BLOG ISSUE 43 _ July 2023 - Quarterly House JOurnal of Balmer Lawrie

BLOG
BLOG
Organisational Gazette
Issue 43, July 2023
Issue 43, July 2023

Editorial
I would like to begin the editorial of this issue by quoting Michael Porter and Peter Drucker on
innovation. While the former believes that “Innovation is the central issue in economic prosperity”,
the latter affirms that “Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. The act that endows
resources with a new capacity to create wealth.” Innovation is the starting point for entrepreneurship,
as it involves the creation of new and valuable ideas. However, entrepreneurship goes further by
taking on the risk and responsibility of bringing those ideas to market and building a successful
business. Innovation and entrepreneurship go hand in hand and is the crux of building a strong Start-
up ecosystem. This issue of Balmer Lawrie Organisational Gazette is centred on the Balmer Lawrie
Start-up Fund initiative aligned with Start-up India, the flagship initiative of the Government of India,
intended to catalyse the start-up culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation
and entrepreneurship in India.
The Indian start-up ecosystem is built on several key pillars, including Government support, access
to capital, a growing talent pool, and a supportive culture for entrepreneurship. One of the most
important factors driving the growth of start-ups in India is the Government’s focus on supporting
entrepreneurship. There would be 180K+ Start-ups in India and 22K+ active Start-up investors by
2030, 110+ Indian Unicorns, and the combined valuation of Indian Start-ups would be $500 Bn as per
a report by Inc42, India’s largest start-up media and information platform.
‘Start-up India’, a flagship initiative of the Government of India, was launched by the Hon’ble Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2016. The initiative aims at fostering entrepreneurship and promoting
innovation by creating a healthy ecosystem for the start-ups to prosper and grow. In line with this
noble initiative of the Government, Balmer Lawrie Start-Up Fund was launched in 2017 focused on
nurturing innovation in chosen business areas. The scheme aims at fostering innovations which can
be a game changer in the industry or be a significant value provider. When Balmer Lawrie signed an
MOU with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park on 14th September 2017, to provide seed funding of Rs 5
crore to incubate start-ups with innovative ideas, it became a flag bearer in the Eastern region for
promoting the start-up ecosystem here. It is the first conglomerate to launch a Start-up Fund in the
region under the aegis of Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Start-up India initiative.
The journey of the Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund has been pretty interesting. It included four rounds
of Start-up hunts and incubating and supporting start-ups with innovative ideas. Though the ride till
now has been extremely successful, the company would continue to explore opportunities of taking
it forward and sustaining it. Significant highlights associated with Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund, along
with messages and interviews of the beneficiaries have been covered in this issue. Currently, the
Balmer Lawrie Start-up journey is being driven by Mr. Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri, Director [Service
Businesses], his team and Mr. Saurav Dutta, Director [Finance] with the support of Mr. Adika Ratna
Sekhar, C&MD and under the guidance of IIM Calcutta Innovation Park.
Hope you enjoy reading this issue of BLOG and share with us your feedback and suggestions. Please
contribute for the Talent Unlimited section as well. You may email me at mukhopadhyay.mohar@
balmerlawrie.com.
2

SIGNIFICANT HAPPENINGS @ BALMER LAWRIE
The Top Management Meet was organised on 28th
and 29th
July 2023 at Jodhpur.
‹ Balmer Lawrie and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), a
Miniratna I PSE under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution, GOI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for
utilising storage / warehousing space of CWC for providing Cold Chain
logistics, general warehousing and other ancillary services for a period
of ten years from the date of sign off. The MOU was signed on 20th
April
2023 by Mr. Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri, Director [Service Businesses],
Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. and Mr. Rajeev Kumar Bansal, Group General
Manager [Commercial], CWC in the presence of senior officials of Balmer
Lawrie and CWC. As part of the association, Balmer Lawrie and CWC will
Visakhapatnam Port Logistics Park Ltd., a puja was performed
in the presence of Mr. Adika Ratna Sekhar on 24th
April 2023 in
Visakhapatnam. The event was graced by Mr. Engineer Kesavan
- Commissioner of Customs, Mr. Durgesh Kumar Dubey - Deputy
Chairman, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, Directors and COO of Balmer
Lawrie, and other Port and Customs Officials. Balmer Lawrie set up the
Multi Modal Logistic Hub (MMLH) in Joint Venture with Visakhapatnam
Port Authority (VPA) which was named Visakhapatnam Port Logistics
Park Limited (VPLPL). The state-of-the-art MMLH spread over an area of
53 acres is significantly contributing to the Logistics goals of the nation
and also meeting the growing demands of the region. The MMLH has
collaborate to leverage each other’s capabilities and complement each other to provide best-in-class services to
customers in keeping with the growing demands of the segment. The organisations would work together to strengthen
and expand their foothold not only in Cold Chain logistics but also general warehousing and distribution pan India.
‹ To formally commence the Container Freight Station operations within the Multi Modal Logistics Park of
ISSUE 43, July 2023
3

the capability to accommodate / handle both Exim and Domestic cargo. Exim area will have CFS, Warehousing, Cold
Storage / Temperature Controlled Warehouse, Open Cargo Storage, Hazardous & Non-Hazardous Cargo Handling,
Truck Parking etc. The existing facility of VPLPL is in line with Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti initiative.
‹ Logistics Services, Bengaluru successfully handled the charter including customs and immigration clearance at
HAL airport for exporting an LUH Helicopter to Malaysia for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on 19th
May 2023. The
Helicopter was loaded into the C17 provided by IAF.
‹ Balmer Lawrie successfully handled the reefer container movement for a trial shipment from Mango Pack House
Amroha, UP to Dubai, which was flagged off on 17th
June 2023 by the Chief Guest on the occasion, Mr. Surya Pratap
Shahi, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, Government of Uttar Pradesh. The movement was under the Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
‹ Balmer Lawrie hosted a first of its kind
Industrial Heritage Walk on 28th
April 2023 at the
Directors’ floor in the Corporate Office at Kolkata,
which has the archival display. The heritage walk
was organised by Bespoke Art Unique Legacies
(BAUL) Foundation in association with the
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Present on the
occasion were C&MD and Directors of Balmer
Lawrie, Director (Branch Secretariat) - MEA,
Consul Generals of Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy,
Myanmar etc., senior MEA Officials, senior State
Government Officials and other dignitaries.
4

‹ The Logistics Services team at Mumbai
successfully handled the export of Ceremonial
Blunt Swords for the Government of the Republic
of Uganda from Nhavasheva to Uganda via Dar-E-
Salaam. 1500 swords have already been exported
and another shipment of 500 swords is expected
soon.
‹ As part of customer connect initiatives, a first of its kind Eastern Region Travel Customer Meet was organised on
16th
June 2023 in the MV Sumangal Cruise on the river Ganges. During the meet, Mr. Adika Ratna Sekhar, Chairman
& Managing Director and Mr. Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri, Director [Service Businesses] addressed the distinguished
guests representing leading Corporates / Institutions. The opportunity was leveraged by the Vacations team to launch
the Special Durga Puja Holiday packages. Some of the customers shared their experience with Balmer Lawrie. Overall,
the meet was very well
received and was a great
forum for showcasing
our end-to-end Travel &
Vacations solutions.
‹ Balmer Lawrie
signed a Memorandum
of Understanding
(MoU) with Braithwaite
Co. Ltd. for a tie up in
respect of procurement
and supply of different
types of railway wagons
including maintenance
/ repair of the
ISSUE 43, July 2023
5

Balmer Lawrie was the travel partner for the Indian
Archery team that participated in Stage 2 of the
Archery World Cup 2023 held in Shanghai from 16th
to 21st
May 2023.
‹ The Wage Settlement for Workmen of Northern Region was signed on 14th
June 2023 in Delhi in the presence of
Chief Labour Commissioner (Central). Mr. Abhijit Ghosh, Director [HR & CA] was present during the signing of the
settlement.
SPORTS TICKETING
Balmer Lawrie handled the ticketing for the Indian
Hockey Team participating in the Men’s Junior Asia
Cup 2023 at Salalah, Oman from 23rd
May to 1st
June
2023.
Ticketing arrangements for the Indian Table Tennis
Team participating in the ITTF 2023 World Table
Tennis Championships Finals at Durban was done by
Balmer Lawrie. The 16 member Indian contingent is
being led by world ranking holders like Manika Batra,
Sreeja Akula and Sharath Kamal.
Balmer Lawrie was the travel partner for the Indian
Junior Women’s Hockey Team that clinched the
Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 title in Kakamigahara,
Japan, with a 2-1 win over the Republic of Korea in
the final on 11th
June 2023. This is the first time that
India has won the Women’s Junior Asia Cup. India
had already secured a spot in the FIH Women’s Junior
World Cup 2023 in Chile.
wagons. The MoU was signed by Mr.
Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri, Director Service
Businesses, Balmer Lawrie and Mr. Salim G.
Purushothaman, C&MD (additional charge)
and Director [Production], Braithwaite Co.
Ltd. in the Board Room at the Corporate
Office in Kolkata on 22nd
June 2023 in the
presence of senior Executives of both the
companies. The MoU was signed as part of
Balmer Lawrie’s foray into railway logistics
as Specialized Freight Train Operator
(SFTO).
!
!
!
!
6

