Industrialization in India is developing at a rapid pace and there are several factors that are helping it grow. The emergence of various native products as well as international corporations setting their offices in the country can be clearly witnessed. Amidst this growth, some of the native personalities are hugely contributing to the GDP growth of the country and bringing recognition to Indian businesses. Col. Sanjiv Saklani is one of these personalities who turned into an entrepreneur after serving the Indian Army and has taken many businesses to new heights of success. Industry Outlook magazine engaged in a conversation with him to know more about his career and the value he has been able to add to the business ecosystem.
Please give us a summary of your educational background & past professional experiences in life.
Having completed my schooling & graduation in Economics from Shimla, I was commissioned in the Indian Army in 1982 where I did my Engineering and served for 21 years. The second phase of my career began with Facilities Management wing of IL&FS where I became a Country Head within a short span of two years. My endeavors include working as Vice President – BPTP, A2Z Infraservices as MD & CEO, Quess Corp as President and Director at Updater Services, where my profile was spearheading the entire gamut of operations & administration, Pan India & Overseas. My experience with Industrial Plant Management to include industries such as Steel, Cement & Automobile led me to be a part of Sree Metaliks.
Throughout your professional experience, what are the milestones that have been achieved with your leadership?
Prior to my taking over the top positions, there had been a lot of turbulence in the companies. A few of them were loss making and I was responsible for turning them around into successful, profitable businesses. Not only did I bring the desired stability, but also engineered a major change in
the organizational structure with clear lines of control for optimum efficiency, thereby reducing attrition, building employee morale & output. I have smoothly & successfully navigated many mergers & acquisitions.
I joined Sree Metaliks (SML) as a Full Time Director in 2019. The company’s turnover at the time was 500 Crores. SML manufactures Sponge Iron, Billets, TMT Bars, Pig Iron & Pellets. The Managing Director Mahesh Kumar Agarwal shared his vision for the company with me and the company has seen a sustained growth in the last 3+ years and closed last Financial Year with a turnover of 1380 crores. Our target for the current financial year is to achieve a turnover of close to 1900 crores.
The company’s operation is widespread with its own captive Iron Ore Mines and three Integrated Steel Manufacturing Plants at multiple locations in Odisha. Within this span, the company has expanded multifold. We now have a doubled capacity of mining 1.5 Mn tons of Iron Ore. Accordingly, capacity utilization of Steel Melting Shop & Rolling Mill was achieved with enhanced efficiency. Second Pellet Plant and Beneficiation Plant are ongoing projects. With infusion of LRF (Ladle Refining Furnace), we shall now be producing higher grade of steel, thus falling into the category of secondary steel making companies. Work is on at top speed at our Plant at Angul to set up a 12.5 MW Power Plant with a WHRB as well as a coal washery. Technological upgradation has been done at many levels from Plant improvements, to improvised Security Systems, to rationalization of manpower by converting it from outsourced personnel to In-house. This has brought the desired results of greater outputs & efficiency.
Over the last 18+ years of my corporate career, besides the focus and self-discipline earned from my 21 years of Army experience, I have successfully led companies to great heights
What are the other areas that you have professional experience in and manage operations of?
At Sree Metaliks, I have had the great opportunity of working with Mahesh Kumar Agarwal, a dynamic businessman with a great vision. Over the last 18+ years of my corporate career, besides the focus and self-discipline earned from my 21 years of Army experience, I have successfully led companies to great heights. My forte has not just been limited to managing the gamut of everyday operations but using my foresight to develop the companies to sustain their growth. A lot of this has been achieved by me keeping a hawk’s eye on the financials of the companies. You may ask that the CFO would normally do that, but let me tell you that if Operations is out of sync with Finance, disaster is imminent.
So, my success mantra has been looking at all the aspects of a company’s operations, be it Human Resources, Business Development, Procurement, Vendor Management, Quality Control & Compliances, Finance & Accounts, and more. This mantra will hold good for any company. Besides Facilities Management & Industrial Plant Management, my association with BPTP, a leading real estate company brought in experience and exposure to construction and project management & enriched my understanding of Asset Management. My experience in these companies has come in handy while executing current projects at Sree Metaliks.
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