1. Balmer Lawrie & Co.Lid.

2. 2BLOG
EDITORIAL
The fourth quarter of the last financial year saw Balmer Lawrie crossing yet another significant
corporate milestone. We acquired Vacations Exotica, the premier Holidays Brand to ramp up our
tours and travel capability. This new entity has been successfully integrated into the Company as
SBU: Tours Vacations Exotica. FY2013-14 was not an easy year, and the economic slump
continues. We hope businesses will be able to create more opportunities in the new financial year.
We brought you glimpses of the Logistics, Greases & Lubricants and Tours & Travel business units
of the Company in the previous issues of BLOG. The focus of this issue is the Industrial
Packaging (IP) Strategic Business Unit - its history, its people and its products. Balmer Lawrie is
the country's largest manufacturer of steel drums. We have a market share of around 36% in a
total market of around 11 million steel barrels. The steel barrels market is growing at around
8-10% per annum and the plastic barrels market at the rate of 12-14% per annum and this
growth is expected to continue. This augurs well for SBU:lndustrial Packaging!
As always, do not hesitate to send me your suggestions/feedback and contributions for the 'Talent
Unlimited' column from you and your family members. You can email them to
mukhopad hyay.mohar@balmerlawrie.com.
INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS OF BALMER LAWRIE~ - -~~~~~~~~--~~~~~~
LEADERSHIP SPEAKS
Industrial Packaging (IP) business in Balmer Lawrie dates back to the 1950s. It
has been the leading player in this domain for a very long time in the country.
Over the years the IP business has evolved from a predominantly PSU focused
organization to a more market oriented enterprise adopting cutting edge
technologies and environment friendly processes. Around 2008, the business
transformed and today 80% of our customer base is in the private sector. I
believe that over time the customer experience has improved, although I am
sure it can become even more responsive to customer needs.
lP's overall customer acquisition and retention strategy will continue to evolve
and the PSU business will remain a significant area. However, with the directive
Viren Sinha to all PSUs to procure steel drums from MSMEs under the Public Procurement
Chairman & Policy, we find ourselves at a crossroad, as this poses a new challenge to our
Managing Director PSU sales strategy. Our endeavor of intensive lobbying with the government is
likely to partially help reverse this, and we anticipate that procurement by the Defence will be relaxed
shortly. When we took the decision to set up a new High Throughput Plant (HTP) at Taloja, Navi
Mumbai, we were aware of this impending reservation under the Public Procurement Policy. However,
we still went ahead, as we believe we will be able to maximize sales by focusing on quality and product
performance. Our commitment to scale our capacity is agnostic to this policy and is linked to potential
business environment change.
In 2013-14 our volumes have been extremely good, and have touched an all-time high of over 42
lakhs barrels. Profitability has been thin as margin is under pressure. The new HTP is automated and is
expected to make our products cost competitive. I encourage the IP team to ramp up their efforts to
build a strong sales funnel to leverage its enhanced and cost efficient production capability, once the
new plant comes on stream in May this year. In the meanwhile, ERPhas been implemented in lP, and
it's time to start identifying opportunities to use ERP to improve productivity and process efficiency.
Scaling up capacity and making processes cost efficient alone will not be able to guarantee our growth
and profitability; we need to innovate and push an aggressive new value-added product development
strategy to tap into the growing Indian markets.
I will particularly like to mention about the Asaoti plant. I feel very proud that this plant which was set
up using old equipment, is today the .best maintained amongst all the manufacturing units in Balmer
Lawrie. There is learning for all manufacturing units in the organization and I encourage business
leaders to benchmark their plants with the Asaoti plant.
1·:' ••••~ •• F
i····~·.~~wj,
.
••.4.
"

3. 1-
BLOG3
INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS OF BALMER LAWRIE
I am happy to note that BLOGis featuring SBU: Industrial Packaging in this issue.
SBU: Industrial Packaging (IP) has maintained its proud tradition of being the
market leader in India over the past several decades. The SBU does however
face challenge in market leadership by way of Government of India regulation
mandating procurement of steel drums only from the MSMEsector.
