Coromandel Cares, a Green Initiative from India Cements for home builders

10.8.2019

Green Initiative from India Cements to show its commitment to conserve natural resources

V. Balasubramanian

A deep water crisis is looming over the globe with depleting water resources so much so it is widely believed that the next World War will be over water. Major Indian cities are feared to hit soon Day Zero { cajoling consumers to reduce usage} like Cape Town in South Africa and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

 Chennai faced the worst water scarcity this summer when four reservoirs supplying water to the metro went dry. Official Think Tank( replaced the erstwhile Union Planning Commission) has said 21 major Indian cities including Bengaluru would run out of ground water by 2020.

There are reports of looming water shortage in and around Bengaluru, IT Capital of India.

India Cements as a responsible corporate citizen

India Cements is always committed to the cause of sustainable development through a slew of measures taken for preserving and protecting natural resources, improvement of environment, bio diversity, and mines rehabilitation. It has been implementing a number of greener initiatives in and around the cement plants in the form of green belt development through mass tree plantation, rain water harvesting, water conservation etc.

As part of this committment, Coromandel Cares, an initiative from the House of India Cements, has unveiled a  Green initiatives for individual home builders in Bengaluru, Mysore.

The Initiative was launched in Bengaluru on  5.8.2019. Marketing team of India Cements visited dealer points and distributed seed balls. Company will provide expert advice on building Rainwater Harvesting structures to individual home builders in Bengaluru and Mysore regions.

Coromandel cements from The House of  India Cements, one of the largest cement manufacturers in the country, has launched this green  initiative, styled Coromandel Cares  in  the wake of depleting ground water, water crisis and in the  light  of growing  public awareness for  making the cities of Bengaluru and Mysore green. 

India Cements, which is marketing its cement under the most popular brand, Coromandel King, has launched Coromandel Cares, which will act as a platform for running go green campaigns in Bengaluru and Mysore.

As part of the initiative, Coromandel Cares will reach out to individuals building independent homes and provide them seed balls for growing trees in their new dream homes. It will also offer expert advice to them in building rainwater harvesting structures in their homes for water conservation under the guidance of renowned Scientist Rainman S.Kumar based in Bengaluru. 

This information on the initiatives of Coromandel Cares will be available on our website (www.coromandelcares.org) and social media pages (facebook and instagram). The social media pages will provide you with information and tips on how to be part of this essential movement. The website will have solutions and options to reach out to us and our experts to learn how we can be of assistance to you.

Coromandel Cares will utilise the services of influencers like its dealers, stockists, contractors and masons and experts in environment protection in running the campaigns on a sustainable basis in these regions. 

Launching the green initiative in Bengaluru on Monday,  Mr. Ramesh B , President (Sales & Marketing), India Cements said, “As part of this unique initiative, we will   partner with events and activities that promote on a sustainable basis rain water harvesting and go green campaigns to create public awareness”

Eminent Scientist and water Management Advisor, A.R.Sivakumar (Rainman S.Kumar) said, the Initiative of ‘Coromandel Cares’ to green the city with its Seed Bomb campaign and promotion of Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) with scientific and cost effective interventions for water conservation is a welcome gesture from a corporate house. Participatory approach and incentives from ‘Coromandel Cares’ in addressing the environment protection and sustainable development will encourage house and apartment builders to adopt greener initiatives.

Mr. Anilkumar P, Sr. V.P, heading Sales in Karnataka and Kerala said “Our entire team which includes employees, channel partners and influencers are equally excited about the project and we are overwhelmed by their response. We are committed to a sustainable development and we are sure the Coromandel Cares initiative will have a meaningful impact and we are more than happy to contribute our bit to the cities we all love.”

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. R Sankaran Unni Sr. General Manager, Marketing and Business Development, said “We want to move beyond sales promotion.  At the heart of this initiative is a glimpse of our commitment to our stakeholders.  The Coromandel Cares team will support all individual independent new home builders with counselling on rainwater harvesting.  We will focus on Bengaluru and Mysore to begin with. Our dealer network will have seed balls and people can use it for growing native trees in their new homes.”

