blog april 2014

Balmer Lawrie & Co.Lid.

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EDITORIAL

The fourth quarter of the last financial year saw Balmer Lawrie crossing yet another significantcorporate milestone. We acquired Vacations Exotica, the premier Holidays Brand to ramp up ourtours and travel capability. This new entity has been successfully integrated into the Company asSBU: Tours Vacations Exotica. FY2013-14 was not an easy year, and the economic slumpcontinues. We hope businesses will be able to create more opportunities in the new financial year.

We brought you glimpses of the Logistics, Greases & Lubricants and Tours & Travel business unitsof the Company in the previous issues of BLOG. The focus of this issue is the IndustrialPackaging (IP) Strategic Business Unit - its history, its people and its products. Balmer Lawrie isthe country's largest manufacturer of steel drums. We have a market share of around 36% in atotal market of around 11 million steel barrels. The steel barrels market is growing at around8-10% per annum and the plastic barrels market at the rate of 12-14% per annum and thisgrowth is expected to continue. This augurs well for SBU:lndustrial Packaging!

As always, do not hesitate to send me your suggestions/feedback and contributions for the 'TalentUnlimited' column from you and your family members. You can email them tomukhopad [email protected].

INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS OF BALMER LAWRIE~ - -~~~~~~~~--~~~~~~LEADERSHIP SPEAKS

Industrial Packaging (IP) business in Balmer Lawrie dates back to the 1950s. Ithas been the leading player in this domain for a very long time in the country.Over the years the IP business has evolved from a predominantly PSU focusedorganization to a more market oriented enterprise adopting cutting edgetechnologies and environment friendly processes. Around 2008, the businesstransformed and today 80% of our customer base is in the private sector. Ibelieve that over time the customer experience has improved, although I amsure it can become even more responsive to customer needs.

lP's overall customer acquisition and retention strategy will continue to evolveand the PSU business will remain a significant area. However, with the directive

Viren Sinha to all PSUs to procure steel drums from MSMEs under the Public ProcurementChairman & Policy, we find ourselves at a crossroad, as this poses a new challenge to ourManaging Director PSU sales strategy. Our endeavor of intensive lobbying with the government islikely to partially help reverse this, and we anticipate that procurement by the Defence will be relaxedshortly. When we took the decision to set up a new High Throughput Plant (HTP) at Taloja, NaviMumbai, we were aware of this impending reservation under the Public Procurement Policy. However,we still went ahead, as we believe we will be able to maximize sales by focusing on quality and productperformance. Our commitment to scale our capacity is agnostic to this policy and is linked to potentialbusiness environment change.

In 2013-14 our volumes have been extremely good, and have touched an all-time high of over 42lakhs barrels. Profitability has been thin as margin is under pressure. The new HTP is automated and isexpected to make our products cost competitive. I encourage the IP team to ramp up their efforts tobuild a strong sales funnel to leverage its enhanced and cost efficient production capability, once thenew plant comes on stream in May this year. In the meanwhile, ERPhas been implemented in lP, andit's time to start identifying opportunities to use ERP to improve productivity and process efficiency.Scaling up capacity and making processes cost efficient alone will not be able to guarantee our growthand profitability; we need to innovate and push an aggressive new value-added product developmentstrategy to tap into the growing Indian markets.

I will particularly like to mention about the Asaoti plant. I feel very proud that this plant which was setup using old equipment, is today the .best maintained amongst all the manufacturing units in BalmerLawrie. There is learning for all manufacturing units in the organization and I encourage businessleaders to benchmark their plants with the Asaoti plant.

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INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS OF BALMER LAWRIE

I am happy to note that BLOGis featuring SBU: Industrial Packaging in this issue.

SBU: Industrial Packaging (IP) has maintained its proud tradition of being themarket leader in India over the past several decades. The SBU does howeverface challenge in market leadership by way of Government of India regulationmandating procurement of steel drums only from the MSMEsector.

The SBU in anticipation of this challenge has been working for the past severalyears towards:

i) Increasing its private sector clientele which now stands at 80% of itsvolumes.

ii) Increasing its share in the value added segment of the market whichnow constitutes 34% of its total volume.

iii) Reducing its dependence on the lubricating oil segment which isequivalent currently to 40% of its volume.

A significant achievement of the SBU has been to aggressively gain market share in the MNCcompanies and a large part of its volume is derived from these quality conscious customers who lookat cost benefit analysis during the procurement process.

The SBU has taken trial runs at the high throughput plant set up in Navi Mumbai. The results areextremely satisfactory and the new plant is poised to deliver best-in-class quality products to themarket including new products e.g. conical drums and expanded body drums.

Of significance is also the implementation of ERPsolution which is progressing in the right direction.

SBU: IP has always kept its focus on delivering value to the customer and this will stand it in goodstead in the years to come.

I wish the SBU all the success for the coming financial year. \

Anand DayalDirector[Manufacturing Businesses]

No words to express my pleasure on dedication of the theme of April2014 issue of BLOG to Industrial Packaging.

SBU (Industrial Packaging) is the market leader in the business segment.It had fuelled the growth of the organisation. It was a major profitdriver. An SBU where the people continue to be self motivated andpositive. From having just two manufacturing units, it now boasts of six.However, things have changed fast in a totally different business scenarioand the SBU is putting in all efforts to face the challenges.

The lifeline of Industrial Packaging is closely linked to the manufacturingsector growth. With the industry's total capacity of more than twice themarket requirement, the scenario is very challenging and I would saythat team IP has risen to the challenge and continues to be the market

leader. But being a market leader comes with its own dose of risks as we become the primarytarget for attack by competition. Our ability to produce volume, meet the customer's qualityrequirements and timely delivery has helped us in maintaining our pole position. However, therehas been erosion in the market share. As our major customers and vendors are giantorganisations, we are sandwiched between rising input costs and lower selling price. With morecompetitors getting added to the never ending list of competitors and the entry barrier being low,the SBU is always on its toes.

The SBU has focused in increasing its volume year after year. The SBU commands 34% marketshare. A major shift in the market focus of the SBU has been from being only a supplier to PSUCompanies to being a supplier to major MNC's and Private Sector Player. The SBU's share of PSU.is barely 18% and with the Government's Policy of reserving Mild Steel Drum requirement ofGovernment and PSU Sector to Small Medium Enterprises, our supplies to PSU Companies willsoon come to an end. Consequent to the shrinking of the available market, the challenges willincrease. The SBU has chalked out ambitious targets and action plan to meet the challenges. Thefuture driver for the SBU will be use of technology, innovation, increasing the product basket andcreating a brand image.