Balmer Lawrie handled the entire ticketing for the Indian team that flew out of the country on 12th
July to
participate in the ISSF Junior World Championships 2023 which was held from 16th
to 24th
July at Changwon
Shooting Range, Republic of Korea. The junior shooting world championships, in its third edition, saw 90 Indian
shooters vie for medals in pistol, rifle and shotgun competitions in the under-21 age category.
at Berlin from 12th
to 26th
June 2023, as well as for
the 25 members delegation from the Ministry / SAI
/ Special Olympics Bharat who have travelled as
honoured guests on invitation from the organising
committee. On the days of their departure that
is on 11th
& 12th
June, Balmer Lawrie organised a
formal function to wish good luck to the players and
coaches. Mr. A K Gupta, Head [Travel] and Head,
RHR - NR along with the Sports Ticketing Team
wished the athletes all the best at the JLN Stadium
in New Delhi on 11th
June 2023.
Balmer Lawrie handled the entire ticketing and selected land arrangement in Berlin for the 275 members of
the Indian contingent - Special Olympics Bharat - participating in the Special Olympics World Summer Games
Balmer Lawrie was the
travel partner for the
18-member Indian team
that participated in the
2023 Badminton Asia
Junior Championships
which is the 23rd
edition of
the Asia continental junior
championships to crown
the best U-19 badminton
players across Asia. This
tournament was held in
Yogyakarta, Indonesia,
between 7th
and 16th
July
2023.
!
!
! ISSUE 43, July 2023
7

Awards
The 2nd
Warehouse & Supply Chain Leadership Awards 2023 was organised by M/s Krypton Business Media Pvt. Ltd.,
and Balmer Lawrie was declared winner in the following categories:
• Express Logistics Service Company of the Year
• Best Procurement Team of the Year
• CEO the Year – Logistics
The awards were received by Mr. Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri, Director [Service Businesses], Mr. R S Louis, COO [LI],
Mr. Rajesh Raghavan, AVP [Operations], CFS - Mumbai and Mr. Kartheek Goli, Deputy Manager [Sales] on behalf of
the Company in a function held at Mumbai on 26th
May 2023.
HSE & CSR
Balmer Lawrie rolled out the Woman Empowerment Livelihood Project - Phase II, as part of second year of Azadi Ka
Amrit Mahotsav [AKAM] celebrations by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, GOI. The project was inaugurated
by Mr. A N Jha, Deputy Secretary [Gen.], MOPNG, GOI at Padghe Village, Taloja, Navi Mumbai on 15th
April 2023. As
part of the project, Balmer Lawrie has decided to sponsor training and capacity building of 5 Self Help Groups [SHGs]
8

and tribal group of women for sustainable livelihood at Padghe Village in Taloja. Around 75 underprivileged women
will benefit from this program. Previously Balmer Lawrie had sponsored a tailoring program for 400 underprivileged
women in Padghe Village. The village is located near the state-of-the-art Industrial Packaging plant of Balmer Lawrie.
Speaking about the project, Mr. Adika Ratna Sekhar, Chairman & Managing Director said that the Company will
continue to work for the upliftment of the communities residing around the units and establishments of Balmer
Lawrie. Balmer Lawrie has implemented various initiatives as part of AKAM celebrations.
World Environment Day (WED) was celebrated on 5th
June 2023 in units and establishments across locations with
the administration of the WED pledge. While all the manufacturing and service units organised sapling plantation to
increase the green cover, an online quiz contest and essay competition was organised for all employees to create
awareness on key environmental issues. Winners of the contests were given away prizes.
The 9th
International Day of Yoga was observed and celebrated across all the units and establishments of Balmer
Lawrie on 21st
June 2023. The theme this year was ‘Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. A session on ‘Benefits of Yoga
& Meditation’ was organised for the employees. Employees also participated in the slogan and poster competitions
organised on the occasion. Yoga workshops were conducted in offices across locations pan India. Employees were
encouraged to participate in the various virtual programs on the Common Yoga Protocol organised by MOPNG and
Ministry of AYUSH.
ISSUE 43, July 2023
9

LEADERSHIP SPEAKS
Adika Ratna Sekhar
Chairman & Managing Director
As this issue of BLOG is a Balmer Lawrie Start-up initiative
special issue, let me begin by sharing an interesting statistic that
will make every Indian proud. India has emerged as the third
largest ecosystem for start-ups globally as of 31st
May 2023
and while addressing the nation on the 77th
Independence Day,
Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi attributed this highly
noteworthy achievement to the Government policies. By the end
of April this year, 98,119 entities were recognised as start-ups
by the Government. These start-ups, capitalizing on a host of
incentives including lucrative tax benefits under the Start-up
India scheme, are shaping a versatile and robust Indian start-
up ecosystem. In addition to tax benefits, schemes like Fund
of Funds for Start-ups, Start-up India Seed Fund Scheme, and
Credit Guarantee Scheme bolster support for these start-ups
at various stages of the business cycle. These comprehensive
measures help drive innovation and growth in the country.
India ranks second in innovation quality with top positions in the
quality of scientific publications and the quality of its universities
among middle-income economies. As per a Inc42 report, the Indian Start-up ecosystem has seen exponential growth
in the past few years. There has been 15X increase in the total funding of start-ups, 9X increase in the number of
investors, and 7X increase in the number of incubators. As of May 2023, India is home to 108 Unicorns with a total
valuation of USD 340.80 Bn. Out of the total number of unicorns, 44 unicorns commenced operations in 2021 and
21 unicorns were set up in 2022. There will be 180K+ start-ups in India by 2030 and the combined valuation of
Indian start-ups would be $500 Bn. Several factors have propelled this growth, including the widespread use of the
internet and smartphones, the emergence of global and domestic funds, and supportive Government initiatives.
These insights prove that the future of Indian start-ups will be very promising.
The “Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund” was launched in May 2017 aligned with the Start-up India program that was
initiated by Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2016. We signed an MOU with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIM CIP) for
selection and incubation of start-ups, and as part of this association, Balmer Lawrie and IIM CIP conducted four start-
up hunts successfully which saw the participation of thousands of start-ups. Depending on the need of the start-
ups, the incubation support included workspace, knowledge resources, mentoring, networking, customer connect,
investor connect and seed funding. Capacity building boot camps to impart essential knowledge on different aspects
of business were organised. To ensure success of this initiative, a continuous mentoring and monitoring mechanism
for start-ups was also put in place. I am glad that the Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund journey has been successful till
date and we were able to fund selected start-ups in different areas like Kanpur Flowercycling Pvt. Ltd., a company that
converts discarded flowers into innovative products like incense, natural soap and other bio-degradable products,
RCHobbytech Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a company providing unmanned surveillance solutions, Flyzy, a start-up in B2B
travel and Tight the Nut, a start-up providing garage and spare solutions. I thank IIM CIP for their immense value
addition in terms of experience, infrastructure and support and congratulate Mr. Adhip Pal Chaudhuri, Director
[Service Businesses], his team and Mr. Saurav Dutta, Director [Finance] for taking forward the Balmer Lawrie Start-
up Fund program successfully.
I’ve always found my interactions with the start-up companies to be moments of good learning. The common
characteristics of these companies that could be emulated by all of you are deep passion, immense resourcefulness,
perseverance, continuous learning, receiving information with an open mind and having a vision. Peter Drucker famously
shared a key insight: “If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.” The entrepreneurs who thrive,
do so by developing new visions. Steve Jobs build the Apple empire by ‘staying hungry and staying foolish’. So, let the
entrepreneurial spirit in you always be alive. With all of you innovating, the organisation will anyway benefit.
10

Cold Chain and the Multi Modal Logistics Hub at Visakhapatnam were offshoots of our Logistics Infrastructure
business. The 3PL Project proposal has emerged from our Logistics Services business. Our Travel team has
developed Self Booking Tool that automated ticketing and subsequently the Government of India ticketing portal that
provides superior value to the Government of India employees for their official as well as personal travel needs. SBU:
Chemicals has forayed into manufacturing Textile and Agro Chemicals using the same indigenous technology that
was being used to manufacture Leather Chemicals.
The nature of being an entrepreneur means that you fully embrace ambiguity and are comfortable with being
challenged regularly. Whenever I am interacting with the Businesses in the Company or with Founders of Start-ups,
I tend to cite the example of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and him being a strong proponent of the “Day 1” business
outlook. The Day 1 mentality means that even though Amazon is nearly three decades old, the company treats every
day like it’s the first day of their new start-up. Day 1 is an incredible idea – it’s a way to stay relevant and on your toes.
Every successful start-up begins with a solution to some problem or need. A promising start-up focuses on what the
consumer needs and how would they want the solution to their need, even if they don’t know it yet. Day 1 is all about
attacking every day by searching for ways to become and stay relevant to our customers. True ‘Customer Obsession’
is key to maintaining the Day 1 outlook. Jeff Bezos says, “The outside world can push you into Day 2 if you won’t or
can’t embrace powerful trends quickly. If you fight them, you’re probably fighting the future. Embrace them and you
have a tailwind”. It is important to recognize how we can create a better future for our company.
I am glad that this issue of BLOG will cover the Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund journey. We have had four Start-up hunts
till date and the response has been overwhelming. We have received thousands of applications and with the support
of IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIM CIP), we selected the most promising Start-ups to be incubated and funded. They
were provided with workspace, knowledge resources, mentoring, networking, customer connect, investor connect
etc. After the first round we supported Kanpur Flowercycling Pvt. Ltd. (Phool), a biomaterial start-up which is extremely
successful today and has been recognised in significant forums and the other was RCHobbytech Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
(Drones Tech Lab) that provides surveillance solutions. The start-ups were able to make noteworthy impact in their
respective areas and not only earned awards, accolades and recognition but were also able to attract investment
proposals from Angel Investors and VC firms. One of them featured in the 2018 Forbes 30 under 30 start-ups and
received funds from the likes of Social Alpha, Draper Richard Kaplan Foundation and reputed angel investors.
Balmer Lawrie launched the Round 2 of Startup Fund program in collaboration with IIM CIP in February 2021 and
subsequently Round 3 in August 2022. Through the second and third rounds we selected two tech start-ups - Flyzy,
a start-up in the B2B travel space and Tight the Nut, that creates innovative smart SaaS solutions for Un-organised
My association with the Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund commenced
with my appointment to the Board as a Functional Director. Of the
various traits and values that Balmer Lawrie identifies with, the
intrapreneurial culture is something that fascinates me. Balmer
Lawrie being a diverse organisation with a presence in both
manufacturing and services sectors have entered and exited
businesses to stay profitable and relevant for over 156 years.
Businesses have always been encouraged to innovate, take risks
and be future ready. Besides promoting the entrepreneurial spirit
in our employees and fostering the intrapreneurial culture in the
Company, we support start-ups and forums associated with
start-ups to further the culture of innovation. Through the Balmer
Lawrie Start-up Fund we have been supporting Start-ups in line
with the Start-up India initiative.
Internally, the Company is driving various projects across
businesses that are entrepreneurial and will drive the future of
the Company. Our Strategic Business Units (SBUs) diversified
into projects that reflect a start-up culture. For example SBU:
Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri
Director [Service Businesses]
ISSUE 43, July 2023
11

