Sujana Group – Pursues Quality of Excellence With Utmost Zeal

The present day world is one where only those who possess a clear-cut vision, insight and resolve to go ahead with changing times can survive. Where the above-mentioned qualities are lacking then the downslide starts culminating in total wipeout from the scene. Soaking in the past is good only for those who relax within the confines of four walls of a set up, in a chair, which bobs up and down and then allows for a sound sleep. Sujana Group is a corporate house, which is diametrically an opposite one, which leaves past behind and looks ahead to pursue its goals with zeal.

Added to this, it does so with the objective of excellence in mind. The avowed aim of this group is in harnessing technology to ensure quality products; the technologies are well knit with the best of processes, innovativeness, and endeavour to provide for quality of top bracket. This kind of approach has led to what one can call a steady and fine growth though hiccups were dime a dozen in between. The mission and objectives of the group is spelt out as follows:

Mission

• To achieve global standards of excellence in manufacturing and trading in various range of products and appliances in domestic and international markets, caring for customer satisfaction.
• To create infrastructure with a skilled human resource and modern technological base for development of business.
• To register growth step by step and develop strategies to face new challenges in a liberalised market economy and globalisation.
• To generate adequate return on investment to meet the interests of shareholders and investors by achieving high standards of productivity and quality.
• To enrich and enhance employees growth and contribution by fostering the group’s corporate culture, values and ethos.

Objectives

• To maintain smooth and uninterrupted supply of products by keeping adequate inventories and stocks to ensure product availability in all markets.
• To optimise utilisation of existing infrastructure and operate at installed capacities in order to maximise production and enhance efficiency.
• To shore up manpower skills and technical expertise aimed at self-reliance, implementation of expansion programmes and diversification plans.

Core Strength

The company has people on its Board of Directors who are eminently qualified and experienced, who are well versed with the intricacies of the business work approach. The managerial and executive level staffs are, manned by dynamic persons who are efficient and quick thinking and assess the needs of both shareholders and customers with alacrity.

Strategic Planning

Quality Production does not come through easily or just like that. It involves sharp and methodical strategic plan work before reaching the same. The path to the same has been through upheavals, daunting ones at that too. Nevertheless the same has been worth it and as on date resulted in the yield of the desired fruits. With this confidence, the group has gained strength to diversify into newer areas.

The Group As It Is

Sujana Group of Companies embraces Sujana Industries Ltd, Sujana Metal Products Ltd, and Padmini Corporation Ltd. It also comprises of the two joint-venture companies, Sujana Power (Tuticorin) Ltd, and Sujana Power (Gangikondan) Ltd.

Sujana Industries Limited

This company is termed as the torchbearer of the group. It comprises of four divisions: Domestic Appliances, Bearings, Castings, and international trade. The company started off in the year 1986, has come a long way and has a fair name among its shareholders, customers and vendors alike.

Its Domestic Appliances Division deals with manufacture of two premier products, which are stated to be among the largest selling ones in South India- “Padmini” Ceiling Fan and “Zephyre” Designer Fan. Not only they have a good market in South India but also they have made their presence in 15 other nations. Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore, has put its approval seal on “Padmini” Fans. The successful presence and approval of the above two fans has encouraged the company to venture into other areas. They are Exhaust, Table and Pedestal fans, Electric Irons, Immersion Heaters, Juice Mixer Grinders, Air-Coolers, and Air-Conditioners and so on.

The Bearings Division churns out high quality and taper roller bearings with the help of the most up-to-date technology and machinery imported from advanced equipment manufacturers from USA, Japan and Germany. To add teeth to further better quality, strict on-line tests at each and every stage completes the round up. The company earned spurs in the year 1999 when the coveted ISO 9002 certificate was given by a reputed agency from USA. In addition, its products were accredited by SGS India, a national certification agency. The division is stretching out into value-added products such as pump automobiles, clutch release bearings and so on.

The Castings Division manufactures Grey Iron Castings, Alloy Cast Iron and Mechanite Castings and ductile castings. The division is also into manufacture of special cast iron which is used by its sister concern Sujana Metal Products Limited.

Finally, the International Trade Division deals with merchant exports of cotton and synthetic yarn, stone products, and marine products, light engineering goods, bulk commodities and so on. The products are exported to the Middle East, Far East, SAARC Countries, and the African Continent.

Sujana Metal Products Limited

The company took off with two re-rolling mills and one furnace unit. As on date, it holds two divisions: Re-rolling and Towers.

The Re-rolling divisionis host to some of the very best state-of-the-art technology which assures the production of high quality products. Moreover the products goes through three-tier testing process, that is, at the raw material stage, online testing during production stage and finally inspection of physical and chemical properties of finished products. The products can be categorised into - structural steel products and the construction steel products -. Its range can be put in the form of high quality angles, bars, rounds, squares, and beams. The products have won over many valued customers such as its own competitors as TISCO and SAIL and others as L&T, ABB, SESA Goa Ltd, GVK Group, Zuari Cement, Rajashree Cements and various State Electricity boards. The products are also exported to Sri Lanka, Middle East and other nations. The exports are sent through the company’s International Trading Operations wings.

The Towers Divisionwas set up with the avowed aim of optimum utilisation of the group’s engineering skills to produce value added products. The division deals with manufacture of electricity transmission towers and telecom towers and possesses its own galvanising plant, power presses and other machinery. Noted customers of this kind of products are APTRANSCO, Karnataka State Electricity Board, BSES, ABB, Nagarjuna Constructions Ltd, Reliance Telecom and so on.

The company has also ventured out into windmill segment, which brings to fore its commitment to provide non-conventional energy supplies to the country.