R Murthycoo[Industrial Packaging]

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INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - THE;;;::.:N:....:...- ~ __ ••.••

Indian Galvanizing Co. Ltd.During early 1920s when Balmer Lawrie (BL) had promoted British India Electric Construction andBridge & Roof, the shareholders of Indian Galvanizing Co. Ltd. invited BL to be its managingagent. Indian Galvanizing had not been performing satisfactorily. On September L 1920, IndianGalvanizing was taken over and BL was appointed as Managing Agents. The Company had anequity of Rs 15 lakhs. The works were situated in Kidderpore where the accommodation wasinadequate and in 1922 they were shifted to Howrah. New machines were added and BLrestructured the equity of the Company in 1926. The original Company went into voluntaryliquidation and a new Company, Indian Galvanizing Co. (1926) Ltd. was formed in the same year.The equity capital was also written down to Rs 4,10,510. The two main processes employed weregalvanizing and welding.

Among the first products to appear on Indian Galvanizing's records in 1920 were 'petrol drums'.The Company was originally a producer of galvanized buckets and tanks. In 1928, two new seamwelding machines were added. It was 'seam welding' technology which, in fact, gave birthto mild steel drums and barrels. By 1930, Indian Galvanizing was the most proficient producerof drums in the country. It also had the most extensive range: from one gallon size onwards, invarious heights and diameters and with a variety of fittings and closures.

Indian Galvanizing (Bombay)Mr. D S Cowman, manager of BL establishment in Bombay, was able to work out anunderstanding with Burmah Shell whereby BL would set up a barrel plant from which BurmahShell would procure its entire requirements. During this time there were other players in themarket. A branch of Indian Galvanizing Co. (1926) Ltd. was established in 1953 at Sewri and amodern plant was installed. Van Leer of Holland provided the technical back-up with machines andexperts for erection. Indian Galvanizing (Bombay) was an immediate success. However, theCompany's operations were not without problems. Although, it developed considerable expertise ingalvanizing and welding technologies, it did not add very much by way of new products over theyears, the exceptions being barrels and steel windows.

Closure of Indian Galvanizing and birth of Steel Containers Ltd.In 1958, Calcutta operations of Indian Galvanizing were closed down. On December 30, 1960, theCompany went into liquidation. Sir Owain Jenkins, chairman of the Group, called it 'OperationPhoenix', after the fabled bird which burns itself to rise renewed from the ashes. And so ithappened. The Bombay barrel plant was to emerge as Steel Containers Ltd. in 1959, the barrelplant in Calcutta was shifted to Paharpur and set up as Industrial Containers Ltd.

Steel Containers Ltd. (Bombay)It had a capacity of 100 barrels per hour. Machines were manually fed with barrel componentsand the output was directly related to the efforts and motivation of operators. The workmenwere young, enthusiastic and turned out excellent quality barrels maintaining high levelsof productivity.

A nagging problem in the 1960s at Bombay was repeated production stoppages due to inadequatesteel supplies. Being a scarce commodity, a highly complicated system of controls on steeldistribution had been introduced by the Government, linked to production capacity of barrelplants. In Bombay there were two other barrel plants and Steel Containers' share was a mere15%. With the emergence of Indian Oil in the 1960s as the premier national oil company, itsrequirements for barrels increased substantially unlike Burmah Shell which was BC"scustomer. Theother two barrel producers in Bombay with substantial installed capacities were able to take awaythe lion's share of the growing Indian Oil business.

In 1968, Mr. A S Gilani took over as Bombay manager and he was not prepared to lose out tothe other barrel units in Bombay. Under his leadership in 1973 Steel Containers won anorder from Indian Oil for a period of three years. Steel Containers not only fulfilled thecontract but broke all past records on profits in 1973. It was a turning point and SteelContainers never looked back. From the smallest barrel producer in Bombay, it emerged as thelargest.

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INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - THEN

Industrial Containers Ltd. (Calcutta)There was a gap of almost two years from the time Indian Galvanizing was closed and IndustrialContainers Ltd. was commissioned in 1960 at Paharpur in Calcutta. During this time other thanIndustrial Containers there were two other players in Calcutta. The demand had not increasedanywhere in relation to the increase in installed capacities, resulting in a major imbalance.Industrial Containers made a shaky start.

In the mid-1960s, Industrial Containers took two steps to generate additional business. First, itraised orders for barrels from the southern region. There were no barrel plants in the south andorders came in mainly from Hyderabad and Madras. Supplies were despatched in wagonloads byrail and demand was restricted to limited users who could afford the extra freight cost. Thesecond development, however, was a great success. This was to take up production oflacquerlined barrels. The Bombay Plant had shown reluctance because it considered thatprocess as highly specialized and the capital investment uneconomical for throughputs thenavailable. Calcutta was able to develop a simplified version of the process. Being' the first and, forquite some time, the only producer of lacquerlined barrels, this operation picked up quickly.

Merger

Effective from January 1, 1975, Steel Containers Ltd. and Industrial Containers Ltd. were mergedin BL. As a result, the share capital of BL rose from Rs 1,44,03,000 to Rs 1,88,84,300. Also, anew clause 3 (a) was added to the memorandum of association of Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. onAugust 9, 1976 to enlarge the objects of the Company and include manufacture of drums,barrels, packages, tanks and containers of every description from steel and other metals. Thetwo units, having become 'divisions' of Bl, were renamed Container Division, Bombayand Container Division, Calcutta. The decision to merge the barrel units was entirely with thepurpose of strengthening BL financially.

Exports

Mr. P Chawla who had been posted to Bombay from Calcutta in 1969, suggested setting up abarrel plant abroad. Around 1970 he travelled abroad for the first time and because of his effortsa small order for export of 100 galvanised barrels was received from Oman with a promise formore. These were required for transportation of water. This was followed by a series of orders forlube barrels from Petromin of Saudi Arabia which continued for two years. A product hithertoconsidered non-exportable was moving overseas. Many more visits were made and BL graduallycame to be known in the region as the leading barrel producer. An offer was made to Petrominfor setting up a barrel plant in Saudi Arabia. In December 1972, His Highness Prince Faisal BinTurki Abdulla AI-Saud from Saudi Arabia visited the Bombay unit. The Prince had expressedinterest in setting up a barrel plant in Saudi Arabia.

Flower in the desert

Caltex had taken up a project in 1976 for blending lubricants in Dubai and were in the market toprocure lube barrels and cans. Another lube blending plant was to be set up by the SharjahNational Lube Oil Co. at Sharjah. Under the leadership of Mr. A P Verma, the then chairman andmanaging director, BL had succeeded in securing a long term contract with Caltex, justifyingsetting up a plant to produce lube barrels and cans in Dubai. In May 1977, construction of afactory had begun in Dubai. Mr. P Satish Rao was appointed the first general manager of theDubai branch. The Dubai plant was formally inaugurated on May 27, 1978 by HH Sheikh RashidBin Saeed AI-Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.