From Left: Anilkumar P. ,Ramesh B, , A.R.Sivakumar and Sankaran Unni R during the media conference organised in Bengaluru on 5.8.2019 for unveiling the green initiative of Coromandel Cares

 

B.Ramesh, President, Marketing, India Cements, distributing seed balls to a dealer in Bengaluru on 5.8.2019

It was a proud moment for me (V. Balasubramanian,VP, Corp. Com, India Cements)  joining the occasion.

 Accompanying photos show the environment friendly initiatives by the cement plants of India Cements

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Unique Qualities of N Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman & MD, India Cements

13.1.2019   

 Unique Qualities of Shri N Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman & MD, India Cements

V. Balasubramanian

Mr. N. Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, India Cements and an excellent sports administrator   is blessed with so many unique qualities that are reflected in his multi-faceted roles and positions. He has a blend of soft and strong qualities for overcoming any situation.

I would like to share his unique qualities compiled by me for the benefit of employees of India Cements, his admirers and well-wishers.

Qualities as an Individual:

Soft qualities

He is a frank and open person, a Man of few words, soft spoken, calm, very humble, sincere, very kind hearted and a true human being.  Hardly is he seen tense, losing his cool. Always known for the   passion for the job he is doing.

Religious person, God fearing. Whenever he finds time, he visits temples, places of worship, Sringeri Acharya Guru

Strong qualities

Very bold, courageous, fighter, determined to pursue and achieve his goals, He used to say, “if we do not commit any mistake, we get that courage. If you are clean, you can stand up and face any problem”.

He never likes to speculate and likes to live in the present. “Life teaches you a lesson every day”, he used to say philosophically.

He is not a typical South Indian, who is perceived as sober, risk averse, conservative, less aggressive person. Mr. Srinivasan is simple and humble but at the same time very bold, aggressive. In 2014, TOI Sunday Times carried an article on the transformation of Madras to Chennai in 375 years. The writer, Anwar Alikhan asks If Chennai was to be a brand with whom he will identify it. After throwing some names, he selects Mr. Srinivasan and slightly modifies the quote of US president T Roosevelt,” talk softly, carry a big stick, you will go far”.  What the writer implies in my opinion is to show Srinivasan’s tactics of caution, no aggression but able to hit back if required.

National interest tops his mind

He is a nationalist in his outlook, be it industry, business or sports. National interest tops his mind and gets priority. Examples:   1. Ensuring industrial peace in cement industry since 1992 by helping the Companies and the industry body, CMA to amicably reach a negotiated wage settlement with unions through collective bargaining. 2. Batting for the interest of cement industry at the State and national level, educating them on the importance of fair price for cement (he used to say cement costs less per kg than brinjal). 3. How he fought with the mighty ICC in getting a fair deal for India via structural changes  4. How he distributed the BCCI money ( lying idle in banks) as pension and other benefits for cricketers and for the welfare of former cricketers.

As an industrialist, business leader, Corporate CEO

He is a natural leader. Rich knowledge (50 years) on cement industry, technically strong, Known for his business acumen, sharp business sense, friendly but competitive. keen listener, he is ahead of time,  very pragmatic, positive in approach, hands on person, motivates by example, leads from the front. He is not for taking views or what is said at face value. He would like to apply his mind and find out the other views.

Examples:   When the cement market faced a long slump, he decided to meet dealers, stockists to understand the actual situation and tell dealers about their long association with India Cements, strength of Company brands like Sankar, Coromandel and Raasi, importance of fair price in the interest of dealers and their business etc. The meetings have given   an opportunity for top company officials to travel with him to the markets and see the love and affection poured on him by them.

Again when everyone predicted the worst for cement market and real estate sector due to demonetisation in November 2016, he decided to visit the traders, met over 100 dealers, stockists, listened to them and gave them tips to cope with the situation. This served a big motivation for Company marketing team and stockists.  He also met investors and FIIs and explained the company’s focus on cost control.

