Omkar Singh
September 7, 2019
From a steel welder to a Senior Engineer at Arttd’inox, Mr Omkar Singh’s life story is like no other! Compassionate, caring and consistent, Mr Singh has moved beyond comfort, and brought in innovative approaches to enhance business at every step of his career. His story is proof of the pudding that the real essence of any brand lies in something beyond the design – its people, who breathe life into it. Remarked as the main pillar of the company, Mr Singh, who once was a shop floor welder, now leads a team of over 55 people.
Tell Us About Your Life Before You Joined JSL Lifestyle Ltd.
Before ‘Lifestyle’ happened to me, my lifestyle was quite different! I hail from Gaon Hazara in the Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh. I come from a land-tilling and farming family, with four sisters and one brother. My aim was to pursue something non-agricultural to make ends meet for my family. This is why I joined a welding course in a Polytechnic college in Mainpuri. After that, I got an apprenticeship in Control & Switchgear Limited, Noida, in 1997 where I did welding on jewel work for one year. After that, I started working in a Korean company, in Delhi where I assembled automobile steering parts.
So, How Did You Land Up In JSL Lifestyle And How Has The Journey Been?
It’s quite a funny story, actually. Some may even call it fate or destiny. When I was working in the Korean company, business started dwindling because the engines that used to come from Korea stopped entering our country after the Kargil War. So, we had to pick up odd jobs at the company to keep it running. Sometimes I had a shift at the pantry to serve tea, and sometimes I got the reception job. In August 2002, it was one of those days when I was stationed at the reception when I received a call from a placement agency informing me that there was a position open for welders in JSL Lifestyle. I grabbed that opportunity by its collar, and have fortunately never looked back since then! It’s been an incredible experience here, and in the past 18 years, I have never said the words – ‘I cannot do this, or I did not do this’ to my superiors. There have been no complaints from either side of the work ladder and I am truly grateful for that. In 2006, I was made the Production Supervisor and in 2010, I became the Senior Executive, which was mainly a problem-solving role. I’m now a Senior Engineer, managing a large team and my professional growth trajectory fills me with gratitude.
Would you like to share some memorable experiences at JSL Lifestyle?
All the work we do here is target-based. There have been two such memorable experiences that are the highlight of my career here. In 2014, when we received a Handi (deep bowl) order from Whirlpool worth 1.6 lakh, we faced a lot of manufacturing difficulties initially in making the customized product. It was then that I suggested that we should install a die to cut the metal accordingly, and our production instantly doubled! Another memorable experience was when we received a coaster order from IKEA. We got a shot blasting machine from Jodhpur especially for this, but because the coasters were as light as 30gms, the coaster kept flying off because of the machine’s pressure. When I suggested the idea to use magnets to keep the coasters in place, we were able to complete the target on time. The other highlight of my work here is the ‘Chai pe Charcha’ session I do with my team every day. We huddle up for our morning tea together for exactly ten minutes before starting our work where we identify the pain points from the work we did the day before and come up with solutions to problems together.
What Do You Like To Do In Your Spare Time?
My favorite way to spend time after office is to read news on International Relations. How Russia keeps relations with Israel and how India maintains diplomatic relations with other countries is what fascinates me the most. Apart from that, I can listen to Mohammad Rafi songs any time of the day.
What Is Your Message To The Jindal Stainless Family?
Just before I joined this company, my family was going through turbulent times. Shortly after my father passed away, all three of my cows fell sick and died one after the other. The boring machine burst and the tube well also gave up. After I joined JSL Lifestyle, things started recovering at home, both financially and emotionally. I consider this company lucky for me. That is why, even though my salary here was less at that time, I did not deflect to any other company. I received a lot of offers from smaller and newer companies, but my motto was to stick it out in this company. And lo and behold, this company sure knows how to give back to its most dedicated employees. So, my message to my fellow colleagues and my entire Stainless family is – do not run after money. Focus on how you can stay in this company and put all your energy into bettering this company. You will surely be rewarded in due time. Sometimes, smaller companies offer more money, but that is only for a short time. The long term strategy is to be loyal to one place.
“Being in the Arttd’inox Brand Team from a long time, Mr Singh has understood each and every product operation in depth. He now works as a Senior Engineer in the brand team, where he constantly works towards improving quality and capability for the Arttd’inox production team. He is an asset to our organization. – Puneet Sachdeva, Deputy Manager, Arttd’inox”
“When anybody in the office takes his name, we know it surely must be a welding-related doubt. He is the welding expert here! His values align with that of the company. I have trusted him with countless bulk orders and have never had to follow-up with him. It’s never been a 9-5 job for him, as he puts his soul in the work. I have definitely learnt a lot from him too. – Vijay Arya, Plant Head, JSL Lifestyle”