To qualify as a start-up, it should have been incorporated as a Private Limited Company, a Registered Partnership
Firm or a Limited Liability Partnership with period of existence and operations not exceeding 10 years and not
been formed by splitting up or reconstructing an already existing business. It should not have an annual turnover
exceeding Rs. 100 crore for any of the financial years since its incorporation and should work towards development
or improvement of a product, process or service and/or have scalable business model with high potential for creation
of wealth and employment.
The benefits of a start-up are - facilitates risk taking; encourages entrepreneurship; promotes innovation; creates
jobs; supports local economies; addresses social problems and can be used as a catalyst for change.
Financial support is important for start-ups as they need capital to get their business up and running which can
help them hire key personnel, cover costs of research and development and scale their business quickly. They
often have difficulty accessing traditional forms of financing like bank loans. Indian start-ups can overcome
funding challenges by exploring alternative sources of funding such as crowdfunding, bootstrapping, and
Government grants. They can also network with investors and build relationships with venture capital firms and
angel investors.
The Start-up culture is booming worldwide, and entrepreneurs are always looking for the next big thing to disrupt
the market. As we look ahead, it’s important to stay on top of the latest trends to remain competitive in the start-up
world. The Indian start-up ecosystem has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. This growth primarily
stems from an increase in technology start-ups, a shift attributed to the rapid rise of younger entrepreneurs entering
the space. The start-up ecosystem of India where approximately1 lakh new start-ups have been established since
2016, across different sectors in the country, has also managed to create over 1 million job opportunities covering
significant number of districts in the country. The first unicorn was seen in India in 2011, and now, after a decade,
India has crossed the mark of 100 unicorns.
The major start-ups are being witnessed in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML),
Sustainability and Environmental Consciousness, Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR), E-commerce, Cyber
Automotive Garages and Spare Retailers. The participation of Start-ups in the fourth round launched in May 2023
has been pretty interesting and we are in the process of selecting the Start-ups for funding. This time we are keen on
associating with start-ups that have a synergy with our businesses. The Start-up initiative in Balmer Lawrie is being
taken forward in a collaborative manner with key stakeholders in the various business units of the Company such that
we are able to leverage the association with the beneficiaries for benefitting the businesses as well.
I am confident that the BL Start-up Fund initiative will continue to add value to the Start-up India program and
showcase Balmer Lawrie as an organisation that cares and that believes in growing together with various stakeholders.
On 15 August 2015, as part of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s
Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, a new vision for the Indian
economy was announced. A vision that aimed to tap the entrepreneurial
potential of the people of India. A vision that enabled the talent of India to
dream of ideas, put them in action, and convert them into game changing
ventures.
Launched on 16th January, 2016, the Start-up India initiative has rolled out
several programs with the objective of supporting entrepreneurs, building
a robust startup ecosystem and transforming India into a country of job
creators instead of job seekers. These programs are managed by a dedicated
Start-up India Team, which reports to the Department for Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DPIIT). The Government of India has launched several initiatives
to promote the growth of the Indian start-up industry, such as Start-up India,
Atal Innovation Mission and Digital India. These initiatives provide funding,
mentorship, and other resources to start-ups.
Saurav Dutta
Director [Finance]
12

security, Mental Health and Wellness, Robotics and Automation. Indian start-ups have opportunities in a variety
of sunrise sectors, such as clean energy, social entrepreneurship, and renewable energy solutions. These sectors
hold the potential for significant growth and impact, providing promising avenues for start-ups to thrive. According
to the latest study, 90% of start-ups fail. In addition, a little over 50% of start-ups successfully reach their fifth
year. Even with the great risks, venture capitalists, angel investors, and other organisations continue to invest in
businesses.
For traditional businesses, the assets are generally tangible things like manufacturing plants, machinery and other
physical infrastructure. However, a large part of these new age businesses are built on intangible aspects such as
brand, user base and other things. While these things get reflected in the P&L of such companies, it becomes hard
to define their worth. While traditional businesses are valued on the discounted cash flows or DCF basis, there
is a different way to look at and value a loss-making start-up. These fast-growing disruptive companies are often
measured on - Total Addressable Market or TAM that they are targeting and the share of that pie that they are likely
to corner; growth rate; business sustainability and size of the profit pool among other things.
It is in the backdrop of such a scenario that our Company had earmarked a sum of Rs five crores to be invested in
start-ups with guidance and support from IIMCIP. Decision making including the due diligence and valuation of start-
ups is a complex process for which the necessary expertise is not available in-house, hence the support of IIMCIP has
been solicited. Since inception, three rounds of funding exercise have been completed resulting in identification of
four start-ups for investment. In fact, we have exited one of the first investments with a reasonable profit. The fourth
round of pitching exercise is on for identification of suitable start-ups. While we try to look for synergy provided by
the start-ups with any of our existing businesses, the same is not a necessary factor which influences the decision
making. The innovativeness of the idea, scalability of the same, stage at which the idea is, tie up for funding etc. are
all very important decision pointers.
While providing necessary fillip and support to the initiative, we hope that we are lucky enough to stumble upon some
start-up which eventually may become a unicorn thereby making us a proud investor and something we can brag
about to our future generations!!!
Tête-à-tête with Dr. Subhrangshu Sanyal
Dr. Sanyal is a passionate Start-up Evangelist and currently the CEO of IIM
Calcutta Innovation Park. He has been with IIMCIP since its inception and
is working on creating a comprehensive ecosystem that would promote
entrepreneurship and nurture innovation. He pursued his degree in Mechanical
Engineering from Jadavpur University, PGDM (MBA) from IIM Calcutta and
PhD from National Law University, Jodhpur. He has rich experience in process
and systems consulting and executed several large strategic projects in the
banking and financial services domain for global organizations. He also had
stints with two start-ups as co-founder. He has deep interest in the Social
Entrepreneurship space and is involved in various social initiatives as an active
Rotarian.
IIMCIP is associated with incubating successful Start-ups and has
significantly contributed to the Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund initiative.
Share with us your experience about this collaborative journey of Balmer
Lawrie and IIMCIP.
Dr.SubhrangshuSanyal
In 2017, when the Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund was launched, Balmer Lawrie (BL) approached IIMCIP to
explore the possibility of collaboration for this initiative. The objective was to judiciously invest in some
promising start-ups and generate positive return on investment by scaling them up through incubation
support. IIMCIP is a technology business incubator incorporated under the aegis of IIM Calcutta and the
mission of the organisation is to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. Since its inception, IIMCIP has
been incubating a large number of start-ups from across the country and developed strong competency in
ISSUE 43, July 2023
13

start-up sourcing and investing. Hence the objective of the BL Start-up Fund initiative was well aligned to the
mission and expertise of IIMCIP.
During the initial brainstorming, the leadership of both the organisations decided to structure this program differently
from other peer organisations who mostly focussed on disbursement of the fund primarily in the form of grant. The
program focussed on the return on investment and the key aspects included funding against appropriate instruments
like equity, strong sourcing, judicious selection and incubation support.
Since this was a first of its kind program for BL, multiple issues cropped up in the initial days. However, both the
organisations worked together as a team to resolve the matters. The program saw its first success in 2019-20
when an investee company from the first batch offered a profitable exit. This was a tremendous achievement not
only because of the ROI, but also because it validated the funding model that was adopted. Another significant
achievement of this program is that all the funded start-ups have grown their revenue year on year and increased
their valuation. Hence, currently the portfolio value is multiple times the investment.
Overall, it was a very exciting journey together, rich with learnings, some successes, and a few failures. I believe
that the program has the potential to not only generate more ROI for BL, but also to be positioned as a model for
corporate start-up funding in the coming years.
How is IIMCIP engaging with other Corporates / Institutions for the growth of the Start-up ecosystem in the
country?
The start-up ecosystem in India has progressed significantly in the recent years and India is now ranked third in the
world. For further growth of the ecosystem, the Government, Academia and Corporates need to work together. While
a few corporates have successfully embarked on the start-up initiatives, a majority of them are still not sure. This
may be because of lack of strategic alignment, clarity, experience and know-how. IIMCIP is trying to address this gap
by working closely with the corporates as knowledge partner. Programs are jointly designed ensuring alignment to
the strategic objectives and IIMCIP brings in relevant expertise to execute the programs. So far, we have seen good
success and the programs have received national level visibility.
What are those key focus areas that an early-stage Start-up should concentrate on to be successful?
Global statistics show that around 80% of the early-stage start-ups fail to scale up and the key reasons are lack of
demand, team capability and lack of fund. Hence, in the initial stages, the focus for the start-ups should be to spend
good amount of time on the ground with the potential users and understand their needs. The solution must address
a real and big need. The next challenge would be to create a strong founding team, preferably with complimentary
skillsets, who can take the solution to the market. Throughout the start-up journey the entrepreneur must pay
adequate attention on cash flow and ensure fund availability to fuel growth.
Tell us more about IIMCIP and your association with the institute.
IIMCIP was set up in 2014 by IIMC as a not for profit institution to promote entrepreneurship and innovation.
The purpose of the organisation is to “actively foster innovative and socially impactful entrepreneurs and enable
livelihood creation”. IIMCIP, in collaboration with the Government and Corporates conducts large scale incubation
programs which offer capacity building, mentoring, market linkages and funding connects for the start-ups. So far
IIMCIP has mentored 1000+ entrepreneurs and incubated 100+ start-ups whose combined valuation is around Rs
7000 Cr.
I joined IIMCIP in 2015, right at the inception stage and I consider it like a start-up for startups. I experienced the
same challenges that any start-up would face and had to follow problem solving approach at every step. Working
with start-ups is an amazing learning experience and I strongly recommend that every professional should get
a flavour of entrepreneurship in their career, either within their organisation as an intrepreneur or as a start-up
founder.
14

