Mr Sanjay Desai
January 27, 2023
“One of the biggest challenges that businesses face today is carbon emissions. The need of the hour is to reduce carbon footprints and pollution levels, and ensure judicious use of the natural resources,” says Chairman and Managing Director, Regreen Excel EPC India Pvt. Ltd., Sanjay Desai. Sanjay also talks about how ethanol can help in achieving the Net Zero target and act as an alternate biofuel.
Please tell us about yourself.
I was born in 1967 in a farming village called Hangal in Karnataka. I was always an eager student and inclined towards Mathematics and Science. I used to spend a lot of time reading about new topics and would always question everything around me. My brain was never at rest. And as they say – never lose your curious mind. I took this suggestion quite seriously and still pester people with my inquisitiveness.
It was my curiosity that led me to choose a career that is ever-evolving, and therefore I decided to opt for engineering. I completed B. Tech in chemical engineering in the year 1989 from the Rural Engineering College, Karnataka. Post that, I completed my M. Tech in Chemical Plant Design in the year 1991 from Regional Engineering College Surathkal, Karnataka.
I started off as a Trainee Engineer with Praj Industries Ltd. in the year 1991, worked there for five years, and was promoted to Assistant Manager by the time I left the organization. My first job taught me to always trust my gut but always listen to the teammates. During my tenure of five years here, I handled around 50 domestic and international projects.
After a brief stint as Project Management Advisor for various South East Asia regions, I became the Director and Shareholder of KBK Chem Engineering Ltd Pune.
Currently, I am the Chairman and Managing Director of Regreen Excel, a technology solution provider in the field of distillery, Biofuel, sugar, cogeneration, water, wastewater, and renewable energy industry. I have more than three decades of experience in providing ultra-modern and state-of-the art energy efficient technologies to various industries. And through Regreen Excel, we will continue to do so.
What is the one major challenge that manufacturing businesses face today?
One of the biggest challenges that businesses face today is carbon emissions. The need of the hour is to reduce carbon footprints and pollution levels, ensuring judicious use of natural resources and we at Regreen Excel EPC India Pvt. Ltd. are bringing new advances in Ethanol manufacturing with our E-max technology and its version. Taking a step ahead, we are working hard to make the Ethanol process itself green with reduced use of water and energy consumption. We have been striving to continuously improve the performance benchmarks of the industry in terms of efficiency, quality of product & by-products, steam & power usage, water consumption, and zero liquid discharge norms by providing cutting-edge “E-max” technology solutions from time to time.
Why do you think Ethanol has a promising future as an alternate biofuel?
Rising energy demand and high crude imports are creating pressure on the import-export of raw materials. The increasing use of fossil fuels also leads to increased carbon emissions and pollution. To maintain the natural resource balance, one has to switch to alternative sources of energy. In the current scenario, we can see Ethanol as a very promising alternate biofuel. The use of ethanol will significantly reduce carbon footprint and help India in achieving its Net Zero 2070 target.
What are the noteworthy milestones of your business?
Excel has taken a major leap in terms of growth in the last few years and has crossed INR 750 crores in revenue in FY22. Moreover, existing customers as well as new project proponents are recognizing Excel’s capabilities and we are getting new project orders. Excel has pioneered technologies and accomplished many challenging projects in India and abroad. Currently, Excel enjoys more than 50% market share in India.
When and how did your journey with Jindal Stainless begin? In your opinion, what sets Jindal Stainless apart from your other customers?
Our journey with Jindal Stainless began two decades ago and it has been a great learning experience ever since. We consider Jindal Stainless as an integral part of our growth story and are grateful to be associated with them. The Company serves the best quality products with just-in-time delivery. We are confident that this partnership will only grow manifold in the years to come.