Perhaps, he is the only CEO to have visited over 100 stock points to assess the situation of note ban at the ground level. He termed this as an example of out of box thinking, to be a game changer at the business conclave organised by Shriram College of Commerce, Delhi on Feb 7, 2017.

A father figure for India Cements,  employees  

He is a  father figure for the organisation and employees. The level of trust and faith he is having on employees is something unique which one has to experience to believe that. Again, he is not known for doing micro management. According to him, “essence of management is management. It is the art of delegation. One must realise that he cannot do the job of someone below him. Delegate, give support and apply your mind on these lines. You will not have difficulty in managing any situation”, he used to emphasis.

He told students of Shriram college, “ If I have learnt anything in the last 40- 50 years of my experience  in business ( I am an engineer, studied management and used to read lot of management books) , it is that ultimately there are two ingredients to success. One is that you must have focus on what you are doing, keep an eye on the  ball, know what you are doing, be it job or sport. Second, there is no substitute to hardwork, nothing comes easy in this world, there is no free lunch”.

Mr. Srinivasan will advise everyone to give time for their health and for their family. it is always his pleasure to visit plants and meet our people and their families. When long serving employees retire, he will personally see the settlement benefits and revise them much to the pleasant surprise of employees. He will ask them with concern if they have adequate income for their livelihood.

As a journalist of Economic Times, I wrote in the early nineties, when India Cements had to reduce its excess workforce, Mr. Srinivasan worked out a novel VRS scheme by which the money will be deposited in a bank account so that it is not spent immediately by them and instead their family secured a regular income. It was widely appreciated. Later,  in a rare, unique gesture, he introduced a health benefit scheme for retired employees by which every year their medical bills are reimbursed by the Company up to certain limit.

Favours professional management of family run businesses

He strongly believes in professional management. He used to say when a person from the family runs the business; he will think business 24x7. His view is that family run professionally managed business is always a winning combination.

Believes in doing CSR activities quietly

Mr. Srinivasan is very generous and a great philanthropist. India Cements has been supporting CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities for a long time now, even before it was made mandatory by law. The Company has touched lives of people through schools, college, polytechnic, sports facilities, temple renovations, free cataract surgeries, spectacles, free meals, old age homes and sponsoring visit to pilgrim centres by aged couples.

His view on CSR is “Do as much as possible, but do not talk about it”.

Managing Challenges, tough situations

He faced the tough times in business life and as sports administrator. Perhaps, his outstanding human qualities and as an excellent sportsperson (since his young age as tennis champion) helped him to face the challenges, the tough situations and he used them as opportunities to succeed in his endeavours. 

When asked what keeps you going, he has said, “I am a sportsperson. First thing we were taught is victory and defeat are part of your game. When you have to survive, you will find a way to survive”, pointing out that victory and defeat are two sides of the same coin.

Examples: he his lost father in 1968 and  had to return from his higher studies in the USA to take up a prime position in India Cements at the young age of 23.  Srinivasan used the opportunity to work for the company in the difficult period when there were price and capacity controls, licensing raj etc. Again, he had to be away from the Company for ten years from 1979 to 1989 when there was a dispute between the promoters and institutions were managing the affairs of India Cements.

  

 When he returned to lead the company again in 1989, it coincided with full de- control of cement and reform age in 1991. He used the opportunity for the rapid expansion of capacity through a series of M & As and capacity addition.

In 2001-06, when he was politically targeted by the rulers (AIADMK) through  double taxation on cement, price controls, he remained cool. That time, he has said in an interview to ET, “When I faced the worst political ambush (during the Aiadmk regime in 2001-06) I had accepted it as part of my life. No B school will teach you on political management. You have to deal with it”.

Again, when company incurred loss, debts mounted, there were pressures from fund bodies, and he worked a way out through CDR and scripted the turnaround of company.