To foster and empower innovations that have the potential to revolutionise the industry, Balmer Lawrie established
a Start-up Fund in 2017, aligning with the Start-up India initiative by the Government of India. This initiative aims to
promote innovation in products, services, and processes that can bring significant transformation to the industry or
offer substantial value. IIM Calcutta Innovation Park is honoured to have been selected as Balmer Lawrie’s trusted
Knowledge Partner since the program’s inception. We are entrusted with the critical role of identifying promising start-
ups aligned with Balmer Lawrie’s chosen sectors / industries and providing them with top-notch incubation support.
This support includes mentoring, access to knowledge resources, co-working facilities, networking opportunities,
customer connections and investor introductions, among others.
The program has already benefited three start-ups, securing funding worth Rs. 3.20 Crores. It brings great satisfaction
to report that these start-ups have experienced remarkable growth in their revenue over the years. One standout
example is Kanpur Flowercycling, which received Rs. 60 Lakhs from Balmer Lawrie in 2018 and received guidance
from IIM Calcutta Innovation Park. Recently, this start-up gained nationwide attention when Bollywood actor Alia
Bhatt invested in it in 2021. Impressively, Balmer Lawrie achieved a successful exit from the start-up, yielding a
remarkable 1.5X return in just 18 months of investment.
Additionally, one of the program’s initial beneficiaries, RC Hobbytech Solutions, has now become a trusted name
for UAV solutions among Central Government agencies, State Governments and Corporations. Another beneficiary
from the second round of the program, the aviation IT startup Flyzy, has been steadily growing since receiving Rs. 50
Lakhs from Balmer Lawrie in 2021. This funding enabled Flyzy to strengthen its IT infrastructure, expand its marketing
efforts, and enhance its team.
We eagerly anticipate further strengthening and expanding the collaboration between IIM Calcutta Innovation Park
and Balmer Lawrie to advance our shared mission of creating a robust ecosystem for start-ups in India.
Experience Sharing: Namami Ghosh
Ms. Namami Ghosh is a brilliant strategic planner with proficiency in managing
enterprise and channels, identifying prospective clients, segments, developing
and expanding markets for business excellence. She has been associated with
IIMCIP as the Head Portfolio Management since September 2018. At IIMCIP,
she excels in managing incubation activities, sourcing, capacity building and
funding of start-ups. Prior to IIMCIP, she has around more than 18 years of
experience in Software Engineering working with renowned brands. She has
in-depth knowledge in Technical need analysis and strategic development. She
holds a great problem-solving attitude and commitment, and has been making
meaningful and result driven contributions to the organisation.
The partnership between Balmer Lawrie and IIM Calcutta Innovation Park
has proven to be highly successful, driven by shared objectives focused
on supporting promising start-ups to enhance existing industries through
innovative solutions.
Ms. Namami Ghosh
BALMER LAWRIE START-UP FUND
“Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund”, an initiative in line with the Government of India’s initiative ‘Start-up India’, was
launched in May 2017. “Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund” aims at nurturing innovation in its chosen business areas.
The scheme aims at fostering innovations, which can be game changers in the industry or be a significant value
provider. The innovation areas included Specialty Chemicals, Disruptive innovations in Industrial Packaging and
Greases & Lubricants, IT innovations in Logistics and in Travel & Vacations and other innovations in the area of
manufacturing and service businesses related to Balmer Lawrie. Environment friendly ideas on converting waste
to wealth by utilizing by-products, scrap and effluents in line with the Company’s businesses were encouraged.
Depending upon the scope of the innovation, Balmer Lawrie decided to nurture and support the start-ups
ISSUE 43, July 2023
15

through seed capital, space, available R&D infrastructure, mentoring, regular follow-up & hand holding, industry
& academia connect as well as market linkages. Advertisements were released in top mainline dailies to seek
innovative ideas.
An MOU was signed between Balmer Lawrie and IIM Calcutta Innovation Park for selection and incubation of
Start-ups on 14th
September 2017. In association with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, Balmer Lawrie selected and
is incubating the start-ups jointly. Incubation support is physical or virtual, depending on the need of the Start-up
and includes work space, knowledge resources, mentoring, networking, customer connect, investor connect and
seed funding. Capacity building boot camps to impart essential knowledge on different aspects of business are
also being organized. To ensure success of this initiative, a continuous mentoring and monitoring mechanism for
Start-ups has also been put in place.
On 29th
May 2018, agreements were signed with the founders of RCHobbytech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and Kanpur
Flowercycling Pvt. Ltd., the two start-ups selected by the Company as part of the Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund
initiative. A fund of Rs 2.1 Crore was disbursed by the Company to the two selected start-ups. Balmer Lawrie
exited from Kanpur Flowercycling Pvt. Ltd. through sale of share to Angel Investors in July 2020 and the second
tranche fund was released to RCHobbytech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in October 2020.
Encouraged by our success in nurturing innovative ideas and ensuring that the ideas get translated into
successful businesses, Balmer Lawrie launched the Round 2 of Start-up Fund program in collaboration with IIM
Calcutta Innovation Park in February 2021 with the objective of creating a vibrant ecosystem aimed at fostering
entrepreneurship and promoting innovation. Balmer Lawrie subsequently launched the Round 3 of Start-up Fund
program. Balmer Lawrie leadership has been driving the start-up fund program and has provided all necessary
support to nurture the start-ups to the extent possible with funds, office space, knowledge resource, mentors,
networking, customer connect, investor connect etc. Balmer Lawrie has also actively participated in other start-up
hunts like Eureka (IIT-B) to target potential start-ups to get them onboard for the upcoming start-up hunt program.
A corpus of Rs 3 Cr is earmarked for the Round 3 Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund Program. The duration of the
support is 1-3 years. However, the reasonability of the time frame would be judged based on scope and complexity
of the project.
Applicants are shortlisted by a constituted committee based on the following aspects:
- Uniqueness of the Innovation Idea
- Feasibility of the Idea
- Scope of Innovation
- Social, Environmental and Economic Impact
- Revenue / Business Model
- Robustness of the business plan along with
timelines
- Relatedness of the innovation idea with Balmer
Lawrie’s line of businesses
- Profile of Team Members
- Revenue & Expenditure Plan
- Presentation & Personal Interaction
16

Team Balmer Lawrie and IIMCIP with the Start-ups
Pitching rounds at Balmer Lawrie
Selected Start-up:
• Flyzy – Tech based Travel Start-up
Fund Committed – Rs. 0.5 Cr
Ongoing
Selected Start-up
• Tight the Nut (Garage tech Start-up)
Fund Commitment – Rs. 1 Cr
BALMER LAWRIE START - UP JOURNEY
Selected start-ups
• Phool (KFPL) - Waste to wealth
• Drones Tech Lab - Tech based surveillance solutions
Fund committed – Rs. 2.1 Cr
START-UP
HUNT-1
START-UP
HUNT-2
START-UP
HUNT-3
START-UP
HUNT-4
ISSUE 43, July 2023
17

Kanpur Flowercycling
India’s first biomaterials start-up Kanpur
Flowercycling operating under the brand
name Phool.Co has risen to fame with its
unique range of incense sticks / cones,
candles, etc. made from floral wastes, using its patented ‘flowercycling’
technology.
Back in 2018, when Balmer Lawrie decided to invest Rs. 60 Lakhs in Kanpur
Flowercycling, the start-up was raring to scale up. It has grown leaps and
bounds since then, achieving YoY growth of 130% for 2019-2021. In 2020,
BALMER LAWRIE START-UP FUND BENEFICIARIES
RC Hobbytech Solutions
The deep-tech start-up RC Hobbytech Solutions specializes in creating smart and
customized unmanned surveillance and survey solutions by integrating drones,
rovers, software and data analysis systems. It has earned a strong reputation
for quality, effectiveness and trust among various Central Government agencies,
State Governments and Corporate entities.
While securing a work order from the DRDO in 2016 had set the stones rolling for
the start-up, the capital infusion of Rs. 2 Crore by Balmer Lawrie in 2018-19 majorly
instrumented its upward growth trajectory. The company’s revenue recorded 10X
growth since FY 2018-19, reflecting a remarkable advancement over the last four
years.
Ritesh Kanu, Founder & Director, Drones Tech Lab Engagement with Ministry of Defence
This infusion of funds bolstered the start-up’s ability to expand its product offerings, leading to the acquisition of
work orders from esteemed organisations such as the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, the NDA, the National
Disaster Management Authority, the National Informatics Centre, the Archaeological Survey of India and various
State Governments, including Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and West Bengal, among others. Additionally, RC Hobbytech
Solutions boasts of an impressive roster of corporate clients, including Larsen & Toubro, JSW Energy and GENSTRU,
to name a few.
In 2021, the start-up received recognition as one of the top five drone companies in India, as conferred by the
Internet of Things (IoT) Expo India.
Phool Founder and CEO Ankit Agarwal
18