BL had commenced operations in Dubai as a branch of an Indian Company. In the early 1980sHis Highness Sheikh Rashid was approached for forming a joint venture and at his behest HisHighness Sheikh Hasher Maktoum conveyed his consent to form a joint venture in partnershipwith BL. HH Sheikh Hasher retained 51% shareholding in the JV, the remaining 49% being withBalmer Lawrie. A partnership was created which acquired the assets of the branch inNovember 1983 at fair market value. The joint venture was named Balmer lawrie UAE.

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INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - THEN------~--------------------~----~Actions MisfireNew demands were emerging on the horizon in 1980 for bitumen drums at Cochin and Mathurarefineries. Cochin Refineries Ltd. (CRL) already had a captive bitumen drum plant. In March 1980,CRL invited offers from parties to operate its drum plant on lease. BL won the contract and anagreement was made, leasing the plant to BL. CRL had no objection to BL using the plant toserve other consumers in the region and there was also an option for BL to buy over the plant at 'a later date, along with its industrial licence. Production and supplies to CRL commenced inFebruary 1982. However, owing to various reasons the venture was not successful and on March31, 1986, the plant at Cochin to produce barrels and drums was closed down.

Around the time when talks were first initiated with Cochin Refineries, BL was also negotiatingwith Indian Oil to set up a bitumen drum plant for the new refinery at Mathura. The requirementwas indicated at a level of 18 lakh drums a year. The contract was won. However, this was not agood decision and the plant was wound up in future.

MadrasThe barrel plant at Manali, Madras was commissioned in 1988, initially to produce bitumen drumsand, in March 1989, additions were made for' the manufacture of 200 litre barrels. In 1991-92,the Madras unit made its maiden profit.

Redefining Business &. Business PhilosophyBL decided to redefine its business based on the changes in the international and domesticmarket place. Lacquerlined barrels, an existing product, were upgraded with improved process andsuperior lacquers. Asepton barrels were taken up for aseptic packaging. Composite barrels (withsteel shell and plastic liner) were developed for products requiring very high security. Valerextechnology for an all-plastic drum was chosen.

In 1989 land had been taken on lease in Thurbe outside Bombay in response to the proposals forexpansion and the Thurbe barrel plant was commissioned in August, 1991 for producing LWBs.

In 1956 & 1957, there were two proposals from Van Leer and American Flange, respectively, forBL to participate in a venture to produce barrel fittings in Bombay, but this was not pursued. Afew other proposals from Van Leer in the subsequent years were also rejected.

Balmer Lawrie-Van Leer Ltd. (BLVL)Incorporated in 1956 it was originally known as Indian Flange & Manufacturing Company Pvt. Ltd. andwas engaged in the manufacturing of Tri-sure closure systems. In 1993 it became a 50: 50 JointVenture Company between BL and Van Leer and the name was also changed to Balmer Lawrie - VanLeer Limited along with expansion of its capacity of closure products and addition of new activities suchas manufacturing and sales of plastic containers. Subsequently Greif Inc. Corporation headquartered inDelaware, Ohio (USA) acquired Van Leer Industrial and became partner with BL in BLVL. Greif Inc.Corporation is a global leader in industrial containers and products.

SBU: Industrial PackagingIn March 1993 the concept of Strategic Business Unit was introduced and the Container Divisionswere consolidated under SBU: Industrial Packaging.

Source: Footprints on the Sands of Time

INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - TODAY

The packaging industry is the third largest in the world and is expected to grow at the rate of9% CAGR in the next five years. In India it is expected to grow @ 15-16%. Economic Timesreported on 6th January, 2014 that:• The annual turnover of Indian packaging industry will touch $ 32 billion by 2025 from the

present $ 24.6 billion• In the world scenario, the total turnover of packaging industry is about $ 550 billion

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INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - TODAY

1st-Food,2nd_ Energy &

Petrochemicals

..iscurrentlyvalued@~ 3'OObn

Strongdemand fromchemical! oilI lubricants !pharmaceutic

almarlcetsIn India.

PackagingIndustry isgrowing at

twice the rateof GOP

AboutPackagingIndustry inIndia

In India, it is valued over Rs 300bn and growing @ 15%-16% pa (2 X GOP)

Plastics contribute more than 30% (of which 2/3'" is flexible & 1/3'" rigid)

India is also expected to become global leader in FIBCexports & small bagexports by 2016-17

Packaging

Classification of Indian Packaging Industry

.bY,material:

.by content: • ~igidpackaging

I.Semi-rigidpackaging

• Flexible. packaging

-by method ofpacking:

• Foodpackaging

• Drug packaging• Liquid

packaging

• Cosmeticspackaging

• Powderpackaging

• Dangerouspackaging

• Others

•byshape:

• Vacuumpackaging

• Moisture- proofpackaging

• Gas flushpackaging

• Others

• Heavy• Medium• Light

. '

SBU: INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING------------------------------------------------------BL is the largest manufacturer of MS Drums in India and is the market leader in the industrywith approximately 34% market share. The western region market is the largest and constitutesapproximately 60% of the total market size. The total market for MS drums is 10 Million. SBU:IPmanufactures MS Plain Drums, Internally Coated Drums, Composite Drums, Conical Drums andOpen Headed Drums. Substitute Products include HDPE Drums, ISO Tanks, IBCs and FIBCs.

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SBU: INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING

It has 6 manufacturing units across the country and astate-of-the-art High Throughput Plant is being set up atTaloja, Navi Mumbai. Customer Segments include PSU Oil,MNC Oil, Local Oil, Transformer Oil, Chemicals, Additives,Agrochemicals, Food & Fruit Pulp Companies. BL has twoJVs in this domain- One in India, Balmer Lawrie-Van LeerLtd. which was formed in 1993 and manufactures steeldrum closures and plastic containers. The other is in UAE,Balmer Lawrie [UAE], formed in 1978. Business includesmanufacturing of wide range of packaging media includingsteel drums and kegs, plastic containers, tin cans etc.

IP - Kolkata

Bitumen Filling Plant at Uluberia was started forsupplying 200 Its barrels and this continued till2010. Currently the unit at Kolkata has a BitumenDrum manufacturing line and a modernizedBitumen Filling plant that produces 165 Its barrelsand primarilv takes care of Bitumen Packaging forIOCL.