Boldly faced the trial by media in IPL time

When he faced the trial by media and courts, he was in headlines for more than days, national channels targeted him, he remained cool, did not budge, did not yield to their pressure, faced them boldly. Told them, “   I have not committed any mistake, my conscience is clear”. He used the time to concentrate more on the company business. 

This helped a lot Company and senior management team in coping with the situation. When he was proved right by the verdict from Courts, people admired him for his boldness and straightforwardness. He was delightfully greeted by people, known and unknown, whenever he visited temples, airports, railway stations and while going for walk as his daily routine.  It was awesome to see those taking selfies with him.

Relevant quotes for reflecting his unique qualities

I would like to give below some highly relevant quotes which reflect the unique qualities of Mr. Srinivasan.

“Strong persons are those, who in spite of repeated obstacles persist in their endeavour until successful completion”. ( Bhartrihari’s Neeti Shaktakam).

“With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity”. (Author, Keshavan Nair)

Full of Faith

"He who has faith has an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness and assuring trust that all will come out well- even though to rest of the world it may appear to come out most badly". (BC Forbes)

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Dr. Palani G Periasamy, Chairman, PGP group turns 80

6.1.2019

Dr. Palani G. Periasamy, eminent Economist, Successful NRI industrialist.

V. Balasubramanian

Dr. Palani G Periasamy, my long time good Industrialist friend celebrated his 80th Birth Day on January 5, 2019. He invited me for the special function organised in his five star hotel, Hotel Le Royal Meridien, Chennai.

I took my time off to join the celebration and conveyed my best wishes to him on achieving the big milestone in his life and leading many more years of healthy life.

I am with Dr. Palani Periasamy in 2005 during an event organised by Economic Times in Hotel Le Royal Meridien, Chennai

I am with Dr.Periasamy on 5.1.2019 during the special function held in the hotel for celebrating his 80th Birth Day.

 PGP Group Chairman,  Dr. Palani G Periasamy is completing 80 years on  12^th January 2019 and the  milestone in his life was celebrated  at a special function on Saturday, the 5^th January 2019 at Hotel Le Royal Meridien, Chennai.

A ‘Coffee Table Book / Souvenir’ containing the photographs, documents and memories of his eventful life of eight decades was released on the occasion.

Experts from different fields and his long time friends spoke on the occasion and praised his coming up in his life in a hard way, hailing from  a small village in Namakkal district and his  humility.

After his post graduation in Economics, he visited USA and pursued his teaching career. Later, he promoted his business ventures and invested greenfield projects in mid- eighties.

Behind his big success in business is his wife, Mrs. Visalakshmi Periasamy, very soft spoken and humble woman.

During my 23 years of working in Economic Times, Chennai as a Senior Business Journalist, I was fortunate to have known  Chairman and interviewed him  and written a number of articles on the glorious growth journey of PGP Group, covering its businesses like sugar ( Dharani Sugars), finance, hospitality\tourism, real esate apart from its rich  contribution in the field of  higher education and for  community development.

As a learned economist and a NRI leading industrialist, Dr. Periasamy used to articulate very well his views  on the State of Economy,  business\expansion plans of group companies, means of financing and the important role of NRIs in nation building. He has ably represented the cause of sugar industry and hospitality\tourism sector before Tamil Nadu Government and Official agencies.

Dr. Periaswamy is known for his warmth and friendly approach to media persons and expressing his free and frank opinion on matters of national interest. He is one of the very few successful NRI industrialists, who has invested in greenfield projects in Tamil Nadu and has been integral  part of  India growth story over the last three decades.

Along with his NRI friends, he ventured to promote his first business- Dharani Sugars and Chemicals in the Eighties when the Central Government and MGR Govt in TN encouraged the setting up of more mills in the private sector. 

Since then the group has expanded its business interests with fresh investments and creating employment opportunity for a large number of people.