Flyzy, India’s one-of-a-kind futuristic travel app, makes the journey experience
right from departure to arrival a seamless one. The major objective is to make
travel, safer, simpler, and free of hassles by offering a host of personalised
experiences to the passengers, while offering value propositions to all the
stakeholders including the retailers and other service providers who play indirect
Balmer Lawrie pulled off a successful exit from the start-up yielding an impressive 1.5X return in just 18 months of
investing in the start-up.
Kanpur Flowercycling has secured additional funding from the DRK Foundation, the Indian Angel Network and an
angel round with Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt. The start-up is currently diversifying its business by exploring new
business lines, including building the PoCs for Florafoam and Fleather. Besides, it is also eyeing expanding its
footprint globally.
Flyzy
roles in helping passengers in their travels.
The Flyzy app was born during the peak of the pandemic in 2020. Jointly developed by three students - Hansraj Patel,
Arjit Singh and Deepak Meena - from IIT, Guwahati, the Fyzy app can help manage and personalise journeys in a few
simple steps to make the overall experience of traveling simpler, better and hassle free. Currently Deepak Meena is
the CEO, Arjit Singh, CMO and Hansraj Patel, the CTO of Flyzy.
ISSUE 43, July 2023
19

Deepak Meena, CEO
Flyzy can also be described as an e-commerce travel retail and utility platform
connecting travel retailers, airports / stations and travellers at a single platform. It
is a one-click solution for air travellers across the globe.
Flyzy is continuously working to develop a solution, which in accordance with
different initiatives like Digi Yatra (an initiative by the Government of India) and
the IATA Travel Pass that will help make flying not just contactless, but accessible
to all.
Flyzy was backed by four angel investors,
who are all from the travel industry, and with
this they closed the pre-seed round. They
have plans to raise the next round funds
for expanding to other Indian and foreign
airports. They are planning to expand to 100
plus airports in India by joining hands with
AAI and MOCA. With a revenue of Rs. 500
lakh in FY 2022-23, Flyzy is all geared up
to take the ‘Made in India’ solution to the
global stage.
Tight the Nut
Tight The Nut (TTN), a B2B Garage-tech start-up, is a mobile-
first solution that digitally enables the local and multi-brand
garages, spare parts and ancillary retailers. TTN is Pune-based
and is revolutionising the way the unorganised automotive
industry works. It provides solutions in 32 states and union
territories in India and is expanding in South East Asia. TTN
was founded by Azam Shaikh, currently the CEO and Gaurav
Sandhya, the CFO. Azam Shaikh is an Automobile Expert
with 9 years of experience in Tata Motors and Bajaj Auto. He
worked as CEO of Bharat Tractors for 6 years. A team player and leader, Azam Shaikh is the Founder of NGO, the
Forest Raisers. Gaurav Sandhya is Finance Expert with 3 years of experience in Bhookkad.com, Pune (Food-tech
Start-up).
Flyzy was recognized by Start-up India
(DP-IIT). It was the finalist at Start-up India
COVID-19 Challenge and was recognized by
the Ministry of Education.
This Start-up was selected by Balmer
Lawrie in the Start-up round 2 with a fund
commitment of Rs. 50 lakhs.
20

(L) Gaurav Sandhya, CFO (R) Azam Shaikh, CEO
We asked a few questions to Mr. Azam Shaikh to learn about the business, product etc. Read on to know more about
TTN.
1. Give a brief description of your area of innovation, business and product-line.
Our innovation is a B2B Garagetech in the Automotive aftermarket. We provide an intelligent CRM and accounting
solution for un-organised automotive garages so that they become efficient and profitable. Our in-app analytics
help garage owners to take day to day business decisions. We have a B2B mobile app for automotive garages in
nine Indian languages.
2. What motivated you to venture into this field and when did you start working on your plans?
Pune being one of the cities with the highest dense two-wheeler population, has a highly un-organised
automotive aftermarket. We faced transparency and genuine parts issues almost in all the workshops. To
address their concerns, we experimented ideas in the Pune market and then finalised on using the technology
backbone to solve their problems. Our app can be used in 9 Indian languages to be the business companion
for garage owners.
3. As a Start-up, what were the major challenges faced by you and how did you overcome such challenge?
As a start-up finding the right set of manpower which believes in the vision that you have, is always a challenge.
To overcome this, we always share each and every decision with our key employees and believe in them so that
they can be part of our vision.
4. When did you start operations and what were the major bottlenecks faced while servicing your
customers? What is the size of your organisation and how you meet your business needs through your
present infrastructure?
We started operations of our current model in 2019. It was challenging to convince the customers for a technology
solution which will act as an assistant to them. We made the solution in 9 Indian languages according to their
workflow and this started generating interest in the market. Currently, we have a team of 18 people across Tech,
Operations, Sales and Support.
5. How is the market demand for your products? How is it unique and different from other products?
Market demand is organic after the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more workshop owners are looking for digital
solutions to solve their issues at their workshops. TTN Garage understands the garage owner’s workflow and
helps them to take day to day business decisions which in turn help them to grow by 30% in revenues.
ISSUE 43, July 2023
21

6. How has the support from Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund helped you? How do you see yourself synergising
with Balmer Lawrie?
Balmer Lawrie’s support will help TTN to accelerate the growth across geographies. It will also help us to
strengthen our brand position in the Automotive aftermarket. I think our association is mutually beneficial. We
can help reach Balmer Lawrie products to garage owners across India.
7. Briefly describe your success stories and moments of joy?
Getting selected by Balmer Lawrie for funding is one of the moments of joy for us. Another accomplishment that
we pride on is our selection at Stanford Seed Spark program.
8. Tell us about your future roadmap. What are the challenges ahead in terms of R&D, tie-up, marketing and
scaling-up of production? How you plan to address those challenges?
We envision to be a top brand in Indian Automotive Aftermarket.
We need to refine our product offerings across geographies and tech platform. We will be adding experienced
resources in our team so that we can excel in the same.
22

Working at a Start-up requires a DNA that focuses on making quality products rather than quantity. Employees of
Start-ups have a habit of continuous learning. This habit is helpful because, with it, they will be fiercely competitive
with their updated skills and current industry knowledge. Such involvement of their minds into NEVER SAY NEVER to
work, makes them believe the fact that the knowledge they have acquired currently isn’t complete and they need to
work harder to know more about the industry for which they have been working. We observe that people working in
Start-ups are much interested in adapting themselves to the change in processes. The change may either be related
to building the product from scratch or reorganizing the sequence of marketing events. Besides, most of them in
Start-ups are flexible and intelligent enough to know what strategy their teammates or team leaders adopted to get
their work done on time and with no compromise on quality.
Tell us about one Start-up that interested you the most.
I can’t name one. There are many and I could recollect a few of them. One of the start-ups explained about their
expander having the capability to handle wet admission steam which is not possible with the current turbine and
positive displacement expanders present in the market. Their product has the potential to generate ~15 GW of
decentralized electricity, while being eco-friendly.
Another start-up on Construction 3D Printers had multiple types of printers developed indigenously e.g. Gantry type
off-site and on-site printers, Robotic arm based printers, Pole printers. The key outcomes and advantages are a. Faster
construction b. Affordability c. Reduces the carbon footprint significantly - 3D structures can be built in an efficient
manner limiting the overall impact they have on the environment and e. Reduced energy utilization - Structures built
using this process consume much less energy during their lifetime and hence, reduce the impact on the environment.
If I could recollect, there was another entrepreneur who presented an idea to release multiple types of signals includes
visual patterns, light frequencies, acoustic signals, vibratory (touch) signals etc. to attract and aggregate insects
those are harmful to plants that includes herbivorous and omnivorous insects. This could be a part of alternative to
some of the pesticides used. Another start-up presented about their Anaerobic granulated sludge with more than
650 numbers of various bacteria. This consortium is proven to treat wastewater and the treated water can directly
be used for irrigation purposes along with energy recovery.
How do you see the Start-up ecosystem contributing to the R&D landscape in manufacturing in the country?
Incremental projects account for more than half of an average R&D investment, even though bold bets and aggressive
reallocation of the innovation portfolio deliver higher rates of success. Mostly “safe” projects with near-term returns
are favoured, such as those emerging out of customer requests that in many cases do little more than maintain
existing market share.
Focusing innovation solely around the core business may enable a company to coast for a while. A mindset that
views risk as something that can be managed has to be reinforced. Transformational projects at one company faced
BALMER LAWRIENS SPEAK
Dr. V Vijayabaskar
Head, Applications Research
Laboratory, Greases & Lubricants
How was your experience as a jury member of the Balmer Lawrie
Start-up Fund hunts?
To nurture and enable innovations capable of changing the game for the
industry, Balmer Lawrie had set up a Start-up Fund in 2017, in alignment
with ‘Start-up India’, a flagship initiative of the Government of India. I
sincerely thank the Management for giving me this opportunity to be a
part in the initial screening of start-ups for three times. I was surprised
and thrilled to notice the zeal shown by each participant at this young age.
It created an inward feeling of why I wasn’t like them at their age. Many of
their ideas are innovative and trying to solve societal problems at large.
This journey would have been highly enriching and value-adding for
you as a professional. What was your key takeaway?
ISSUE 43, July 2023
23