The SBU in anticipation of this challenge has been working for the past several
years towards:
i) Increasing its private sector clientele which now stands at 80% of its
volumes.
ii) Increasing its share in the value added segment of the market which
now constitutes 34% of its total volume.
iii) Reducing its dependence on the lubricating oil segment which is
equivalent currently to 40% of its volume.
A significant achievement of the SBU has been to aggressively gain market share in the MNC
companies and a large part of its volume is derived from these quality conscious customers who look
at cost benefit analysis during the procurement process.
The SBU has taken trial runs at the high throughput plant set up in Navi Mumbai. The results are
extremely satisfactory and the new plant is poised to deliver best-in-class quality products to the
market including new products e.g. conical drums and expanded body drums.
Of significance is also the implementation of ERPsolution which is progressing in the right direction.
SBU: IP has always kept its focus on delivering value to the customer and this will stand it in good
stead in the years to come.
I wish the SBU all the success for the coming financial year.
Anand Dayal
Director
[Manufacturing Businesses]
No words to express my pleasure on dedication of the theme of April
2014 issue of BLOG to Industrial Packaging.
SBU (Industrial Packaging) is the market leader in the business segment.
It had fuelled the growth of the organisation. It was a major profit
driver. An SBU where the people continue to be self motivated and
positive. From having just two manufacturing units, it now boasts of six.
However, things have changed fast in a totally different business scenario
and the SBU is putting in all efforts to face the challenges.
The lifeline of Industrial Packaging is closely linked to the manufacturing
sector growth. With the industry's total capacity of more than twice the
market requirement, the scenario is very challenging and I would say
that team IP has risen to the challenge and continues to be the market
leader. But being a market leader comes with its own dose of risks as we become the primary
target for attack by competition. Our ability to produce volume, meet the customer's quality
requirements and timely delivery has helped us in maintaining our pole position. However, there
has been erosion in the market share. As our major customers and vendors are giant
organisations, we are sandwiched between rising input costs and lower selling price. With more
competitors getting added to the never ending list of competitors and the entry barrier being low,
the SBU is always on its toes.
The SBU has focused in increasing its volume year after year. The SBU commands 34% market
share. A major shift in the market focus of the SBU has been from being only a supplier to PSU
Companies to being a supplier to major MNC's and Private Sector Player. The SBU's share of PSU.
is barely 18% and with the Government's Policy of reserving Mild Steel Drum requirement of
Government and PSU Sector to Small Medium Enterprises, our supplies to PSU Companies will
soon come to an end. Consequent to the shrinking of the available market, the challenges will
increase. The SBU has chalked out ambitious targets and action plan to meet the challenges. The
future driver for the SBU will be use of technology, innovation, increasing the product basket and
creating a brand image.
R Murthy
coo
[Industrial Packaging]

4. 4BLOG
INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - THE;;;::.:N:....:...- ~ __ ••.••
Indian Galvanizing Co. Ltd.
During early 1920s when Balmer Lawrie (BL) had promoted British India Electric Construction and
Bridge & Roof, the shareholders of Indian Galvanizing Co. Ltd. invited BL to be its managing
agent. Indian Galvanizing had not been performing satisfactorily. On September L 1920, Indian
Galvanizing was taken over and BL was appointed as Managing Agents. The Company had an
equity of Rs 15 lakhs. The works were situated in Kidderpore where the accommodation was
inadequate and in 1922 they were shifted to Howrah. New machines were added and BL
restructured the equity of the Company in 1926. The original Company went into voluntary
liquidation and a new Company, Indian Galvanizing Co. (1926) Ltd. was formed in the same year.
The equity capital was also written down to Rs 4,10,510. The two main processes employed were
galvanizing and welding.
Among the first products to appear on Indian Galvanizing's records in 1920 were 'petrol drums'.
