Thermax
About: S Ramachandran - Executive Vice President – Environment
Experienced India Corporate Business Leader in the Water Industry and B-2-B markets. Competences of loss-making business turnaround, creating profitable growth, Go-to-Market initiatives, and New Business launch. Two and a half decades of in-depth experience in the Indian Water industry covering Equipment, Consumables and Service segments. Unique skills of Medium and Small Enterprise access, through direct or dealer type operation, and of getting B2B products successfully to a fifty thousand mid-market base. A successful cultural bridge between East and West, launching western products adapted to Indian Markets. Mr. Ramachandran worked as an Executive Vice President – Environment for 6 years. Currently, he is working as a Management Consultant for SR Consultants. He had done his graduation from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and PGDM from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
1. How do you think the energy and environment industry has evolved from the time you had joined Thermax?
The energy & environment industry has changed dramatically in recent years. India needs energy security to grow and large investments are on the ground. In environment, the industry evolution has been more due to implementation of laws and intervention by courts.
2. What are the challenges in the energy and environment industry, today?
The challenge is to ensure that the cost of energy is kept affordable, despite global oil & coal prices being high. In environment it is to ensure factories are seen with minimum use of water and by meeting all discharge standards. The cost of energy and environment inputs as a proportion of sales is increasing and at times making production costs unviable. Internal efficiency of use programs are required to mitigate this.
3. How important is it to be able to provide sustainable solutions in energy and environment in today’s industry and economy at large?
Sustainability is the keynote to handle issues like global warming and is very important. This has to start at the individual organization level.
4. What strategies have you used to boost company growth along with market growth?
Strategies to boost growth have revolved around meeting customer needs with good tailor-made solutions. The quality of raw materials have decreased at times and yet customers need the same high quality end products. Customers are also demanding higher and more consistent quality standards.
5. How important do you think is R&D for maintaining and continually improving your company’s global face?
R & D and innovation are crucial to develop products to give solutions to domestic global customers. Innovating with alternate raw materials, reducing cost and providing better solutions are areas where R&D contribution is important.
6. How are your performance-improving chemicals different from that of your competitors’? What is the Point of Differentiation of Thermax?
Thermax performance chemicals are tailored to give world class performance while using alternate quality raw materials, enabling customers to ensure their product quality.