a higher internal-rate-of-return hurdle than incremental R&D, even after the probability of success had been factored
into their valuation, reducing their chances of securing funding and tilting the pipeline toward initiatives close to the
core. As organisations mature, innovation-driven growth becomes increasingly important, as their traditional means
of organic growth, such as geographic expansion and entry into untapped market segments, diminish.
At this juncture, the Start-up comes in to play. Corporations that are ready to deviate from their traditional “inside-inside”
model may want to give the “inside-outside” method a try. This one hinges on incubators. First, the corporation generates
ideas and does research internally, just like the traditional model. But when it’s time to move to development and testing,
the corporation partners with an incubator that’s completely external to the company. Sometimes, these pairings work
perfectly -- especially if there’s a total synergy between the vision of the corporation and that of the Start-up. The two areas
in manufacturing that have seen an impact of start-ups in India are Pharma & Biotechnology and EV segments.
Moving an idea from the lab to the market and to maximum impact is a long journey for start-ups. The journey is not
easy, even if it is a pathbreaking therapy or a multi-billion-dollar molecule, unless it is cradled by a mature service
partner. The biotechnology industry in India alone comprises more than 2,700 start-ups and this number is estimated
to touch 10,000 by 2024. Such start-ups have sprung up around areas such as next generation drugs, diagnostics
and therapies and other revolutionary medical solutions that can disrupt the existing market in terms of use as well
as cost. Similarly, many Indian EV start-ups such as Ather Energy, Altigreen, BluSmart, and Exponent Energy have
now come up with sustainable solutions for mobility. The Indian EV market houses various small as well as large EV
start-ups and is estimated to reach $15,397 Bn by 2027.
Sushil Dugar
Head [Logistics Services]
How was your experience as a jury member of the Balmer Lawrie Start-
up Fund hunts?
India has been talking about Start-ups for quite some time and various
organisations, investors and business schools have been part of evaluating
these start-up ideas and helping these start-up ideas to turn into successful
businesses. Balmer Lawrie Management also decided to become part of
this start-up drive and contribute to the start-up ecosystem by supporting
promising entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and drive employment. I
was pleasantly surprised and very happy when I got an email from Director
[Services Businesses] informing me that I will be a Jury member to identify
potential start-ups where Balmer Lawrie can invest and encourage such start-
ups. I was excited as I was getting an opportunity to evaluate and review
the business plans and proposals from various start-ups seeking funding. My
experience as a jury member has been enriching and quite fruitful as I got the
opportunity to ask questions, seek clarifications, and gauge the passion and
competence of the start-up founders.
It was a great opportunity to collaborate with other Jury members with vast experience from various backgrounds
from our Company who were experts in the field from which they came. Collaborating with these experts allowed for
diverse perspectives and insights during the evaluation process.
This journey as a jury member of the Start-up Fund hunts would have been highly enriching and value-
adding for you as a professional. What was your key takeaway?
Being a Jury member on a start-up fund hunt has been an enriching experience for me. I got the opportunity to evaluate
innovative ideas, contribute to the growth of promising start-ups, expand networks, gain insights into the entrepreneurial
mindset, learn from peers, contribute to the ecosystem and potentially identify investment opportunities.
It required a keen eye for detail, strong analytical skills and the ability to make informed decisions based on the
available information. Reviewing the various plans and proposals received from various start-ups seeking funding
helped me regain my evaluation abilities as I got the opportunity to thoroughly review and evaluate these documents
24

to assess the feasibility, market potential, and viability of the start-up ideas. I got an opportunity to witness firsthand
the innovative ideas and solutions that the start-ups were developing, thus, exposing me to a wide range of industries
and sectors and this helped me stay updated on the latest trends and advancements.
Interacting with start-up founders and evaluating their business plans gave me a deep understanding of the
entrepreneurial mindset. Discussions, debates, and the evaluation of the start-ups helped broaden knowledge and
perspectives. It provided insights into the challenges, risks, and decision-making processes that entrepreneurs face
which in turn is helping me in decision-making in my leadership roles.
Tell us about one Start-up that interested you the most.
Every start-up idea was wonderful in itself and was interesting in its domain. Selecting one idea from a plethora of
fantastic ideas is a tough task. One of the start-up ideas from the logistics domain intrigued my interest as I found it
to be connecting Agri EXIM through technology platform. As Balmer Lawrie is in the logistics business and I being in
SBU: Logistics Services, my interest in this idea was logical.
The idea of providing a comprehensive sourcing solution tailored exclusively for SME sector importers and exporters
of Agri products caught my attention. Their integrated supply chain platform aims to provide exporters with confirmed
orders from international importers, offer diverse sourcing alternatives, facilitate the procurement of goods, and
extend vital trade financing support. This start-up was addressing several integral issues like lack of working capital,
lack of trust amongst trading partners [credit worthiness], and economies of scale which was making the SMEs
non-competitive. In addition, their process of managing the complexities of ocean freight and providing end-to-end
logistics solutions, covering both origin and destination points, was an added value factor.
While the core concept is not entirely novel, their approach is pioneering as their integrated solution combines
sourcing and funding, setting them apart as a unique and disruptive force in the industry. This pioneering position
affords them an early mover advantage and positions them for sustainable growth. In an era where global business
practices emphasize ease of operations, their proposed platform will act as a unified hub, simplifying the entire
agricultural trade process.
How do you see the Start-up ecosystem contributing to the logistics landscape in the country?
The start-up ecosystem has played a significant role in transforming the logistics landscape in India. Start-ups have
brought agility, innovation, and disruptive technologies to the logistics landscape in India. They have addressed key
pain points, improved operational efficiency, and unlocked new opportunities for growth and had a positive impact
on the economy by fostering entrepreneurship. Start-ups have created collaborative platforms that connect logistics
service providers, shippers, and other stakeholders in the ecosystem. Start-ups have helped bridge the logistics
gap and enable better connectivity between urban and rural areas. Here are a few ways in which start-ups have
contributed to this and helped the overall supply chain management:
Supply Chain Optimization: By bringing in data analytics and machine learning capabilities to logistics, the start-
ups are enabling companies to make data-driven decisions. These technologies help optimize inventory management,
demand forecasting and supply chain planning.
Technology-driven Solutions: Start-ups have leveraged technology to develop innovative solutions that address the
challenges in logistics. They have introduced digital platforms, mobile applications, and cloud-based systems that
streamline operations, enhance transparency and improve overall efficiency.
Last-mile Delivery Innovations: Last-mile delivery is often a challenging aspect of logistics. Some of the start-ups have
introduced alternative delivery models, such as crowdsourcing, hyperlocal delivery and on-demand delivery platforms.
These innovations have not only optimized delivery routes but also reduced costs and increased customer satisfaction.
E-commerce Enabler: Start-ups have emerged as enablers by providing specialized services tailored to the needs of
e-commerce companies. They offer warehousing and fulfilment services, order management systems and end-to-end
logistics solutions that help e-commerce businesses manage their supply chains effectively.
ISSUE 43, July 2023
25

Initially there was huge resistance, and our greatest challenge was to rationalise the time taken in completing the
whole process without compromising on the quality of the documentation. As there was no Silver Bullet to this
complex problem, everybody concerned toiled hard and after much deliberation we were able to deliver on our start-
up initiatives and Balmer Lawrie Start-Up is now a success story which is expected to grow in leaps and bounds in
the years to come.
I wish all success to Balmer Lawrie Start-up initiative as this will help entrepreneurship to grow and at the same time
bring laurels / revenue to the Company.
Kavita Bhavsar
Company Secretary
The Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting dated 28th
March 2017,
had committed a considerable sum of Rupees Five Crores for investing in start-
ups. The start-up program encourages the Company to think out of the box and
gels with the age-old formula of the Company to adapt itself with the changing
times.
The task of such identification has always been an uphill task. A very close
coordination was maintained with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), that
acts as the incubator for identifying the start-ups, carrying out the due diligence
and understanding the technical and commercial prudence of the various start-
ups. The investment of Balmer Lawrie in the form of equity shares was carried
out with suggestions pooled in by various departments including Secretarial
Department. The Secretarial Department has endeavoured to extend maximum
cooperation and inputs to the various departments and also to the management
of the start-ups.
Over the years, the Company made investments in various start-ups ranging from dealing in dhoop, flora-foam,
airport services application to high-tech devices like drones, Artificial Intelligence and had exited from one start-up,
keeping in consideration the requirements of the start-up.
“स्टार्ट अप इंडिया है प्रारम्भ, नए दौर का शुभारम्भ”
Originally my idea of start-ups as gathered from talk-shows and motivational
speeches was that of a rag to riches story wherein bootstrapping or seed
funding was the only way out for support and burn rate was quite high. Then
came the story of Angel Investors pumping in whole lot of funds especially on
Edutech companies and as they say “a star was born”. This attracted me and
got me interested in studying the genesis of start-ups.
At this point in time I got involved in Balmer Lawrie’s Incubator Programme
for start-ups in association with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park which helped
my nascent interest to merge into professional commitment. Initially, it was
like communicating with a bunch of people who had great ideas but with very
little understanding of the practical difficulties in implementing the same. They
needed quick funds and proper due diligence was a showstopper for them as
they envisaged loss of valuable time in implementing their novel ideas, which
ultimately adversely impacted their value proposition.
Representing the Legal Department of a CPSE and asking for proper
documentation from the start-ups was like asking somebody to Boil the Ocean.
Kaustav Sen
Chief Manager [Legal]
26

ideas and team of entrepreneurs. It is indeed a badge of honour that the Senior Management team has entrusted
me to represent the Balmer Lawrie (BL) start-up initiative and facilitate investment decisions of the start-ups. The
initiative during its initial phase has gone through various challenges and issues and has gradually matured now
with a framework of selection of start-ups for funding. This could not have been possible without the support and
intervention of the Senior Management team. The selected start-ups have shown sustainable growth of business over
the years thus increasing their valuation. It is worthy to mention that one of the start-ups had even given a profitable
exit to Balmer Lawrie in a short span of 11 months. This speaks about the success of the start-up initiative.
As a partner and a key stakeholder of BL in driving this initiative, IIMCIP has played a significant role in assisting
us to take judicious decisions on investment with their pool of seasoned incubators, investors and market experts.
Through collaboration and fast decision making by BL and IIMCIP, we were able match with the fast-paced start-up
world and changing scenarios.
One of the most important stakeholders in the journey of the start-up initiative is the start-up itself. Through my
journey of two and half years, I have witnessed start-ups in early stage having few lakhs of revenue to established
POC and commercialised start-ups having crores of turnover. Things that I find common for all are the level of
enthusiasm to make their business idea successful, flexibility to quickly adapt to the changing world and grip on the
technical know-how of their solution.
What has been your key takeaway in this journey?
Of all the start-ups I had been closely associated with, “Use of Technology” has been the backbone of their business
solution. Unlike big corporates, these start-ups work with a limited set of manpower and fund. Hence to scale up
their business as well as balance their capital, they depend highly on the use of technology. Be it digital marketing
or product operations or SCM, technology solutions like AI, Machine Learning, Robotics, Digital Intelligence play
a pivotal role in the success of these start-ups. What I realised during this journey is that technology now is no
longer an ancillary need but has become a necessity for any business model to flourish. It is worth mentioning
a start-up that we have decided to fund, which is completely operating on Human AI based interactive interface
to provide customised solutions to their clients and increase the efficiency of business. It was thrilling know that
the client base of these technology-based start-ups are not only private corporate firms but Government bodies /
PSUs who are using technology extensively for both B2B and B2C business needs.
Hence, as a key takeaway, I personally feel that extensive use of technology in our diversified business portfolio shall
not only provide a competitive edge but also increase efficiency to a great extent.
Abhiroop Dutta
Executive Assistant to Director
[Service Businesses]
You have been actively involved in the ‘Balmer Lawrie Start-up Fund’
initiative since Round 2. Tell us about your experience in collaborating
with the various stakeholders and working closely with the Senior
Management team.
As a part of the Start-up India initiative of the Government of India, “Balmer
Lawrie Start-up Fund” was launched in 2017 with a corpus of Rs. 5 crore for
fostering entrepreneurship and promoting innovation for start-ups. We had
partnered with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (CIP) as an incubation partner
and to support our start-up journey for selection, incubation, mentoring of the
start-ups.
Back in 2021, while watching the first season of Shark Tank, I had always
wondered how diversified and innovative the Start-up fraternity is, lest did I
know that an exciting journey was awaiting me which would connect me to
the dynamic world of entrepreneurs. Being an integral part of three start-up
hunt rounds and interactions with 60+ start-ups, the experience has been
holistic in terms of innovative approach taken by the start-ups for addressing
the pain areas, product market fit, scalability & sustainability of the business
ISSUE 43, July 2023
27