IP - Mumbai (Sewree)IP-Sewree is the Mother Plant of SBU:IP. It wasestablished in 1953. Total area of this plant is 2750sqm. Presently this unit manufactures 210 Itrs MSEmpty Drums of all varieties except lacquered &composite barrels. Its present manufacturing capacityis 84500 barrels per month on single shift operationbasis. In 1993, dry coil steel input was converted intooiled coil steel. It attracted the pre-treatment [PT]process for the first time in IP-Sewree. Prior to thatthere was no PT or degreasing system. Later on inkeeping with technological changes latest machinerywas introduced. Helium Leak detector, a unique

Industrial Packaging Plants

The plant at Kolkata is one of theoldest and its history dates backto the 1960s. In December 1999,a contract was signed with IOCLfor bitumen filling and thus, the

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machine of its kind for barrel testing in India was first introduced at IP-Sewree in the year 2001. Productionwas enhanced from 1200 barrels per shift to 3250 barrels per shift over a period of time in a phasedmanner. This plant caters to barrel needs of around 50 different customers.

IP - Silvassa

New Arplas Welder Indigenously developed loading conveyor in action

IP-Silvassa is the highest output plant in India producing 12 Lakhs barrels per year. An IMScertified plant (QMS, EMS, OHSAS), it is equipped with state of the art technology machines likeArplas Drum Welder, Kremline Painting System, Staggered Blanking line, Largest Lacquer Bakingand Paint Baking Ovens. Besides, there is a Telescopic conveyer for smooth barrel loading andtwo lines are dedicated for plain and coated barrels. The plant manufactures variety of Barrelslike Composite, Internally coated barrels for fruit and food segments, agrochemicals and aromaticchemicals. The in-house fire hydrant system is a good safety measure.

IP - Asaoti

The Industrial Packaging plant at Asaoti is an ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS18001:2007certified unit. Commercial production of Bitumen Drums started on io" October, 2007 and Lube Barrelon iz" August, 2008 in a phased manner by commissioning the old machines and equipment receivedfrom Mathura and Panipat Plants. With the commissioning of a new energy efficient imported Welder inJuly 2012, the unit has achieved its productivity target beyond 2,200 Barrels per shift. This unit has anadditional and unique facility for manufacturing GI Barrels. Its product line ranges from manufacturingand supply of Bitumen Drums, GI Barrels, Plain Barrels to Lacquer Barrels. Most of its customers areexport oriented. Currently IP-Asaoti is the second largest profit making unit of SBU:IP and has beenequipped with Solar Power Generating System of 130 KW.

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IP - Chittoor

The plant at Chittoor was commissioned in the year 2010 and has been showing good growth.Located in an environment friendly and pollution free location, the plant manufactures 210 Itr TH,OH, OHIP and specialised 235 Itr OH, OHIP and TH barrels.The division also has the capacity toproduce 'W' bead barrels in all the mentioned categories. This plant mainly caters to the fruitpulp industry. IP-Chittoor has women working in the manufacturing unit and this is somethingthat the plant prides on. Also, around 150 rural families have benefitted from this plant becauseof the job opportunities created.

IP - Chennai

IP-Chennai commenced operations during the year 1988 with the manufacturing of bitumen drums.Over the years, the division diversified its product range and currently manufactures tight head, openhead, lacquered, internally painted barrels etc. with varying thickness. The plant has an installedcapacity of 56,750 plain barrels per month, in single shift operation. The main focus of the division islacquer coated barrels catering to the various customer segments such as transformer oils, foods,flavours and fragrances, coil coating segments etc. It has a dedicated lacquer production line whichhas a capacity of 1000 barrels/shift. The division produces about 15,000 lacquer barrels per month andthe unit is targeting 20,000 barrels/month from next financial year. Another significant segment whichthe unit caters to is the fruit pulp industry. This is a seasonal requirement and during the period fromApril to July the division produces 1.5 lakh barrel on an average. Recently, the division hascommissioned & upgraded various new machinery like 250 T press, baking oven, seam weldingcontroller etc. and infrastructure like new finished good shed, sales desk etc.

High Throughput Plant at Taloja, Navi Mumbai

A new state-of-the-art high throughput plant is being set up at Navi Mumbai for barrel manufacturing.This plant is a green plant, powered partially by a 30 KWp solar power unit.

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Technical &. Product Development (T8tPD)T&PD was established in theyear 1987 at Kolkata. T&PD isthe technological anddevelopmental wing of SBU:IPcontributing significantlytowards development ofproducts, processes andmachineries, automation andmodernization of the IP unitslocated across the country.

The teams at all the locations of SBU: IP are highly energetic and are led by a group of able leaders.

NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS• SBU:IP is the market leader in India in Industrial Packaging.• Largest number of manufacturing units in India.• All IP plants are ISO 9001-2008, ISO 14001-2004 certified.• Balmer Lawrie revolutionized packaging by introducing Spiral Seam Technology. This resulted in major

cost saving for the Customers and saving of steel for the country.• Meeting the requirement of the Defence especially during war times has been a Significant achievement of

the Company. '• Only drum manufacturer with overseas customer base.• Many multinational customers exclusively patronise IP.• In the past, the Company used to look forward to IP for a healthy bottom line.• IP Sewree's productivity of 3250 barrels per shift is the highest output in a semi-automatic plant in India.• Fully automatic barrel manufacturing facility with latest technology will soon commence commercial

production at Navi Mumbai.• Only Balmer Lawrie manufactures 200 L Bitumen Barrel.• Energy Conservation Initiatives with installation of Syncron AC Device and Solar Power panels.• 200 L dispensing Barrel manufactured only by IP.• IP is the only value chain drum manufacturer in India.• Technical and Product Development Unit is nationally recognized as the in house R&D Centre by the

Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.

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Tete-e-tete with Joseph Mathew, VP

How many years have youspent in IP and how has yourexperience been?I have been with IP for the last34 years, and with lP, I too haveevolved and progressed as aperson/manager. My experiencein IP has been challenging,fulfilling and satisfying. IP hasover decades maintained itsmarket leadership in spite of theconstraints of working in a PSUenvironment. The rich legacy ofIP division was its great leaders,and I feel blessed to haveworked with them and in theprocess realise my ownpotential, under their steadyguidance.How have you seen the SBUevolve over the period oftime?I have seen the SBU evolve intoa very dynamic unit today.Earlier we were a monopoly withtotal patronage of the Oil PSU's.With globalisation and increasedcompetition, the SBU had to

face great challenges. Today wecan proudly say that the SBU isCustomer driven and has keptpace with the times. Today theS.BUhas an insignificant share inPSU customers and is now thepreferred choice of mostLeading MNC's and IndianCorporate houses.What according to you is thebiggest strength of IP?Our biggest strength is ourunique work culture thatevolved over the decades.Decision making is quick,

effective delegation of Authorityand Speedy response tocustomer grievances are someof our other strengths.Our Human Resources are thebest in the Industry, which hasenabled us to maintain ourMarket Leadership.What steps are being takento keep pace with thechanging market trends andcombat competition?We are in the process of settingup High Throughput plants, whichapart from consistent quality, willalso enable us to achieve CostLeadership in our Industry andfurther consolidate our position asMarket Leaders.What will be your messagefor newcomers in IP?My message to newcomers in IPis that we are a wonderfulorgainsation to work in. Workwith passion, have a positiveattitude, dream big and be apart of this great company andtake it to the next level.

