Economy & Market

4th IPF awards lauds 19 SMEs from 16 cities

Published

7 years ago

January 2, 2020

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Industrial Products Finder (IPF), India’s largest circulated industrial magazine in its 48th year, hosted its 4th IPF Industrial Excellence Awards on January 16, 2020 at the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Mumbai, during which 19 SMEs from 16 Indian cities were presented the awards in recognition to their achievements during the year.

IPF Industrial Excellence Awards 2020 was held in the grand presence of Guest of Honour Naseem Sharifi, Consul General of Afghanistan; Bhavesh Thakkar, Partner (Tax and Regulatory), Ernst and Young LLP; and Rachana Bhusari, VP – SMEs, National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE).

Every year IPF Awards are presented in two categories – "Fastest Growing Manufacturing Companies" (under Rs 500 crore turnover) and "Innovative Products". This year, in addition to the regular two award categories, IPF presented awards in two new categories – "Promising Start-up of the Year" and "Entrepreneur of Year (Female and Male)" to recognise and appreciate the contribution of start-ups and entrepreneurs in job creation and economic growth. While Mohini Kelkar, MD, Grind Master Group, was the winner of the "IPF Female Entrepreneur Of the Year", Jignesh Raval, MD, Sintercom, was the "IPF Male Entrepreneur Of the Year". "IPF Promising Start-up of the Year" awards were presented to Divide by Zero Technologies, Navi Mumbai, and Arrelic Reliablity, Bhubaneswar (Odisha). The winners were selected by a jury panel comprising eminent personalities from the industry and engineering institute.

Congratulating the winners, Guest of Honour Naseem Sharifi, Consul General of Afghanistan, said, "India and Afghanistan have strong bilateral relations for decades, while India has been an active trading partner. Currently, India’s exports to Afghanistan amount to about $700 million. Afghan exports to India have increased by 60 per cent. We respect India’s love for our products like Saffron. With bilateral trade, India is rebuilding Afghanistan."

Highlighting areas where SMEs can empower themselves, Pratap Padode, Founder & President, Foundation of Infrastructure Research Studies Training (FIRST), informed, "SMEs being backbone of Indian economy will always strive to think -What can I do apart from what I do? Just one per cent SMEs today below Rs 2.5 billion businesses are filing their yearly returns. If they increase tax collection increases. Higher the tax collection will result in more schemes and more schemes will help SMEs grow."

ECGC was the Associate Partner, while National Stock Exchange (NSE) and CARE Ratings were Exchange Partner and Knowledge Partner, respectively. Besides, leading industry associations like Plastics Machinery Manufacturers Association of India (PMMAI), Pimpri-Chinchwad Plastic Association (PCPA), MAIT (Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology), MRO Association of India, and Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM) extended their support to this event.

IPF also hosted a highly engaging "CEO Forum" panel discussion on the theme of "Essential survival strategies for SMEs". The panel discussion was moderated by Saikat Roy, Director & Head -SME, CARE Ratings. The panellists – comprising Rachana Bhusari, VP -SMEs, NSE; Mohini Kelkar, Managing Director, Grind Master Group; Nitin Pangam, CEO, Maeflower Consulting; Vijayanand Choudhury, Global Head Procurement, Tata Technologies; and Neeti Sharma, Senior Vice President, TeamLease Services-discussed some of the imminent challenges before SMEs and strategies to thrive in the challenging market conditions.

In his opening remark, Saikat Roy, said, "Industry is going through VUCA (Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) phase where market conditions are unstable. The government has come up with bunch of projects but the ground reality differs." He suggested looking at challenging time differently as a lesson and vividly exploring new opportunities.

Speaking during the "CEO Forum" panel discussion, Rachana Bhusari said, "SMEs should start considering IPOs for meeting their funding needs. There is a dedicated MSME platform at NSE which helps connect investors and MSMEs. Listing itself on NSE will also help them achieve overall competency and will indirectly help them to transform themselves from suppliers to innovators."