How do you think Balmer Lawrie is leveraging the Start-up ecosystem to achieve business benefits?
The collaboration of Balmer Lawrie with the start-ups are not only restricted to investment of funds but also closely
assessing the portfolio of the business idea and innovation which are having some synergy with our business
streams. Through continuous reviews by the Senior Management team with the invested start-ups, we often
support the start-up by trying to engage them with our business line which may be beneficial for Balmer Lawrie as
well as them. It is worthy to mention that during the pitching session, a team comprising of senior Subject Matter
Experts (SMEs) from Balmer Lawrie evaluates and provides inputs to these start-ups and at times also gets closely
associated with them to help the start-up fraternity to grow through their technical and market know how.
Tell us about one exemplary Start-up from which Balmer Lawriens can draw inspiration in terms of innovation
and leadership qualities.
All the start-ups in which Balmer Lawrie has invested till date, are not only having a good revenue traction but
have also demonstrated high innovativeness and leadership skills. However, one such example which stands tall
is Kanpur Flowercycling Pvt. Ltd. with their brand name “Phool” on which we invested Rupees Sixty Lakhs. When
the start-up had pitched to Balmer Lawrie in 2018, it was in a very early stage of clocking revenue of only Rs.
0.34 crore (FY 2017-18). However, the start-up founded in 2017 by an IITian, Ankit Agarwal focussing on circular
economy which converts floral waste from the Ganges into charcoal free luxury incense products and other
wellness products, was high on innovation. Soon after receiving the BL fund, the start-up aggressively scaled
up their marketing and operations with their two key USPs – (i) promoting sustainable consumption through
environment friendly products (ii) bringing dignified livelihood by engaging marginalised women. The founder eyed
on substantial growth through expansion of market networks and roping in Venture Capitalists (VC) for significant
investments from India and abroad. They were successful in getting VC funds of more the $2 million from IAN
fund, Social Alpha, IIT Kanpur and Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation which they invested heavily in their R&D
for new product development. They came with new product line called “Fleather” – vegan and eco-friendly leather
products along with their existing product line and was awarded PETAs best innovation in the Vegan world. For its
endeavours to make innovative and sustainable products, Phool has received several international recognitions
including the prestigious United Nations Young Leaders Award for Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations
Momentum of Change Award at COP, Asia Sustainability Award, Hong Kong, Alquity Transforming Lives Awards,
London and Breaking the Wall of Science, Berlin.
The famous Bollywood celebrity Alia Bhatt invested in the company and became their brand ambassador, taking
Phool to greater heights in 2021. Within half a decade the start-up revenue touched Rs. 125 crore from a meagre Rs.
0.34 crore when Balmer Lawrie invested in this start-up. This success journey perfectly demonstrates the innovation
skills of the company and the leadership quality of the founders.
Intrapreneurial Projects @ BL
Visakhapatnam Port Logistics Park Limited (VPLPL)
Visakhapatnam Port Logistics Park Limited (VPLPL), the
JointVenture(JV)Company betweenBalmerLawrie&Co.
Ltd. (BL) and Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) formed in
2014hasbecomeaholisticintegratedlogisticspark(CFS,
domestic cum custom bonded warehouse, temperature
controlled warehouse, open yard for storage of domestic
containers, railway movement, export movement) in line
with PM’s Gati Shakti initiative. The objective of building
and operating this Multi-Modal Logistics Hub (MMLH) on
53 acres of land at Visakhapatnam was to provide end-
to-end logistics solutions. The construction of MMLH
was completed by March 2019 and the Container Freight
28

Station commenced operations within the Hub only in April
this year. The MMLH has the capability to accommodate
/ handle both Exim and Domestic cargo. The Exim area
has CFS, Warehousing, Cold Storage / Temperature
Controlled Warehouse, Open Cargo Storage, Hazardous
& Non-Hazardous Cargo Handling, Truck Parking etc. We
are aware that the vision of the National Logistics Policy
(NLP) is to build a technologically-enabled, integrated,
cost-efficient, resilient, sustainable and trusted logistics
ecosystem in the country for accelerated and inclusive
growth. VPLPL is in adherence to the vision of the NLP and
occupies a significant position in the logistics landscape
of the country.
The CFS facility in VPLPL is spread over 25 acres and this
is the only other facility in Visakhapatnam which has rail
connectivity with the Port (other than CONCOR’s facility)
which will facilitate faster evacuation of containers
from the Port besides reducing the congestion on
the road. Since the facility is a rail-linked CFS facility
in Visakhapatnam, it can be instrumental to bring in
Exim volumes of considerable heavy weight such as
Aluminium, Steel, Rice etc. from neighbouring states like
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. There is potential
of leveraging ECTS (Electronic Cargo Monitoring System)
for cargo movement to Nepal, Bangladesh through VPLPL. This is the only facility with refrigeration facility and has a
huge potential for movement of refrigerated cargo as well.
Railway Logistics
The Railways offers an efficient and economic mode of freight movement owing to its pan-India network and plays an
important role in enabling a coordinated and integrated logistics system. With a target of increasing the share of the
railways in freight movement from 27% to 45% and increasing freight movement from 1.2 billion tonnes to 3.3 billion
tonnes by 2030, we will witness increased adoption of the railways as a mode for cargo movement and this will be
crucial to improve India’s logistics competitiveness. Comparable costs of different forms of transportation suggests
that freight movement cost is the highest in the road sector — nearly twice the rail cost.
India’s railway is becoming one of the most important sectors in the country’s growth. Indian Railways has
registered a record revenue of Rs. 2.40 lakh crore in the 2022-23 financial year, up by nearly Rs. 49,000 crore
ISSUE 43, July 2023
29

from the previous year. In 2022-23, the freight revenue rose to Rs. 1.62 lakh crore, a growth of nearly 15% from
the previous year.
Balmer Lawrie being an integrated Logistics Services provider, foresees Rail Logistics as an area for growth and
acknowledges the importance of Rail in the Logistics Services mix. It aims to achieve higher affordability and
sustainability by focusing on this mode to provide customised logistics solutions.
The railway network has been leveraged at the Container Freight Station (CFS) at Kolkata as a merry-go-round
service to and from the port and at the Multi-Modal Logistics Hub at Visakhapatnam Port Logistics Park Ltd. (VPLPL).
There is 1.36 km railway siding facility at VPLPL that handles commodities like steel and aluminium for esteemed
customers like JSW, NALCO and Vedanta, Wood chips and containers. The railways siding at VPLPL caters to both
EXIM and domestic movement of various types of cargo. Since the MMLH is near to the Vizag port with services
like warehousing, open yard storage, cold chain etc. under one roof, this makes the unit a unique lucrative logistics
hub for the railway siding customers. The services offered include railway siding, handling, storage, stuffing and
movement of cargos to the port.
Merry-go-round at CFS, Kolkata Rail siding at VPLPL
There are two railway sidings at Kolkata – one in the CFS (720 metre) and the other in the W&D unit (227 metre).
Commodities handled include aluminium, containers, iron and steel, containerized cargo etc. Both EXIM and
domestic requirements are catered to by this facility. Services like CFS, storage, handling, stuffing and warehousing
are provided for all rail siding customers.
Balmer Lawrie’s Strategic Plan - Vision 2030 emphasized Multi-Modal Logistics Hub, Temperature Controlled
Warehouses, Private Freight Terminals, Third Party Logistics and Freight Train Operations (FTO) as the new
business areas for future growth in Logistics. Moreover, the Indian Railways revised the Special Freight Train
30