Tete-e-tete with Ranjan Bose, VP ["Marketing], Industrial Packaging

How many years have youspent in IP and how has yourexperience been?I joined BL and SBU:IP inAugust 1989 and have beenwith IP ever since. Initially, Iwas posted at Barrel Division,Chennai (BDM) as the Head ofMarketing for Southern Region.Before joining BL, I was workingwith one of the leading PaintCompanies located at Kolkata.BDM was commissionedapproximately two years beforemy joining and initially producedBitumen drums and latercommenced production of Lubedrums.The tenure at BDM was not onlychallenging but was alsointeresting in terms ofexpanding the Customer basefor IP in the Southern Region aswell as ensuring a smoothtransition of servicing existingCustomers of IP (which werebeing earlier catered from CDC)in terms of on time deliveries,better coordination and overall

satisfaction being in proximity tothe Market, during that periodthere was substantial growth inSales for IP.Since I had come from analtogether different Industry i.e.from Paint to Packaging Industrythere was a lot of learning andexposure to the challengesfaced in a Packaging Industry interms of Product requirementsand Customer expectations.Subsequently, my nextassignment was at Mumbai inthe Coordination Dept. of IPwherein the job profile wasdifferent as compared to my

earlier one. The focus was moreon the softer skills of Marketingin terms of Coordination andliaising with the Oil MarketingPSU Companies who had beentraditionally lP's largestCustomers.This was followed by mytransfer to CDC as the RegionalMarketing Head of the EasternRegion which at one time wasone of the most importantactivity centers for IP. The nextassignment was also based atCDC and was radically differentfrom all my earlier assignmentsas I was given the responsibilityof Plant Head of CDC. I was incharge of all the activitiesrelated to Manufacturing,Commercial, Administration andHR at the Plant level.This was certainly an enrichingand a new experience for me(as I have always been aMarketing person bothacademically and professionally)and also helped in personal self-development as it gave me a

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Tete-e-tete with Ranjan Bose, VP [Marketin ], Industrial Packaging

360 degree insight of Drum Manufacturing andrelated activities which enhanced my knowledgeand appreciation of the activity tremendously,which I could apply in my day to day working.Presently, I am located at Mumbai heading theMarketing function of IP and responsible for allIndia sales and marketing.Considering the vast market size spread acrossall the regions and the Competition essentiallyfrom local manufacturers with the InstalledCapacity of the Industry being at least 2 timesthe demand, and with Customers who arebecoming more discerning by the day, it is indeeda tough battle to maintain market leadership inthe Industry.How have you seen the SBU evolve over theperiod of time?The introduction of Strategic Business Units inthe Organization has helped in focusing on theBusiness with greater depth and understanding ofthe Market and Customer, since all across theregions the Customer profile and segments issimilar primarily varying in the volume ofbusiness. The SBU concept has not onlyfacilitated an uniform Marketing approach but hasalso helped in greater standardization across allthe Plants.What according to you is the biggeststrength of IP?There are a number of strengths in IP and in myopinion the biggest strength as compared to its

Tete-e-tete with Mr. G N Mattoo

Competitors would be its qualified and skilledEmployees both in the areas of Marketing andManufacturing. Apart from the above, its Brandimage and dominant Market leadership statuswith a pan India presence.What steps are being taken to keep pacewith the changing market trends andcombat competition?The drum Industry has evolved from being aprimarily a sellers' market to a highly competitivemarket wherein there are at present 53 activecompetitors and the total Installed Capacity beingalmost 2 times the demand. There is also aconstant threat from substitute products e.g. PEdrums, IBC, Flexi Tanks etc. which are erodinginto MS drum market.Enhanced customer focus, emphasis onincreasing sales of value added products,targeting higher sales growth in the Chemicalsegment along with technological upgradation ofthe Plants and continuous cost reductionexercises all across IP are some of the keymeasures being taken.What will be your message for newcomersin IP?The Market Scenario in the coming days willbecome more Challenging, however challengesalso brings opportunities; thus maintainingCustomer focus in terms of quality and servicewould be of prime importance to secure thedominant market leadership position for IP.

Mr. G N Mattoo, Sr. VicePresident HR, retired on 28thFebruary 2014 aftersuccessfully completingaround 26 years of service.Wehad a chat with him on hislast day at Balmer Lawrie toknow more about his journeyand post retirement plans.

Your journey at Balmer Lawrie ...I joined the Company on 3rd June, 1988 asManager (P&A) in Tours & Travel, Delhi. Prior tojoining Balmer Lawrie I was working with OilIndia at Duliajan, Assam. In 1991 I waspromoted and transferred to Mathura as SM(P&A), responsible for handling HR /IR functionsat CSDM and CDM. In 1994 we transferred theownership of CSDM to Anant Raj clay products,along with all the workmen, as a going concern.This led to a very disruptive/highly volatileindustrial relations situation and managing itsuccessfully was a great challenge and a learningexperience. Towards the end of 1994 I wastransferred to G&L, Mumbai, as SM(P&A)

responsible for HR/IR roles for G&L Sewree andTaloja. In November 1995 I was moved toCorporate HR role at Kolkata in the departmentthen known as Corporate Personnel Departmentand thereafter changed different roles in HRbetween Corporate and Associate HR Services.My journey at Balmer Lawrie has been extremelyfulfilling. BL being a legacy Company, hadsystems, work processes, and practices that werestrongly ingrained/embedded and as such anyattempt at making these processes and practicescontemporary needed lot of discussions withcollectives. However, I feel happy that we were ableto bring about lot many changes in the workpractices through LTS, making them morecontemporary and performance based.Your personal and professional achieve-ments ...One of my major achievements was facilitatingtransfer of CSDM Unit at Mathura as a goingconcern. The situation was extremely difficult andvolatile, giving us lot of painful moments.However, our commitment to achieve the goalwas very high and together with the support fromthe corporate helped us to handle the situationsuccessfully.