The Company was originally a producer of galvanized buckets and tanks. In 1928, two new seam
welding machines were added. It was 'seam welding' technology which, in fact, gave birth
to mild steel drums and barrels. By 1930, Indian Galvanizing was the most proficient producer
of drums in the country. It also had the most extensive range: from one gallon size onwards, in
various heights and diameters and with a variety of fittings and closures.
Indian Galvanizing (Bombay)
Mr. D S Cowman, manager of BL establishment in Bombay, was able to work out an
understanding with Burmah Shell whereby BL would set up a barrel plant from which Burmah
Shell would procure its entire requirements. During this time there were other players in the
market. A branch of Indian Galvanizing Co. (1926) Ltd. was established in 1953 at Sewri and a
modern plant was installed. Van Leer of Holland provided the technical back-up with machines and
experts for erection. Indian Galvanizing (Bombay) was an immediate success. However, the
Company's operations were not without problems. Although, it developed considerable expertise in
galvanizing and welding technologies, it did not add very much by way of new products over the
years, the exceptions being barrels and steel windows.
Closure of Indian Galvanizing and birth of Steel Containers Ltd.
In 1958, Calcutta operations of Indian Galvanizing were closed down. On December 30, 1960, the
Company went into liquidation. Sir Owain Jenkins, chairman of the Group, called it 'Operation
Phoenix', after the fabled bird which burns itself to rise renewed from the ashes. And so it
happened. The Bombay barrel plant was to emerge as Steel Containers Ltd. in 1959, the barrel
plant in Calcutta was shifted to Paharpur and set up as Industrial Containers Ltd.
Steel Containers Ltd. (Bombay)
It had a capacity of 100 barrels per hour. Machines were manually fed with barrel components
and the output was directly related to the efforts and motivation of operators. The workmen
were young, enthusiastic and turned out excellent quality barrels maintaining high levels
of productivity.
A nagging problem in the 1960s at Bombay was repeated production stoppages due to inadequate
steel supplies. Being a scarce commodity, a highly complicated system of controls on steel
distribution had been introduced by the Government, linked to production capacity of barrel
plants. In Bombay there were two other barrel plants and Steel Containers' share was a mere
15%. With the emergence of Indian Oil in the 1960s as the premier national oil company, its
requirements for barrels increased substantially unlike Burmah Shell which was BC"scustomer. The
other two barrel producers in Bombay with substantial installed capacities were able to take away
the lion's share of the growing Indian Oil business.
In 1968, Mr. A S Gilani took over as Bombay manager and he was not prepared to lose out to
the other barrel units in Bombay. Under his leadership in 1973 Steel Containers won an
order from Indian Oil for a period of three years. Steel Containers not only fulfilled the
contract but broke all past records on profits in 1973. It was a turning point and Steel
Containers never looked back. From the smallest barrel producer in Bombay, it emerged as the
largest.

5. BLOG5
INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - THEN
Industrial Containers Ltd. (Calcutta)
There was a gap of almost two years from the time Indian Galvanizing was closed and Industrial
Containers Ltd. was commissioned in 1960 at Paharpur in Calcutta. During this time other than
Industrial Containers there were two other players in Calcutta. The demand had not increased
anywhere in relation to the increase in installed capacities, resulting in a major imbalance.
Industrial Containers made a shaky start.
In the mid-1960s, Industrial Containers took two steps to generate additional business. First, it
raised orders for barrels from the southern region. There were no barrel plants in the south and
orders came in mainly from Hyderabad and Madras. Supplies were despatched in wagonloads by
rail and demand was restricted to limited users who could afford the extra freight cost. The
second development, however, was a great success. This was to take up production of
lacquerlined barrels. The Bombay Plant had shown reluctance because it considered that
process as highly specialized and the capital investment uneconomical for throughputs then
available. Calcutta was able to develop a simplified version of the process. Being' the first and, for
quite some time, the only producer of lacquerlined barrels, this operation picked up quickly.