Operator (SFTO) scheme to liberalized SFTO scheme in 2020 so that Logistics service providers / manufacturers
could invest in high capacity and special purpose wagons to transport specific commodity and tap to serve the
above-mentioned sectors. Hence, to buttress its rail logistics initiatives, Balmer Lawrie is exploring options to
serve the CPSEs in steel, fertilizer, aluminium etc. sectors by providing specialised wagons and managing the
end-to-end distribution of their products. In view of this, Balmer Lawrie signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Braithwaite Co. Ltd. for a tie up in respect of procurement and supply of different types of railway
wagons like Bogie Flat Steel Wagon (BFNS), General Purpose Wagons etc. including maintenance / repair of
the wagons.
Cold Chain Logistics
In Logistics, Balmer Lawrie is an end-to-end logistics services provider backed by state-of-the-art infrastructure
comprising Container Freight Stations, Cold Chain Units, Temperature Controlled Vehicles and Warehouses.
Balmer Lawrie provides Cold Chain logistics solutions under the brand LOGICOLD. The Cold Chain Business Unit
branched out from the Logistics Infrastructure business of the Company. Today Balmer Lawrie has four major Cold
Chain Units across the country and plans to set up mini Cold Chain Units in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. As part of this,
a Cold Chain Unit is being set-up in Vijayawada. Balmer Lawrie has also signed Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) with Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), a Miniratna I PSE under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food
and Public Distribution, GOI for utilising storage / warehousing space of CWC for providing Cold Chain logistics,
general warehousing and other ancillary services for a period of ten years from the date of sign off, 20th April
2023.
country’s economy. CWC has diversified its operations from time to time to keep pace with the dynamic market.
The Cold Chain logistics business is new for CWC. The synergy of the expertise of Balmer Lawrie in Cold Chain
and the reach / presence of CWC at the most strategic locations will significantly contribute the future of cold
chain logistics business in India. CWC has 458 warehouses across the country besides other infrastructure and
Balmer Lawrie can leverage them to explore mutually beneficial business opportunities.
R&D in Lubricants and Chemicals
We have two R&D centres known as Application Research Development (ARL) dedicated to New Product Developments
of SBU: Greases & Lubricants and other Product Development Centre (PDC) for SBU: Chemicals. Both these R&D
centres are recognized by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR).
As part of the association, Balmer Lawrie and
CWC will collaborate to leverage each other’s
capabilities and complement each other to
provide best-in-class services to customers
in keeping with the growing demands of the
segment. The organisations would work together
to strengthen and expand their foothold not
only in Cold Chain logistics but also general
warehousing and distribution pan India. The
association with CWC has given a fillip to Balmer
Lawrie’s Cold Chain Business Unit’s aspiration of
achieving Rs 100+ crore by 2027 and also setting
up Mini Temperature Controlled Warehouses
having a capacity of 1500 to 2000 pallet position
in Tier II and Tier III cities across the country.
This is indeed a noteworthy alliance that will
address the supply gap in the Cold Chain logistics
segment and will significantly contribute to the
ISSUE 43, July 2023
31

APPLICATIONS RESEARCH LABORATORY (ARL), KOLKATA
Innovative R&D with continual technological upgradation to meet the future market requirements and catering
to customers’ delight is the key objective of the Company. The modernized R&D centre is well equipped with
state-of-the-art test rigs / instruments and backed by highly qualified Scientists / Engineers. R&D efforts are
being directed towards maintaining technological and cost leadership which leads to customer satisfaction
through:
- Continuous upgradation of the products & processes in tune with the technological advancement to reduce cost
of production and to deliver enhanced product performance.
- Development of new high performance and speciality greases & lubricants with a thrust on lubricants for
automotive sector.
- Emphasis on products specific to both industrial and Automotive OEMs.
- Thrust on environment friendly & bio-degradable and energy efficient nano lubricants for future market
requirements.
- Introduction of new cost effective grease as an alternative replacement of most popular high performance lithium
grease due to exorbitant price of lithium hydroxide.
R&D projects were directed towards development of high performance grease for suspension bearings and
Synthetic Gear Case Oil for Indian Railways for both diesel & electrical locomotives, High Performance grease
for Overhead Aluminum Electrical Conductors, Fire Resistant grease for Steel Plants, Long Life Multipurpose
grease for Automotive Sectors, Long Life High Temperature Wheel Bearing grease for Auto OEM, Heavy Duty
Diesel Engine Oil (CI4 Plus) & CK4 for Auto OEM, ‘Keep Clean’ Hydraulic Oil for Industrial OEM, High Performance
Cutting Oils, High Performance Oils for Aluminum Wire Drawing and Machining Operations and Rust Preventive
Oils for Steel Tubes & Pipes, High Performance Cold Rolling Oils for Mild and Stainless Steel, Bio-degradable
Engine Oil and Transmission Oil for Automotive Sectors, and development of infra structure for in-house Ester
Synthesis.
R&D effort in lubricants has helped the Company to increase the business horizon by expanding the product
basket with high performance niche lubricants for automotive and industrial applications. Quite a number of new
products have been introduced into the product range of metal working fluids & rust preventive oils. Products
and processes developed through in-house R&D have been internally absorbed by the manufacturing units for
commercialization. A total of fifteen patents were generated from ARL and many research papers were presented
in conferences.
Product Development Centre:
ForResearchandDevelopmentonchemicalsrelatedtoLeather,TextilesandAgrochemicals,theProductDevelopment
Center at Manali, Chennai has a team of qualified researchers who are constantly working on developing new
age chemicals in the above chosen areas. Our thrust is not only on developing import substitutes for the leather
processing industry but also to develop greener and environment friendly products. The products comply to REACH
(Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) norms of Europe. This centre has strong association with
all leading technical institutes like CLRI, IICT, IISC, ICT Mumbai and IIT Chennai. A total of seven Indian patents for
products have been filed from this centre. Many technical papers have been published in international journals and
have been presented in conferences.
Main Objectives of R & D Programme in Product Development Centre (PDC)
• Introduce new products in the market time to time with value addition to the customers.
• Support our mission to be a leading leather chemicals manufacturer in India and expand our market by
diversifying to other performance chemicals like agro, textiles etc.
32

We have taken a lot of initiatives that got implemented in the process improvements. One of the approaches in
association with ICT, Mumbai has been recognized and awarded by Indian Chemical Council. We are entering into
the product development of Textile Chemicals which we had taken a specially assigned project and an overview of
the Indian Textile Sector, and its Chemicals are given below.
Indian Textile Sector and Textile Chemicals
India’s textiles sector is one of the oldest industries in the Indian economy, dating back to several centuries.
The industry is extremely varied, with hand-spun and hand-woven textiles sectors at one end of the spectrum,
and the capital-intensive sophisticated mills sector on the other end. The decentralised power looms/ hosiery
and knitting sector forms the largest component in the textiles sector. The close linkage of textiles industry to
agriculture (for raw materials such as cotton) and the ancient culture and traditions of the country in terms of
textiles makes it unique in comparison to other industries in the country. India’s textiles industry has a capacity
to produce wide variety of products suitable for different market segments, both within India and across the
world.
The India textile chemicals market is projected to register significant growth, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.92%, and is
expected to be valued at USD 2,214.25 million by the end of the forecast period. In terms of volume, the Indian
market was sized at 1,075.30 kilotons and is expected to be sized at 1,515.70 kilotons, registering a CAGR of
3.97% during the assessment period.
The fast-paced urbanization and industrialization is a major factor in the market for textile chemicals in India. The
potential for the market expansion for technical textiles has expanded due to the growing use of these materials in
farming and agricultural operations to raise crop yields and farming techniques. However, disadvantages associated
with textile processing and dyeing such as exposure to toxic chemicals and pollution is a key restraining factor.
A primary challenge faced by industry is the availability of raw materials for synthetic fiber production, which are
based on crude oil.
The market is studied for 5 key areas, i.e., North, South, West. East & Northeast, and Central. The South segment
accounted for the largest market share of 30.49% in 2021 and the high growth is due to almost all Southern states
producing various types of textiles. For instance, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Salem and Erode all four major cities of
• Development of import substitutes leading to savings in Foreign Exchange.
• Development of environment friendly products complying to international norms like REACH.
• Research in Frontier Areas.
Technologies developed over these years from PDC are as follows :
1. Photo sulfo chlorination
2. Sulphitation of vegetable oils
3. Sulfo succination of fatty alcohol and fatty alcohol ethoxylates.
4. Mineral synthetic tanning agents.
ISSUE 43, July 2023
33

DYEING SERIES
1. Wetting agents
2. Soaping agents
3. Dye fixing agents
4. Softeners
5. Levelling agents
PRINTING SERIES
1. Binders
2. Thickeners
3. Printing Fixer
4. Printing Softener
SPECIALITY PRODUCTS
1. Anti-Microbial agents
2. Heat resistant agents
3. Waterproofing agents.
We have initiated new product development in Textile
Chemicals. Apart from the market attractiveness,
there is a synergy in terms of product development
approaches for making binders for Textiles and Leather.
We are also focusing on the development of some of
the specialty products listed above to add value in the
product range.
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
Mr. Ranish Ranjan [Assistant Manager - HR], Corporate HR Department, Kolkata participated in a rigorous three-
month Young HR Leader Certification Program 2023 conducted by Jombay, an esteemed institution in the HR industry.
His intelligence and grit has earned him a spot among the Top 200 HR professionals in India under the age of 30.
The program assessed participants on five critical aspects: Collaborative Mindset, Growth Mindset, Championing
Mindset, Digital and Data Mindset, and Entrepreneurial Mindset. The assessment of the five crucial aspects took
place over three rounds: Assessment Centre, Master Classes & Digital Learning Journey, and Experience Interview.
Hearty congratulations to Ranish for this commendable achievement!
Tamil Nadu have their contribution in the growth of this industry and are known for different products. Coimbatore
is known for cotton production, and Tirupur is known for knitting and hosiery.
Major Products in Textile Chemicals are.
34

This House Journal contains information relating to Balmer Lawrie and is published for circulation
amongst its employees. This has no commercial value and is not sold to the public.
Edited by Mohar Mukhopadhyay, Head - Corporate Communications, Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd.
Designed & Printed by Semaphore Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata.

BLOG ISSUE 43 _ July 2023 - Quarterly House JOurnal of Balmer Lawrie

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to BLOG ISSUE 43 _ July 2023 - Quarterly House JOurnal of Balmer Lawrie

Similar to BLOG ISSUE 43 _ July 2023 - Quarterly House JOurnal of Balmer Lawrie (20)

More from BalmerLawrie

More from BalmerLawrie (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

BLOG ISSUE 43 _ July 2023 - Quarterly House JOurnal of Balmer Lawrie