Mr. Dilip Keshary
October 28, 2022
“Global inflation and rising input cost are some of the major concerns in our line of business. Also, uncertainty in the global and local economies due to the geopolitical situation caused by the Russia-Ukraine war has impacted global business, including us too,” says Country Manager, India, Novacel, Dilip Keshary in conversation with Supriya Sundriyal, Corporate Communications. Read what Dilip has to say about the rising commodity price, sustainability, and the future of the materials market.
Please tell us about yourself.
While I was born in Patna, I have grown up in different parts of India since my father had a transferable job. I have done my schooling from a boarding school in the Darjeeling district. Then I moved to Patna to complete my graduation. Post that, I moved to Mumbai to study MBA in Marketing and Finance from SIES College of Management Studies, Navi Mumbai.
I started my career with Bio Pac India Ltd. Then I moved to Frigoglass India, a global leader in cold merchandise, in 2001 and worked there for 3 years taking care of Sales & Service for Western, Central & South India. Later, I joined Avery Dennision India Pvt. Ltd. in 2005 and took care of Gujarat and Mumbai markets for almost 4 years.
I joined Novacel S.A.S in 2008 as a Country Manager, India, and have been working with them since then as Business Head of India. I look after the entire business operations with a sharp focus on business development and service. I aspire to scale up our business in India in a stable and sustainable way. We are giving special attention to sustainability and working to offer sustainable products from our range.
Some of my hobbies include travelling and exploring new places, gardening, listening to light Indian and Western music, and indulging myself in fitness programme to keep myself physically and mentally agile.
How does Novacel help its clients in overcoming daily industrial challenges?
Novacel believes in interacting with its clients on a regular basis, understanding their business and requirements, and offering them the right solution. We have always been very closely associated with clients and have developed several products and services that meet their requirements.
Sustainability is the need of the hour and we at Novacel, are coming up with products that leave a minimal carbon footprint, thereby providing a greener environment for future generations. We have been constantly working towards sustainability and have developed our Oxygen Range of Products that are environment-friendly. These grades will leave around 15% to 30% less carbon footprint. Moreover, sustainability is also a big subject matter at Jindal Stainless as seen and heard in the Partner’s Meet. We are sure that our synergies will further help in partnering with them in a more efficient manner and meeting the target set by Jindal Stainless.
What are the challenges that you face in your line of business?
At present, we do not have a manufacturing facility or a service centre in India. Therefore, an immediate demand from customers becomes challenging for us. However, we are working towards it and hope to resolve this issue soon by coming up with a local setup in the near future.
Other than that, global inflation and rising input cost are some of the major concerns. Also, uncertainty in the global and local economies due to the geopolitical situation caused by the Russia-Ukraine war has impacted global business, including us too. Additionally, global supply chain, credit markets, new regulations by different countries, COVID-19, and post-pandemic effects are also some of the issues.
When and how did your journey with Jindal Stainless begin? What sets us apart from others?
Novacel’s journey with Jindal Stainless began some 20 years back. We have been regularly supplying Process Film for different applications to Jindal Stainless. This dates back to even before the Jajpur plant became operational. We work very closely with Jindal Stainless and its customers to understand their requirements, new developments, and technical input required from time to time for the development of new products.
Jindal Stainless works in a very systematic and structured way. It gives us an approximate forecast of their consumption for the year and this is reworked every quarter too. This allows us to plan the requirement and execute it as per demand. Jindal Stainless also believes in constant innovation and new developments and we align well to develop the right solutions as per the market demand.
Your view on the materials market and how it will shape up in the future?
India’s growth story is evident from its numbers. In fact, our nation’s domestic demand is still as good. Therefore, the metal market prospect for the future also looks fulfilling at this point. India is the second-largest producer of crude steel as of April 2022. It is also the third largest producer of stainless steel and a major contribution comes from Jindal Stainless.
Indian Steel Industry is modern with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and is constantly upgrading the old facilities too with high energy efficiency.
Owing to a lot of investment in the metal industry, we are hopeful that it will only shine in the years to come.