Merger
Effective from January 1, 1975, Steel Containers Ltd. and Industrial Containers Ltd. were merged
in BL. As a result, the share capital of BL rose from Rs 1,44,03,000 to Rs 1,88,84,300. Also, a
new clause 3 (a) was added to the memorandum of association of Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. on
August 9, 1976 to enlarge the objects of the Company and include manufacture of drums,
barrels, packages, tanks and containers of every description from steel and other metals. The
two units, having become 'divisions' of Bl, were renamed Container Division, Bombay
and Container Division, Calcutta. The decision to merge the barrel units was entirely with the
purpose of strengthening BL financially.
Exports
Mr. P Chawla who had been posted to Bombay from Calcutta in 1969, suggested setting up a
barrel plant abroad. Around 1970 he travelled abroad for the first time and because of his efforts
a small order for export of 100 galvanised barrels was received from Oman with a promise for
more. These were required for transportation of water. This was followed by a series of orders for
lube barrels from Petromin of Saudi Arabia which continued for two years. A product hitherto
considered non-exportable was moving overseas. Many more visits were made and BL gradually
came to be known in the region as the leading barrel producer. An offer was made to Petromin
for setting up a barrel plant in Saudi Arabia. In December 1972, His Highness Prince Faisal Bin
Turki Abdulla AI-Saud from Saudi Arabia visited the Bombay unit. The Prince had expressed
interest in setting up a barrel plant in Saudi Arabia.
Flower in the desert
Caltex had taken up a project in 1976 for blending lubricants in Dubai and were in the market to
procure lube barrels and cans. Another lube blending plant was to be set up by the Sharjah
National Lube Oil Co. at Sharjah. Under the leadership of Mr. A P Verma, the then chairman and
managing director, BL had succeeded in securing a long term contract with Caltex, justifying
setting up a plant to produce lube barrels and cans in Dubai. In May 1977, construction of a
factory had begun in Dubai. Mr. P Satish Rao was appointed the first general manager of the
Dubai branch. The Dubai plant was formally inaugurated on May 27, 1978 by HH Sheikh Rashid
Bin Saeed AI-Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.
BL had commenced operations in Dubai as a branch of an Indian Company. In the early 1980s
His Highness Sheikh Rashid was approached for forming a joint venture and at his behest His
Highness Sheikh Hasher Maktoum conveyed his consent to form a joint venture in partnership
with BL. HH Sheikh Hasher retained 51% shareholding in the JV, the remaining 49% being with
Balmer Lawrie. A partnership was created which acquired the assets of the branch in
November 1983 at fair market value. The joint venture was named Balmer lawrie UAE.

6. 6BLOG
INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - THEN
------~--------------------~----~
Actions Misfire
New demands were emerging on the horizon in 1980 for bitumen drums at Cochin and Mathura
refineries. Cochin Refineries Ltd. (CRL) already had a captive bitumen drum plant. In March 1980,
CRL invited offers from parties to operate its drum plant on lease. BL won the contract and an
agreement was made, leasing the plant to BL. CRL had no objection to BL using the plant to
serve other consumers in the region and there was also an option for BL to buy over the plant at '
a later date, along with its industrial licence. Production and supplies to CRL commenced in
February 1982. However, owing to various reasons the venture was not successful and on March
31, 1986, the plant at Cochin to produce barrels and drums was closed down.
Around the time when talks were first initiated with Cochin Refineries, BL was also negotiating
with Indian Oil to set up a bitumen drum plant for the new refinery at Mathura. The requirement
was indicated at a level of 18 lakh drums a year. The contract was won. However, this was not a
good decision and the plant was wound up in future.
Madras
The barrel plant at Manali, Madras was commissioned in 1988, initially to produce bitumen drums
and, in March 1989, additions were made for' the manufacture of 200 litre barrels. In 1991-92,
the Madras unit made its maiden profit.
Redefining Business &. Business Philosophy
BL decided to redefine its business based on the changes in the international and domestic
market place. Lacquerlined barrels, an existing product, were upgraded with improved process and
superior lacquers. Asepton barrels were taken up for aseptic packaging. Composite barrels (with
steel shell and plastic liner) were developed for products requiring very high security. Valerex
technology for an all-plastic drum was chosen.