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Tete-e-tete with Mr. G N Mattoo

During the period, from 1995-2003 rightsizing ofmanpower had become an importantorganizational imperative. We successfullyintroduced Voluntary Retirement Schemes/SVSSand marketed them extremely well, with aninnovative approach, across different depart-ments/units which helped us to achieve theintended purpose.Took lot of initiative in the e-enablement of HRFunction. Was the member secretary of thecommittee responsible for taking forwardimplementation of online benefit administrationat HO in 2005. It gave us enormous satisfactionand pride when we rolled out HRMS in a limitedway at HO in 2005-06.Your most memorable moment at BalmerLawrie •.•There are many memorable moments but the onethat immediately comes to my mind is the one,when we got music of the Balmer Lawrie songcomposed by the famous music director, ShriBuddha Dev Gangulyand then got it recorded inthe Studios by leading singers Amit Ganguly andDola Ganguly. I feel it was indeed an emotionaland a memorable moment.

The love and affection of the people, the freedomand space given to individuals for working withemphasis on ethical approach to employeerelations' have uniquely shaped BL's culture,which allows openness and accessibility toleadership. I will miss being part of thiswonderful family.What do you plan to do post retirement?Have not seriously thought about it .at themoment. I have stayed away from my nativeplace for more than three decades and henceshall be relocating to Delhi, so that I am nearerto my native place. I'll be in Srinagar duringsummers and will be in Delhi during winters.After sometime I may take up teachingassignments at some Business schools.Yourmessage for Balmer Lawriens ...Strive for excellence, have commitment andpassion, build knowledge around humility andthis would make the Company timeless.I'll miss the warmth of the people and thesupport they have given me while making myjourney exciting. I wish good luck and very bestto all my fellow Balmer Lawriens, so that we cantake this great company to even greater heights.

KNOW YOUR lEADER

Mr._Prem Prakash Sahoo, Director [HR & Corporate Affairs]retires from the Company on 31st May, 2014 after a very longinnings of more than three decades. Mr. Sahoo has madesignificant contributions to the organisation not only in the areaof HR, but also in institutionalising Corporate Communicationsand HSE in the Company A thorough professional, who had aneye for detail, he has always striven to professionalise the HRfunction in the organisation. I wish him al/ the best in his futureendeavors.

1.Your journey at Balmer Lawrie ...My association with Balmer Lawrie dates backto 1978, when I joined as a ManagementTrainee in the IBP-BL Group. As a ManagementTrainee, I spent 3 months in Calcutta, mostly inBL HO where the Group Personnel Departmentof IBP-BL was housed and then moved to IBP,Korba as Personnel Manager [Works]responsible for the total gamut of HR, IR andAdmin. In 1983, I left IBP to explore the privatesector. I joined Brooke Bond but the fondnessfor BL remained and I always felt aninexplicable pull for it. I knew the people, theorganisation and there was a certain degree ofcomfort with the culture of BL. My ex-bosses in

- Viren Sinha, C&MD

IBP-BL were continually persuading me to comeback. Moreover, after my success in driving theclosure of the ..Aurangabad Plant of BrookeBond, the Company wanted me to drive thesame in two other Units and I was not toocomfortable in being the 'hatchet man'. As aresult of all this, in July 1987 I joined back BLas a Senior Manager in Corporate PersonnelDepartment, even with a cut in salary.Since then, by the time I retire in May 2014, I wouldhave spent around 27 years in BL. It has been along journey. Though it has been a chequered one,with the usual ups and downs, I have enjoyed everybit of it. In the initial days the learning opportunitywas immense as I had to often interact 1-to-1 with

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KNOW YOUR LEADER

the Managing Director and other Directors,especially during periods of transition of the HRleadership. In 1994, I was entrusted with theresponsibility for closing the Cylinder Unitemploying around 300 + people at Mathura. In spiteof being personally assaulted, we accomplished adifficult mission. This experience truly made mecourageous and thereafter I have been ever readyto face any situation in the line of duty. During myearly years in BL, I rose rapidly in the Companyand became a General Manager at the age of 41.In 1997, I moved to Tea Division as GM [Tea] in myquest for greater exposure.I Was in Tea for a little more than 4 years. In thosedays Tea business contributed around 10% to thetop line of BL but was a losing proposition. In thefirst 2 years I tried to turn it around but when Irealised that the business model was notsustainable, I tried to descale operations. TheSouth India operations at Coimbatore was closedand Kolkata operations descaled. During my stint atTea I learnt two things. One, I became a completebusiness manager learning the ropes of marketing,sourcing, finance, operations etc. The second, Ibecame truly conscious of costs as I wasresponsible for the - bottom line. Earlier when Itravelled, I didn't blink an eye lid to stay in starhotels but in my role as business head I preferredto stay in small places whenever guest house wasnot available. It was emotionally tough because thebusiness never made profits but this assignmenthad its positive side as well as I had the opportunityto visit more than 10 foreign destinations during thisperiod.In January 2002, I was entrusted with theresponsibility of restructuring the organisation butbefore we could truly pursue the exercise, theGovernment decided to disinvest the Company. Asa result, I had very little to do. But my self-resilience not only saw me through this difficultphase in my professional life but also gave me theopportunity to master the laptop. My comfort withtechnology owes its origin to this period of my life.In 2003, I moved back to the HR function as anExecutive Director. Since then, my mission hasbeen to professionalise and contemporise the HRfunction in BL and I have never looked back. I amgrateful to the Company that it considered itappropriate to upgrade the HR function and elevateme to the Board in 2011.2. Significant professional and personalachievementsI successfully introduced technology in HR. In mid-2000, interventions like HRMS helped to improvethe service levels and reduce transaction time. E-HR is something that I can take the credit for. I wasalso responsible for several core HR interventions.We are one of the firsts in public sector companiesto carry out competency mapping, run assessment