One remarkable  incident I would like to record here is  that in In early 2000 , he worked hard through day and night for commissioning his dream project- the five star hotel at Guindy in Chennai. When the hotel was ready for inauguration, the Global hotel chain with which his Appu Hotels had tied up for management of the hotel, called off the tie up.

Dr.Periasamy and his team swung into action to sign up with another global chain,  Le Meridien and it had  also for the first time extended its luxury brand, Royal for the Chennai hotel , which over the years has become a big pride of Chennai. Later, he launched the second hotel project near Coimbatore with Le Meridien.

I always fondly recall and cherish my wonderful days in The Economic Times and the lasting friendship I have with good industrialist friends like PGP.

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Book on N. Srinivasan, Vice- Chairman & MD, India Cements

5.1.2019

The India Cements Ltd released a Coffee Table Book on the seven decades of growth Journey and 50 years of Association of Mr. N.Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director with the Company

" It is my dream project, proud moment in my second innings with India Cements"

V. Balasubramanian

My joy knew no bounds on 28.12.2018 when the Coffee Table Book from India Cements was released at a colourful function. It was a proud moment in my second innings with this great organisation. I worked so hard with lot of passion in the last two years in bringing out the book with the blessing of our beloved MD and support of top management.

As a journalist of 35 years experience, i focused on collecting information and photos relating to Company, hundreds of photos, doing interviews,  preparing write ups and sharing them with the book writer, going through the drafts with the management, cross verifying the information and data and working with the designer on the project. 

The Book, highlights the growth journey of Company over the last seven decades and  chronicles the 50 (1968-2018) years of proud association of Mr. N. Srinivasan, Vice- Chairman & Managing Director,  with the Company and the remarkable journey of both in the development and administration of sport.

The book, written by Ms.Kalyani Candade, a professional writer, and designed by Malvika Mehra, was released by Thiru Edappadi K Palaniswami, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at a big function in the evening  at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai  on 28.12.2018.

The first copy was received by Chennai Super Kings Captain, M S Dhoni.

 The function  was attended by a galaxy of cricketers including legendary captains of India,   Ministers, top officials, bankers, CEOs of cement Companies, captains of industry from Tamil Nadu and other parts of India,  Sports administrators, sports persons , political leaders, Trade union leaders,  senior executives and employees of India Cements, dealers, vendors and suppliers.

  

The galaxy of legendary cricketers present on the occasion spoke volume of contribution of India Cements to the game of cricket.

MD as Tennis champion 

Thr year 2018 marked 50 years since Srinivasan returned from his higher studies in the USA to take pivotal position in India Cements in early 1968 after the sudden demise of  his father, T S Narayanaswami.

 In highlighting 50 years of association of  Srinivasan with the organisation, the book has rightly captured his many facets as a sportsman, an able sports administrator, a die-hard industrialist, a lovable  family man, a gold hearted philanthropist and the great institutions he has  built.

The book captures the childhood days of Srinivasan, his shining star as a Tennis Champion at the age of 16, his joining the Company in 1968 at the age of 23, how he fought the takeover of India Cements by ITC in early eighties, his return in September 1989 as MD, the series of takeovers he made, his steering various industry bodies like CMA, Madras Chamber, FICCI, All India Employers' Organisation, sports bodies like TNCA, BCCI, ICC, TN Golf Federation, All India Chess Federation, birth of Chennai Super Kings and CSR activities of India Cements.

MD's daughter, Mrs. Rupa Gurunath, Whole Time Director,  belonging to the third generation, said,” India Cements is fortunate to have a visionary at its helm. ICL and my father have always been ahead of their times. Pushing boundaries, challenging convention, defying the paradigm time and again. 50 years of an extraordinary journey.  As we face the next decade, we will continue the quest”

The book narrates  the journey of India Cements, starting with the birth of the company in 1946 in pre independent India. It talks of the dynamic role played by the founders in the industrial resurgence in free India.

It further goes on to capture the essence of the man that is Srinivasan, his struggles and triumphs in building up the India Cements Limited, and the remarkable journey of both in the development and administration of sport. It talks of the triumphant journey from TNCA all the way upto ICC and the birth of Chennai Super Kings.