In 1989 land had been taken on lease in Thurbe outside Bombay in response to the proposals for
expansion and the Thurbe barrel plant was commissioned in August, 1991 for producing LWBs.
In 1956 & 1957, there were two proposals from Van Leer and American Flange, respectively, for
BL to participate in a venture to produce barrel fittings in Bombay, but this was not pursued. A
few other proposals from Van Leer in the subsequent years were also rejected.
Balmer Lawrie-Van Leer Ltd. (BLVL)
Incorporated in 1956 it was originally known as Indian Flange & Manufacturing Company Pvt. Ltd. and
was engaged in the manufacturing of Tri-sure closure systems. In 1993 it became a 50: 50 Joint
Venture Company between BL and Van Leer and the name was also changed to Balmer Lawrie - Van
Leer Limited along with expansion of its capacity of closure products and addition of new activities such
as manufacturing and sales of plastic containers. Subsequently Greif Inc. Corporation headquartered in
Delaware, Ohio (USA) acquired Van Leer Industrial and became partner with BL in BLVL. Greif Inc.
Corporation is a global leader in industrial containers and products.
SBU: Industrial Packaging
In March 1993 the concept of Strategic Business Unit was introduced and the Container Divisions
were consolidated under SBU: Industrial Packaging.
Source: Footprints on the Sands of Time
INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - TODAY
The packaging industry is the third largest in the world and is expected to grow at the rate of
9% CAGR in the next five years. In India it is expected to grow @ 15-16%. Economic Times
reported on 6
th
January, 2014 that:
• The annual turnover of Indian packaging industry will touch $ 32 billion by 2025 from the
present $ 24.6 billion
• In the world scenario, the total turnover of packaging industry is about $ 550 billion

7. BLOGl
INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING BUSINESS - TODAY
1st-Food,
2nd_ Energy &
Petrochemicals
..is
currently
valued@
~ 3'OObn
Strong
demand from
chemical! oil
I lubricants !
pharmaceutic
almarlcets
In India.
Packaging
Industry is
growing at
twice the rate
of GOP
About
Packaging
Industry in
India
In India, it is valued over Rs 300bn and growing @ 15%-16% pa (2 X GOP)
Plastics contribute more than 30% (of which 2/3'" is flexible & 1/3'" rigid)
India is also expected to become global leader in FIBCexports & small bag
exports by 2016-17
Packaging
Classification of Indian Packaging Industry
.bY,material:
.by content: • ~igid
packaging
I
.Semi-rigid
packaging
• Flexible
. packaging
-by method of
packing:
• Food
packaging
• Drug packaging
• Liquid
packaging
• Cosmetics
packaging
• Powder
packaging
• Dangerous
packaging
• Others
•byshape:
• Vacuum
packaging
• Moisture- proof
packaging
• Gas flush
packaging
• Others
• Heavy
• Medium
• Light
. '
SBU: INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING
------------------------------------------------------
BL is the largest manufacturer of MS Drums in India and is the market leader in the industry
with approximately 34% market share. The western region market is the largest and constitutes
approximately 60% of the total market size. The total market for MS drums is 10 Million. SBU:IP
manufactures MS Plain Drums, Internally Coated Drums, Composite Drums, Conical Drums and
Open Headed Drums. Substitute Products include HDPE Drums, ISO Tanks, IBCs and FIBCs.

8. 8BLOG
SBU: INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING
It has 6 manufacturing units across the country and a
state-of-the-art High Throughput Plant is being set up at
Taloja, Navi Mumbai. Customer Segments include PSU Oil,
MNC Oil, Local Oil, Transformer Oil, Chemicals, Additives,
Agrochemicals, Food & Fruit Pulp Companies. BL has two
JVs in this domain- One in India, Balmer Lawrie-Van Leer
Ltd. which was formed in 1993 and manufactures steel
drum closures and plastic containers. The other is in UAE,
Balmer Lawrie [UAE], formed in 1978. Business includes
manufacturing of wide range of packaging media including
steel drums and kegs, plastic containers, tin cans etc.
