Puran Singh
July 15, 2021
Head- IR & Administration,
JSL Lifestyle Ltd.
In this edition of Abhivyakti, meet Mr Puran Singh who is a Head, IR & Administration, JSL Lifestyle Ltd.. Approachable, trustworthy, and generous, that’s how people know him. During his 17 years with Jindal Stainless, he was assigned many roles but excellence and endless learning were constant in every role he undertook. Not just in the professional field, Puran is a true warrior in his personal life too! In the distressing times of the COVID-19 crisis, he helped people in his locality to get all the ammunition needed to fight this war; from oxygen cylinders to hospital beds, he did it all. Read this amazing story which will surely inspire us to become better versions of ourselves.
Tell us about your life before JSL Lifestyle.
I was born in Almora, Uttarakhand. My father was in the Indian Army. Way back, we shifted to Hisar and I completed my schooling at Hisar’s Shanti Niketan School. Then, I pursued graduation from Kurukshektra University. Later, I completed PGDM from Symbiosis University, Pune in HRM. Along with this, I pursued computer courses, tally, finance, etc for learning purposes. I have been a keen learner and my passion to serve the nation led me to explore a career in the armed forces, and I even passed the exam. However, fate had a different story planned for me and I joined Jindal Stainless.
How has the Jindal Stainless journey been for you?
I joined Jindal Stainless Architectural Division as an officer in April 2004 and late ex-CHRO, Mr S K Jain sir took my interview. The company started with 10-12 employees and the plant was situated at the Tikri border. I used to look after the HR and Accounts departments along with Industrial Relations and Administration. Learning always pays back. So what I had learned earlier, I used to implement in my job. I was looking after the payroll, tax savings, and the rest of the HR activities of the company. As the company grew, it shifted to Patherdi in 2006. Under the guidance of ex-AVP, Administration, Jindal Stainless, Mr Shanti Saxena, I got the opportunity to learn the art of effective liasoning.
After that, I came to the head office at Gurgaon and was in-charge of the Administration department. Then, I got the additional responsibility of Recruitment and Payroll. Later, I was assigned to the Pathredi plant as an Associate Manager, HR & IR. My key responsibilities were to take care of compliances, Health, Environment & Safety, and government liasoning. Then, the company merged with JSL Lifestyle Ltd. in 2015 and I was assigned the additional responsibility of Rohad Plant Industrial Relations. In 2018, I was selected to start the Chennai plant in which I worked on multiple areas like searching for a new shed, ensuring compliances with govt. departments, and we were able to start the Chennai unit within 8 months. During the same period of the Chennai factory launch, I was given additional responsibility of completing the compliances and liasoning for Jindal Advanced plant. I was also instrumental in getting NOC from the government for Jindal Stainless tower, Gurgaon. Apart from that, I look after the certification, maintenance, and administration of all the retail stores in Mumbai, Delhi, and Gurgaon.
Time passed in the blink of an eye and it is hard to believe that I have completed 17 years with this organization; I guess being happy does make time seem shorter!
Share some memorable experiences from your journey.
In 2020, during the 1st wave of COVID, the plant was restarted after the lockdown and we had huge export orders in hand and an acute shortage of polishers. The polishers had left for their hometowns and were not able to resume duty due to government restrictions. So I managed to arrange buses and govt. permissions to bring them back on the work. During the lockdown, I did lots of liasioning and used my connections to ensure that laptops/computers reach employees at their homes. There were times when I went personally to hand over the laptop so that company work doesn’t suffer. I received appreciation from my CEO for this work.
In 2021, during the 2nd wave of COVID, I delivered oxygen cylinders to employees and their families along with the COVID task force. The best experience was when I was able to save the life of one of the employee’s family members. That was an amazing experience. In 2019, MD, JSL Lifestyle Ltd, Mrs Deepika Jindal ma’am appreciated me and gave me the award for working on the Chennai plant project.
In 2019, we won the Crickennis tournament under my captaincy and it was truly an honour for me to receive the winning trophy from the Chairman.
In 2014, an employee got into an accident in the plant at midnight. There was no cab available. So I took him to the hospital on my scooter and they were able to save his fingers. So these are some unforgettable memories that I have got from Jindal Stainless.
What do you do in your spare time?
I am a fitness freak. Every day, I run 5 km without skipping a day. I spend one hour daily playing Badminton. On the weekends, I do cycling for about 40-50 km. Apart from these, I spend time with my wife and children. I do read industry–related books so that I am updated with all the latest developments.
What message do you want to convey to Jindal Stainless Family?
I believe that with teamwork and dedication, every goal is achievable. Focus and commitment also play an important role. So I would suggest that one should be focused and committed to achieve the desired personal or professional goals. Be a part of the team and learn how to live and thrive.