In his keynote address, Bhavesh Thakkar, Associate Partner -Tax & Regulatory, Ernst & Young India, enlightened the audience about incentives available in India for SMEs and how to avail those incentives. He stated, "Unawareness about the incentive policies, and lengthy & cumbersome process are holding back SMEs from opting government schemes. However, the process is worth that hustle and bustle. Once the subsidies are availed, a company will initiate the process wisely from then onwards. Various benefits like set offs, claims or savings on import duty can be availed under these schemes."

He also suggested SMEs to keep interacting with government authorities for more insight on government schemes. During the event, IPF SHOWTIME was unveiled which profiled all the winners of the IPF Industrial Excellence Awards 2020 and their achievements showcasing their contribution to India’s industrial products success story.

List of winners of IPF Industrial Excellence Awards 2020

Female Entrepreneur of the Year: Mohini Kelkar, Co-founder and MD, Grind Master Group
Male Entrepreneur of the Year: Jignesh Raval, Founder & MD, Sintercom Ltd
Promising Start-up of the Year: Divide by zero technologies, and Arrelic Reliablity Private Limited

Concrete

Fornnax Wins AIRIA’s Special Export Award for Rubber Machinery in 2025-26

Published

2 days ago

October 19, 2026

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Fornnax Technology Pvt. Ltd. has been honoured with the Special Export Award – Rubber Machinery for 2025–26 by the All-India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), in recognition of its highest exports of tyre recycling plants to the European region.

With more than a decade of experience in India’s tyre recycling industry, Fornnax has contributed to the development of advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure. The company currently holds a 90% market share in India’s domestic tyre recycling sector, while exports account for 30% of its business, spanning markets such as Europe, Australia and the GCC.

The award marks another milestone for Fornnax, whose tyre recycling lines and advanced shredding technologies are supporting the growth of the circular economy in India and international markets.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Founder and Director of Fornnax, said:

“This honour from AIRIA is a reflection of an incredible journey we have undertaken over the years. When we started Fornnax, there was no established recycling industry in India to follow. We chose to build for the future instead. Today, when you see India’s tyre recycling sector, it has already transformed into a dynamic, high-growth industry and we are extremely proud to have played our part in building it.”

Unlike standalone equipment suppliers, Fornnax focuses on developing complete, high-capacity recycling infrastructure. Its integrated systems combine multiple stages of shredding and size reduction to enable efficient, continuous operations. This system-level engineering approach helps recycling operators improve throughput, equipment reliability and operational consistency.

The recognition reinforces Fornnax’s commitment to developing engineering technologies that contribute to a more efficient and circular recycling ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the company aims to expand its international presence while continuing to develop advanced shredding and recycling solutions to address the growing volumes and evolving requirements of the global recycling industry.

For more information, visit: www.fornnax.com

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

2 weeks ago

October 9, 2026

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Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

Published

2 weeks ago

October 8, 2026

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With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA,
Mumbai

JSW Cement, one of India’s leading green cement producers and part of the diversified JSW Group, today announced the successful commissioning of an additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit at Nagaur, Rajasthan. The commissioning marks another significant milestone in the Company’s growth strategy.

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, while its total clinker manufacturing capacity, including clinker capacity at its joint venture, JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

JSW Cement had commenced operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the commissioning of the additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit, the plant’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA, enhancing the company’s ability to cater to the growing cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a strategic mix of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended 30th September 2026, JSW Cement has also commissioned the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) at the Nagaur Integrated Plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said: “The commissioning of additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity at Nagaur is a key strategic priority for us and will accelerate JSW Cement’s expansion into North India. We look forward to servicing the growing needs of the region and contributing to the economic growth of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR area. I am delighted to share that the company has commissioned this grinding unit within the expected timeline, showcasing our project execution capabilities. Further, the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) are expected to substantially reduce our production costs going forward.”