IP - Kolkata
Bitumen Filling Plant at Uluberia was started for
supplying 200 Its barrels and this continued till
2010. Currently the unit at Kolkata has a Bitumen
Drum manufacturing line and a modernized
Bitumen Filling plant that produces 165 Its barrels
and primarilv takes care of Bitumen Packaging for
IOCL.
IP - Mumbai (Sewree)
IP-Sewree is the Mother Plant of SBU:IP. It was
established in 1953. Total area of this plant is 2750
sqm. Presently this unit manufactures 210 Itrs MS
Empty Drums of all varieties except lacquered &
composite barrels. Its present manufacturing capacity
is 84500 barrels per month on single shift operation
basis. In 1993, dry coil steel input was converted into
oiled coil steel. It attracted the pre-treatment [PT]
process for the first time in IP-Sewree. Prior to that
there was no PT or degreasing system. Later on in
keeping with technological changes latest machinery
was introduced. Helium Leak detector, a unique
Industrial Packaging Plants
The plant at Kolkata is one of the
oldest and its history dates back
to the 1960s. In December 1999,
a contract was signed with IOCL
for bitumen filling and thus, the

9. BLOG9
SBU: INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING
machine of its kind for barrel testing in India was first introduced at IP-Sewree in the year 2001. Production
was enhanced from 1200 barrels per shift to 3250 barrels per shift over a period of time in a phased
manner. This plant caters to barrel needs of around 50 different customers.
IP - Silvassa
New Arplas Welder Indigenously developed loading conveyor in action
IP-Silvassa is the highest output plant in India producing 12 Lakhs barrels per year. An IMS
certified plant (QMS, EMS, OHSAS), it is equipped with state of the art technology machines like
Arplas Drum Welder, Kremline Painting System, Staggered Blanking line, Largest Lacquer Baking
and Paint Baking Ovens. Besides, there is a Telescopic conveyer for smooth barrel loading and
two lines are dedicated for plain and coated barrels. The plant manufactures variety of Barrels
like Composite, Internally coated barrels for fruit and food segments, agrochemicals and aromatic
chemicals. The in-house fire hydrant system is a good safety measure.
IP - Asaoti
The Industrial Packaging plant at Asaoti is an ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS18001:2007
certified unit. Commercial production of Bitumen Drums started on io" October, 2007 and Lube Barrel
on iz" August, 2008 in a phased manner by commissioning the old machines and equipment received
from Mathura and Panipat Plants. With the commissioning of a new energy efficient imported Welder in
July 2012, the unit has achieved its productivity target beyond 2,200 Barrels per shift. This unit has an
additional and unique facility for manufacturing GI Barrels. Its product line ranges from manufacturing
and supply of Bitumen Drums, GI Barrels, Plain Barrels to Lacquer Barrels. Most of its customers are
export oriented. Currently IP-Asaoti is the second largest profit making unit of SBU:IP and has been
equipped with Solar Power Generating System of 130 KW.

10. 10BLOG
SBU: INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING
IP - Chittoor
The plant at Chittoor was commissioned in the year 2010 and has been showing good growth.
Located in an environment friendly and pollution free location, the plant manufactures 210 Itr TH,
OH, OHIP and specialised 235 Itr OH, OHIP and TH barrels.The division also has the capacity to
produce 'W' bead barrels in all the mentioned categories. This plant mainly caters to the fruit
pulp industry. IP-Chittoor has women working in the manufacturing unit and this is something
that the plant prides on. Also, around 150 rural families have benefitted from this plant because
of the job opportunities created.
IP - Chennai
IP-Chennai commenced operations during the year 1988 with the manufacturing of bitumen drums.