Padmini Corporation Limited

It is a subsidiary of Sujana Metal Products Limited, has a modern hot steel re-rolling mill near Chennai. It acts as a one-stop shop for steel products, which are suitable for domestic and export markets. The product range of this company is CTD Bars, Angles, Flats, Rounds, Beams, Channels, and Bright bars. The gain from this set up has been enormous; its proximity to the port of Chennai is an added factor along with usage of latest technology. The products rolled out from the set up have terrific cost advantage and this has helped the concern to have that slight upper hand over its competitors. The products have a good market in the whole of South India and are exported.

Sujana Power (Tuticorin) Limited and Sujana Power (Gangikondan) Limited

How the joint venture projects came about makes for a fascinating study and it is worth to put the same in writing. Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) organised International Competitive Bidding to set up liquid fuel power projects at 20 locations. Among the many participants was Sujana Group which won over two bids, the Tuticorin and Gangaikondan projects in the year 1997 and each of these projects were of 105 MW installed capacity.

The companies SPTL and SPGL were incorporated as special purpose power generating companies for implementation of these projects. Later on the Gangaikondan project was shifted with Tamil Nadu Government’s approval to Tuticorin. The projects are designed to operate on natural gas, naphtha, or a combination of both.

Human Resources

It is one of the top priority areas of any company and more so in today’s world. Every company harnesses human resources to the best of its abilities. This becomes all the more vital where the resources are skilled and highly innovative. The challenge lies more in retaining that skilled labour, enrich them, cultivate them, and utilise them to the best of abilities. At the same time care must be ensured that they are stretched unnecessarily. The company has a trained and skilled human resource base, which is committed to production of quality products. The company’s underlying principle has been to nurture corporate culture, values and ethos. This in turn has allowed free and innovative work culture based on daring experimentation leading to better work output and work satisfaction. An individual self worth is recognised and encouraged by way of rewards and incentives.

The work environment is friendly and the level of motivation remains on the better side. Thus the combination of latest technology plus quality skilled human resource base has worked wonders.

Work Culture

The company realises the worth of its employee, it has a system, which allows for open and across the table discussion. Allied to this, its pragmatic personnel, training and welfare policies have resulted in better and healthier employer-employee relations and facilitating better productivity.

Social Leanings

The world is divided into haves and have-nots; there is a certain percentage of population, which is deprived of decent education, Medicare, and so on. The Group realises the enormity of the same, more so in our country. To bring a wisp of smile to such unfortunate souls, the company has worked on the following:

• Eradication of the dreaded Polio.
• Helping spread the culture of literacy through education sponsorship of over 30 girl students per annum from the socially deprived section of the population. The same is dome at the college level.
• Maintains an association, which conducts sports events at both state and national levels. This in turn works with its strategy of ensuring a better sports culture.
• Contribution to National Calamities Relief Fund.
• Bringing about better awareness of Cancer, its diagnosis and treatment programme.

Diversification into New Areas

The Future beckons and this call has to be grabbed with both hands. It is also a nice feeling to enter new horizons; the group is into the same through export of fans in CHD conditions, setting up turnkey projects for bearings, domestic appliances, steel products and power generating units in third world nations. The other notable happening is acquisition of newer technologies for production of engineering products of proven quality.

Nationwide Network

The company draws its strength and appeal from a well knit and co-ordinated network of over 4000 distributors, dealers and retailers throughout the length and breadth of the nation.

Achievements

When any individual or a company takes the bull by its horn, it may result in success or failure. This company has been through both, but here it is worth detailing its successes:

• 1988 - The launch of “Padmini” brand of fans
• 1991 – Export of fans, bearings, steels, and granites takes off.
• 1994 – Sujana Industries introduces “Zephyre” range of decorative ceiling fans.
• 1994 – Sujana Metal Products Limited is, listed in the prestigious “India’s Complete Corporate Dossier” by the Financial Express.
• 1997 - The Group is allotted 2*105 MW power projects at Tuticorin and Gangaikondan, Tamil Nadu for implementation under International Competitive Bidding.
• 1998 - Sujana Industries receives ISO 9002 Certificate for Bearings Division.
• 2000 – Sujana Industries rated PR1 (adequate safety) by CARE for short-term debt instruments.
• 2001 – Sujana Power Projects receive Gas Linkage from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Contact Information

Corporate Office Address: 18, Nagarjuna Hills, Panjagutta, Hyderabad – 500082 Telephone: 3351882, 3351885, 3351887 Fax: 91-40-3350766 e-Mail: sujana@hd1.vsnl.net.inWebsite: http://www.sujana.com/

Plants Addresses: Sujana Industries Limited

Contact Person: Mr G S Raju, Managing Director

Domestic Appliances: Plot No 1B, Survey No 308, Sri Venkateswara Co-operative Industrial Estate, Jeedimetla, Hyderabad – 500055 Telephone: 3097230/ 3097231 Fax: 3097378

Bearings Unit I: Plot No B5 & 6, IDA, Gandhinagar, Kukatpally, Hyderanad – 500037 Telephone: 3078423

Bearings Unit II: Survey No 172, IDA, Bollarum, Medak District, AP, Telephone: 91279475

Sujana Metal Products Limited

Contact Person: Mr R K Birla, Director (Operations)

Castings Division – Unit I: Plot No 128/A, I.D.A., Bollarum, Medak District, AP Telephone: 91279354

Castings Division – Unit II: B-49/142, Industrial Estate, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad – 500018 Telephone: 3794653

Steel Re-rolling – Unit I & ii: Survey No 296/7/9, I.D.A., Bollarum, Medak District, Hyderabad – 502325 Telephone: 81279617

Padmini Corporation: Manjakkami Village, Uthukottai Tq, MGR District, Chennai- 601702 Telephone: +81 4116 29060/29149