six Sigma demonstrations, farmer group meetings and field days. The full-range of offerings include Neem-coated urea, Soil & crop specific customised fertilisers, Seeds, Agrochemicals, Plant and soil health products.
Along with a wide range of agrochemicals, micronutrients, organic fertilisers, plant growth promoters, water soluble fertilisers and bio stimulants the company also manufactures hybrid varieties of rice and maize seeds.
Groundbreakers of Insulators
Aditya Birla Insulators is India’s largest manufacturer of electrical insulators and is amongst the top four insulator manufacturers globally. It produces the widest range of insulators in India including insulators for transmission lines & substations up to 1200 kV voltage level, as well as equipment & railways. Its total installed manufacturing capacity is 56,400 MTPA with specialisation in both ceramic and composite insulators. Its insulators have stood the test of quality and reliability under some of the toughest operating conditions. The high operational efficiency and a long life cycle make them one of the most sought-after products in the industry. It is a preferred partner for major power utilities as well as equipment manufacturers globally. Aditya Birla Insulators is one of the largest exporters of ceramic insulators globally, operating across 58 countries.
‘Future Goals’ Commitment towards Protecting Environment
As a forward-thinking business, Grasim recognises that environment protection and conservation and social development of communities is critical for sustainable business. Mr. Dilip Gaur informed that Grasim Industries strongly focusing on reducing fresh water intake can result in fresh water is available for alternative uses. He added that Birla Cellulose is in the process of applying the most stringent norms across all its fiber manufacturing sites, by going beyond the applicable regulatory norms, and implementing the European standards (referred to as EU BAT norms) for waste water discharge.
It has also taken a leap in enhancing the sustainability quotient of its brand and the fashion industry at large. In January 2019, the company launched Livaeco, a new variant of its consumer brand Liva. By working with the global brands to drive transparency, reduce environmental impact and enhance performance, Grasim industries Ltd is working to become the best supplier of choice.
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