"Quality, expertise and workers safety made us #1" - Krishna Srivastava, VP Marketing, Zuari Cements

Zuari cements is part of Zuari Agro Chemical Limited group, a Rs. 4000 crore company belonging to K. K. Birla group which diversified into cement manufacturing in 1990. The company also diversified into ready to use assembled furniture by setting up a separate unit in the name Indian Furniture Products. Other diversification’s include "Zuari Seeds Limited" for manufacture and marketing of seeds, Simon India Limited in the petrochemicals field, leasing, hire purchasing, merchant banking by the name of "Zuari Leasing Finance Corporation Ltd.", and "Zuari Investment Limited". At the same time, they established engineering consultancy in the field of fertilisers, chemicals, and bio-pesticides marketing. With such a wide manufacturing and marketing of varied products, Zuari group is one of the leading companies.

By establishing plants close to the mineral belt in the Cuddapha district, Zuari cements is able to meet the entire demand of South India, ensuring quality, brand name trust worthiness with reliable marketing networks covering entire South India. All these have stood the test of time and ensured the Zuari flag flying high.

By continued technological improvements, they are able to sustain the international competition in the manufacturing and marketing of cement products. They have 50:50 collaboration with Itali cements, which has more than 50 cement plants, 500 concrete batching units, 150 quarry mines and labour strength of 18000 spread in Canada, France, Italy, USA, Morocco and Bulgaria. They also have wide marketing networks all over the world. They are also continuously ensuring technological improvements with feedback from their contacts all over the world.

Zuari group has laid out strategies to withstand international competition, absorb assimilate and establish technological innovations and improvements and see adequate capital resources for meeting future growth.

Shri Krishna Srivastava has done his BE (Hons) from Bits, Pilani. He has 26 years rich experience in the field of cement industry. He was associated with ACC for 10 Years and Eternal Everest (MNC) for 16 years. He has taken up assignment with Zuari cement as vice president marketing.

Shri Krishna Srivastava spared some time for HamaraShehar.com. In a conversation with Shri Krishna Shrivastava he went into length revealing Zuari cement plans for the next five years.

Q: In this competitive industry how are you achieving your target levels?

A: Zuari group, established in 1967 by the well-known industrial house of K. K. Birla Group, is a popular brand in cement industry. It has forged ahead in the market by dint of hard work by one and all. We are aiming to be the market leader in the year 2001 and in 3-4 years, we have plans to achieve full targets.

Q: Can you elucidate your above explained plans?

A: We have setup laision office in Delhi to have immediate and continuous information for what is happening in the ministry of industry and their effect on market developments. The feedback is fed to the headquarters for taking corrective steps. We have streamlined our procedures to avoid any unforeseen problems and have evolved plans for troubleshooting wherever necessary. We have strengthened our foothold in all the four southern states with an eye to become the market leader.

Q: Quality and price are very important in any industry. What steps are you taking in this regard?

A: Zuari is known for quality. We have taken all steps to ensure quality at all levels, right from the raw material stage to the finished product without any compromise. As regards quality, we are confident that no competitor can out beat us. Even if any competitor tries to achieve our level of quality, it will take them a decade; by then we would have surged far ahead. As regards pricing, we can confidently say that our products are very competitive and acceptable to our customers. In fact in last 3 years, though the tariff rates of power, coal and other raw materials have shot-up three fold, by cutting down our margin with minimum profit, we were able to supply to the customers at affordable prices. Last year due to glut in the cement industry all over the world the prices has fallen to Rs.70/- per bag of 50 kg, due to which most of the companies sustained heavy losses. In A.P, we have 18 major cement plants and 13 mini cement plants and without sacrificing on quality, we are making all efforts to supply at reasonable prices.

Q: What precautions have you taken to arrest weather and environmental pollution in and around your plants?

A: Zuari cements, known for its highest standards of technical excellence, has taken most precautionary measures from the stage of manufacturing to the stage of packaging and onward dispatch to destinations. It ensures correct weighment of each bag by means of automatic electronic weighing machines, such that each bag weighs exactly 50 kgs. To ensure pollution free atmosphere in and around the plant, we have carried out extensive forestation around all our industrial plants and neighbouring habitats. We are environmental friendly and received many awards from pollution control board. Similarly our products are regionised for quality and our brand has ISI recognition. We offer cements of various grades like 53, 43 and super fine variety.

Q: Have you established any industrial training centres?

A: We have conducted various in-house workshops/seminars in the field of technical, marketing, environmental, etc., and our efforts in this regard will be a continuing process for future. All our staff from plant worker to top-level engineers is well trained in their specific areas. Zuari ensures continuous betterment and technological upgradation/innovation.

Q: Can you explain the protection plan in the case of fatal accidents?

A: Masons are the pulse of our cement industry. We treat them as all part of our large entered Zuari family. In case of fatal accidents we made arrangements to immediately pay Rs.50,000/- to the family members of the deceased. We have launched insurance scheme for masons. In case of fatal accidents masons family will be benefited by this scheme. For example recently at one such accident in Tamilnadu within 24 hours of the accident we made payment of Rs.50,000/- to the dependants of the victim. Similarly in another accident at Mangalagiri in A.P. the company ensured the payment of the above said compensation to the dependants. Now we can confidently say no other organisation takes care of masons like Zuari.