centres, undertake 360 degree appraisal,implement bell curve rating system etc. We firstimplemented bell curve in PMS in 2005-06 muchahead of DPE's mandate in 2008-09. In recenttimes we have done a wonderful job in furthermaking the PMS process more robust.I can take credit for making the function "moreyoung". I have immense faith in youth and hence,encouraged hiring Executive Trainees and youngmanagers and grooming them to become leaders.My faith in the youth emanates from my ownexperience as a young manager. For what I amtoday, I owe it to my learnings in the first 2 to 3years of my professional life. After 4 months oftraining, I was sent to Korba as Personnel Manager[Works]. At the young age of 24, I had 5 officersreporting to me, a couple twice my age and thechallenge to manage a difficult location.Another thing I am proud of is building the CSRstructu re and introd uci ng the CorporateCommunications & HSE function in theorganisation in spite severe resistance. It is mybelief that not only today but going forward all thesefunctions are expected to make significantcontributions to the sustainability of BL.I have "one regret", and that is our inability toinstitutionalise the partnership between the linemanagement and HR. It is happening in patchesbut not enough. A few years back, we introducedthe concept of SBU-HR through a matrix structurewith the limited HR resource we had at ourdisposal. May be the time has come to embed theHR function fully in each business vertical in linewith Finance.At the professional level, I have continuouslystrived to emerge as a complete business managerrather than a HR person alone. In this journey Ihave made significant contribution to the-deliberations of the Budget Committees of theBusinesses over several years. I have been theChief Assessor of CII for HR Excellence Award anda lead assessor for the Business Excellence Award.Speaking of awards, I have won several awardsfrom National institutions recognising mycontribution to the field of HR. I have written articlesin professional magazines, been guest faculty invarious educational institutions, and haveaddressed several professional forums andconferences.3.Who all are there in your family?I am married to Shipra and we have two children.Our daughter Shilpa is happily married, and we aregrandparents of a 3 and ~ year old boy. Shilpa, atravel professional used to work with Lufthansa butthe child taking the centre space of her life, she iscurrently working from home. Our son Pratik, aftercompleting his graduation, is currently dabbling inwebsite marketing.

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KNOW YOUR LEADER

Shipra has been my tower of strength. With heraround I have not had to ever bother for the. homefront. She likes designing clothes and manages aboutique from home.4. Who is the person who influenced you themost and why?Professionally there's none who has influenced me.However, I have always admired Mr. S K Sinha, ourex Managing Director for his humility and concernfor people. To me he is the highest beholder ofhuman values and conscience. I have had theprivilege to work with him very closely. He has leftan indelible impression on me.On the personal front too, I can't name a singleperson who has influenced me. I moved out of homeat the age of 10 and thereafter have been awanderer, studying and working at different places inthe country. The person I am today is the by-productof various cultures, several friends and colleagues.5. What is your favourite one liner?Just do it! Nothing can be perfect so go ahead,grab opportunity, get the job at hand done and justdon't procrastinate.6. What are your hobbies?I've always been a good sportsman. I was aUniversity hockey player. I played cricket andfootball in college and office league cricket for BLuntil 5 years ago. I've always held fort, sometimesas wicketkeeper and sometimes as goalkeeper. Iam an outdoor person. Now I dabble in some golf. Ilove to read fiction as that tickles my imagination. Ilove to write as well, and have written a few poems.I like photography but capturing shots depends onmy mood.7. Which is your favourite travel destination?None in particular. But I prefer beaches tomountains and I like the Goa beaches in particular.I love to travel and have visited around 30countries. Most countries in Europe are small butbeautiful, Russia is rich in culture and architecture.Going forward I would like to comprehend the

vastness of Americas, both North & South.8. Two things that your colleagues don't knowabout youI am two different persons in two different situations- at office I am formal and at times extremelydemanding but outside office I am very informal. Myofficial position holds no relevance to me beyondthe work space. Therefore, post retirement, I wouldlike to be valued by my colleagues as a person andnot as a Director.9. Your management style or mantraI am very high on task. By saying this it doesn'tmean I don't care for the emotions of people but Inormally don't demonstrate it in my action &conduct. Further, I don't believe in short term. Ineverything that I do I think of the long term andregulate my actions accordingly.10. Message for Employees of Balmer LawrieI don't see us not surviving for 150 years as anorganisation, but the challenge is to survive foranother 150 years. This can happen only if wecontinually reinvent ourselves and remain an agileorganisation.Over the last 147 years we've perhaps not done,justice to our rate of growth. Time has come for usto take a real quantum jump. The time has come forus to think big. There will be associated risks butwe have to learn to manage the risks and growrapidly as an organisation.Lastly, even" today, the vast majority oforganisational actions centre around relationships.Relationships are great to cherish, but is a surerecipe for perish if not backed by performance. Weneed to learn to be a more performance drivenorganisation.In all that I have talked about, people in theorganisation, irrespective of their category and levelhave a role to play. I exhort all my colleagues tocome forward and be an active partner in theorganisational journey of this great & wonderfulorganisation.

KNOW YOUR FELLOW BALMER LAWRIEN ...------Mr. Ganesh Bahadur [GB],Chargehand, IP-Sewree, wasinterviewed by Mr. P B Pawar[PBP], Sr. Manager[Manufacturing], IP-Sewree.Mr. Ganesh Bahadur hascompleted 40 years of service atBalmer Lawrie. He is a hardworker, result oriented and wellaccepted team leader.

PBP: How long have you been working withBalmer Lawrie and currently what is yourrole/dept?

GB: I was born in Sewree, Mumbai. My fatherwas also an employee of Balmer Lawrie andretired as security guard.My house is a smallhut, and the wall on the backside is part of theIP (Sewree) factory's compound wall close tothe main gate. I joined lP, Sewree as casuallabour in 1974. Now I am working asChargehand in the manufacturing department.PBP: What changes have you seen over thislong period of time?GB: When I joined the factory, the work was verydifficult. All the machines were manual machines.The output was only 1200 barrels in a shift. Nowthere are automatic machines. The work is easy

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KNOW YOUR FELLOW BALMER LAWRIEN...

but we have other challenges. Today output in ashift is 3200 barrels.PBP: Tell us about your journey from casuallabour to Chargehand ...GB: After completing 4 years in casual labour,I was promoted as Majdoor. During thisperiod, out of self-interest and guidance fromsuperiors, I learned machine operating. Then Iwas upgraded as an operator. While workingas an operator, I used to observe themachine breakdowns carefully & also learnt torepair/rectify the machines. Then I became afitter. During this period I got an opportunityto work as an acting Chargehand. I learnedmanning & manpower management. Finally Iwas upgraded as Chargehand in the year2001. I trained many young employees invarious machine operations and maintenanceactivities and made a new dedicated team. I

tried to save resources such as electricity,water etc. With the help of my team I startthe production shift well before shift timings[7.00 a.m.] i.e. by 6.30 a.m. My journey wasfull of hardships but was satisfying. I tried tomeet daily targets by putting in hard efforts.I was nominated by our company for nationallevel "Shramik Award". I am also proud of tobe an employee of BL, IP-Sewree.PBP: What do you like in Balmer Lawrie?GB: I like the dedication & team spirit ofemployees in BL. People changed & the time toochanged but the dedication and team spiritremained the same. It is an inspiration for me.PBP: What are your hobbies?GB: I like to do social service. I help the needyand ill people. I dedicate my time in uplifting thedowntrodden and provide helping hand tohelpless ones.

Mr. Ranjan Ganguly [RG],Operator, Industrial Packaging,Kolkata was interviewed by Mr.Atin Mukherjee [AM], Manager[HR). He joined Balmer Lawrie onfj'i' September 1979. A sincereand diligent worker, he is a veryamiable person.