Proud History of India Cements

The Chennai based India Cements has a proud history and heritage. It  was founded in 1946 by two visionary founders and enterprising entrepreneurs - SNN Sankaralinga Iyer (1901-1972) and TS Narayanaswami (1911-1968) when political freedom was around the corner.

The company was indeed a pioneer enterprise during the pre-independence era to become a public limited company. Its first annual report appeared on April 21, 1947.

The Founders had the courage and confidence to go in for a public issue of Rs 1 crore in 1946 (which was oversubscribed) even before India gained independence. It was a courageous challenge to start and run a cement company in the World War years, when even the smallest spare part had to be shipped all the way from Denmark.

The journey started with a cement factory in Talaiyuthu, an almost unmapped tiny village in Tirunelveli, which over the years grew to become a self-contained township at Sankarnagar.

From modest beginnings in 1949, when Sankar Cement made its first appearance in the market, India Cements has grown hugely in stature and reputation into a multifaceted organisation.

India Cements has been an integral part of the Century old Indian cement industry that made its humble beginning in 1914. If the independent era opened up new vistas of opportunities for the cement industry with emphasis on growth and infrastructure development, the complete decontrol on cement in 1989 and the economic liberalisation in 1991 have accelerated the industry’s growth.

Shri T. S. Narayanaswami, at the helm of India Cements was constantly looking for new worlds to conquer. In addition to expanding cement capacity by setting up the second plant at Sankaridurg in Salem, he had the knack of spotting opportunities and forayed into shipping, aluminum, chemicals and plastics. In fact, he founded the first shipping company in the south through South India Shipping Corporation.

Building on the strong foundation laid by the Founders, the Company has rapidly grown in the last two decades through a series of brownfield and greenfield expansions, contributing significantly to building a stronger India. The premium brands of the Company are proudly associated with many landmark projects.

Rapid growth under the leadership of MD

The growth of the company after total decontrol in 1989 can be directly traced to the dynamic leadership of Mr. N. Srinivasan, his vision and intuitive knowledge of the market.

Under his dynamic leadership India Cements has grown from two plants with a capacity of 1.3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in 1989 to 10 cement plants with a capacity of 15.55 MTPA and  has transformed the company into one of the top 10 cement companies in the country.

Sporting Tradition

The book also highlights the long sporting tradition of India Cements since early sixties and its  rich contribution to the development of sports and sports persons.

India Cements’ journey with cricket started as early as 1965 with one cricket team, “Jolly Rovers”. The legacy of the 60s continued to fuel the passion for cricket that burnt higher and stronger in later years.

Srinivasan’s journey to the apex body of international cricket began one  afternoon in 1995 when he decided to contest in the TNCA elections and lost. It was a challenge he couldn’t walk away from.

It was the beginning of a very remarkable journey, one that changed not only the way the game was played but added immeasurably to the fundamentals that defined cricket at that time : infrastructure, player well being and opportunities for players to grow. As Vice President and later as President of TNCA he ushered in many significant changes that would translate into better cricket and greater opportunities for new talent. His capability and vision didn’t go unnoticed. He then went on to join the BCCI as treasurer in 2005.

During his tenure in BCCI, the board saw a slew of reforms that transformed the face of the game in the country. In 2014 he went on to become the Chairman of the restructured ICC. As head of the board of directors, it was a powerful role and the BCCI was put at the forefront of world cricket.

CSR activities of India Cements

As a responsible corporate citizen, India Cements has been supporting CSR activities for a long time now, even before it was made mandatory by law.  As highlighted in the book, the Company has cared for welfare of its employees, touched lives of people in and around the plants through schools, college, polytechnic, sports facilities, temple renovations, building shelters, sports infrastructure, providing drinking facilities, conducting health camps, free cataract surgeries, free spectacles, free meals, old age homes and sponsoring visit to pilgrim centres by aged couples.

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