AM: How long have you been working withBalmer Lawrie and currently what is yourrole/dept?RG: I have been working here for approximately35 years and currently I am working as anOperator at Industrial Packaging, Kolkata.AM: What do you like about Balmer Lawrie?RG: The thing I like most here is the work culture.The mutual relation among the Officers andWorkers is very good. Workers can talk about theirproblems and demands without any hesitation; thiscreates a healthy atmosphere.AM: What is your most memorable moment inBalmer Lawrie?

RG: The most memorable moment of mine herecame in the early 1980 when I was selected andsent to Bahrain [UAE] for some important work bythe Company.AM: Who is your inspiration in life and why?RG: My father is my inspiration and that is becauseof his honesty, noble deeds and good behaviourwith people. This inspires me to do well by followinghis ideals.AM: Whatare your hobbies?RG: I used to play football, but presently my hobbyis watching football matches especially theinternational ones.AM: Place you belong to and who all are therein your family?RG: I belong to Hoogly, West Bengal. My small andhappy family comprises my wife and son.AM: Any message for Balmer Lawrieemployees.RG: Be punctual and sincere in your work. Regardthe Company as your own and perform your dutieshonestly so that the Company can reach its zenithand maintain its status.

BL on a walking stickOn zs" April, 2014 a gentleman named Mr. Scott Copes wrote to Mr. R K Murthy, COO [IP] enquiring aboutfibre composite drums. It was indeed interesting to know how Mr. Copes became aware of Balmer Lawrie.Recently, he acquired a walking stick from the estate of an English gentleman in Charleston South Carolina.

The stick looks to date from the latter half of the 19th century. On asilver plate attached to the shaft of the stick is engraved:From a Tea BushBurpatra Teas EstateMessrs Balmer Lawrie Co. LtdCalcuttaHe researched our organization and found out that Balmer Lawrie isin the business of Industrial Packaging and hoped we could providehim Composite Drums. Though we were unable to meet Mr. Copes'request, wethank him forthis wonderful archival information!

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AWARDS & ACCOLADES

In February, 2014 Mr. Ravishankar,COO, SBU: Tours - Vacations Exoticawon the 'Most Influential Person'award in the Travel Industry,instituted by OTM - India's leadingtravel trade show, its sisterpublication - Travel News Digest andmedia partner NDTV Profit. He waspresented a trophy and a certificate inrecognition of his achievement.Congratulations!

Mr. Utsav Khare, son of Mr. Manjul Khare,Associate Vice President [TT-East], T&T -Lucknow who's working with McCann, wasinstrumental in creating the new OrientElectric Advertising campaign featuring M SDhoni. The Ads are being aired on televisionthese days. Orient Electric of the CK BirlaGroup, earlier known as Orient decided togo in for a new brand positioning. McCannhas designed the campaign to announce thenew identity with M S Dhoni as brandambassador.

TALENT UNLIMITED

Surprised!!!

Surprised! Such an action from him was unexpected. How could he manage to do that? No one couldbelieve what he actually did.

How could anyone know about the limits of someone, when no one knows even the limit ofthemselves? Yet, we guarantee someone's capacity.

We can learn about ourselves every day. Now, this can happen only to those who love experimentingwith themselves or challenging themselves every single day.

The ones who stop discovering themselves become predictable and their capacity can be measured.But this is never constant. Life puts us into so many roles & challenges, so many times that we areeven surprised at ourselves while fulfilling them. And this is where a memory takes birth, when youactually felt that you did something that was once unbelievable. So, never again be SURPRISED.

Still people are hesitant at experimenting, as hardly anyone desires to leave an equilibrium orprotected state. But the truth of life is exploring. Exploration for beauty, exploration for God, for peace,for something unknown or it can be anything. But this exploring isn't meant for actually knowing orachieving. Exploration is a journey which brings us closer to ourselves. It doesn't mean that truth canbe found, as truth is something that is either unreaching, unveiling or something that could bereasonably explained.

Ooh, I got out of my context, SURPRISE. Hope to come up again in some later issue of BLOG withsomething on Truth or Exploration or God knows what it can be.

-Girish GuptaIT, Kolkata

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No! A CompositionShe hinted that she was about to leave me. Desolate. Lonely. Few more words would barelysketch the idea what I feel I would be in her absence. I don't want to lose her, just like myexistence would do without her. She means a lot to me and my existence. But have I told herthis ever? No.

We were always the best of friends. We shared gossips, stories, humour and more. Things startedmoving on in hierarchy as I started sharing secrets and it stopped to a point where I sharedmyself. She had become an inherent part of my mind. The sub-conscious was aware of this andcontinuously ranted for lack of space in the brain. I knew her well, sometimes not. But there wasone thing I had known clearly: She was a part of me somewhere in my soul. But have I told herthis ever? No.

I could see my world shattering into pieces by the elements of ego and misunderstandings. Somerelations are those complex pieces of imaginations which even the thoughts do not comprehend.Such was our relation. We had known that we won't be together for long, but 'who cares',whispered the heart every time I asked it. Parting was always difficult for me to digest. Byes arenever meant to be good. She was leaving me now. But did I try to stop her even once? No.

Dreams don't -die a natural death. They die painfully leaving back bodies of fond memories andskeletons of wonderful moments. They wither, strangle and suffer. And so does the heart. Bloodoozes out from it continuously in the pathos of the death. Yes, we were not qualified to instildreams about being together forever. But then unlike the seeds, dreams implant themselves ontheir own, their roots spread quickly as veins and when they die, the veins slit themselves. Well,I too had a dream for us. But did I disclose my dreams to her? No.

People write their stories. Words do cry. Tears do take the form of inks. Somewhere I am surethis story would also reach her in a matter of time. Oblivious of the author, she would find thisstory fancy and praise the author. But will she ever know that this story was meant for her? No.

-Sidharth UdaniLogistics Infrastructure, Kolkata

PAINTINGS ...

Dayana George, Travel Department, Trivandrum Mousumi, dlo Mintu Dey, CHRD - Kolkata

Edited by Mohar Mukhopadhyay, Corporate Communication Dept., Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. Printed at Nabapress Pvt Ltd, Kolkata

oA2<.~,

Inauguration ofthe Dubai Plant on May 27,1978 byHH Seikh Rashid Bin Saeed AI-Maktoum, Ruler ofDubai. Mr. H. N. Bahuguna, minister of petroleum,chemicals and fertilizers, was also present.

Launch of lightweight barrels at Bombay plant in 1986.Mr. R. L. Dhawan escorting visitors around the plant