Over the years, the division diversified its product range and currently manufactures tight head, open
head, lacquered, internally painted barrels etc. with varying thickness. The plant has an installed
capacity of 56,750 plain barrels per month, in single shift operation. The main focus of the division is
lacquer coated barrels catering to the various customer segments such as transformer oils, foods,
flavours and fragrances, coil coating segments etc. It has a dedicated lacquer production line which
has a capacity of 1000 barrels/shift. The division produces about 15,000 lacquer barrels per month and
the unit is targeting 20,000 barrels/month from next financial year. Another significant segment which
the unit caters to is the fruit pulp industry. This is a seasonal requirement and during the period from
April to July the division produces 1.5 lakh barrel on an average. Recently, the division has
commissioned & upgraded various new machinery like 250 T press, baking oven, seam welding
controller etc. and infrastructure like new finished good shed, sales desk etc.
High Throughput Plant at Taloja, Navi Mumbai
A new state-of-the-art high throughput plant is being set up at Navi Mumbai for barrel manufacturing.
This plant is a green plant, powered partially by a 30 KWp solar power unit.

11. BLOGll
SBU: INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING
Technical &. Product Development (T8tPD)
T&PD was established in the
year 1987 at Kolkata. T&PD is
the technological and
developmental wing of SBU:IP
contributing significantly
towards development of
products, processes and
machineries, automation and
modernization of the IP units
located across the country.
The teams at all the locations of SBU: IP are highly energetic and are led by a group of able leaders.
NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS
• SBU:IP is the market leader in India in Industrial Packaging.
• Largest number of manufacturing units in India.
• All IP plants are ISO 9001-2008, ISO 14001-2004 certified.
• Balmer Lawrie revolutionized packaging by introducing Spiral Seam Technology. This resulted in major
cost saving for the Customers and saving of steel for the country.
• Meeting the requirement of the Defence especially during war times has been a Significant achievement of
the Company. '
• Only drum manufacturer with overseas customer base.
• Many multinational customers exclusively patronise IP.
• In the past, the Company used to look forward to IP for a healthy bottom line.
• IP Sewree's productivity of 3250 barrels per shift is the highest output in a semi-automatic plant in India.
• Fully automatic barrel manufacturing facility with latest technology will soon commence commercial
production at Navi Mumbai.
• Only Balmer Lawrie manufactures 200 L Bitumen Barrel.
• Energy Conservation Initiatives with installation of Syncron AC Device and Solar Power panels.
• 200 L dispensing Barrel manufactured only by IP.
• IP is the only value chain drum manufacturer in India.
• Technical and Product Development Unit is nationally recognized as the in house R&D Centre by the
Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.

12. 12BLOG
Tete-e-tete with Joseph Mathew, VP
How many years have you
spent in IP and how has your
experience been?
I have been with IP for the last
34 years, and with lP, I too have
evolved and progressed as a
person/manager. My experience
in IP has been challenging,
fulfilling and satisfying. IP has
over decades maintained its
market leadership in spite of the
constraints of working in a PSU
environment. The rich legacy of
IP division was its great leaders,
and I feel blessed to have
worked with them and in the
process realise my own
potential, under their steady
guidance.
How have you seen the SBU
evolve over the period of
time?
I have seen the SBU evolve into
a very dynamic unit today.
Earlier we were a monopoly with
total patronage of the Oil PSU's.
With globalisation and increased
competition, the SBU had to
face great challenges. Today we
can proudly say that the SBU is
Customer driven and has kept
pace with the times. Today the
S.BUhas an insignificant share in
PSU customers and is now the
preferred choice of most
Leading MNC's and Indian
Corporate houses.
What according to you is the
biggest strength of IP?
Our biggest strength is our
unique work culture that
evolved over the decades.
Decision making is quick,
effective delegation of Authority
and Speedy response to
customer grievances are some
of our other strengths.
Our Human Resources are the
best in the Industry, which has
enabled us to maintain our
Market Leadership.
What steps are being taken
to keep pace with the
changing market trends and
combat competition?
We are in the process of setting
up High Throughput plants, which
apart from consistent quality, will
also enable us to achieve Cost
Leadership in our Industry and
further consolidate our position as
Market Leaders.
What will be your message
for newcomers in IP?
My message to newcomers in IP
is that we are a wonderful
orgainsation to work in. Work
with passion, have a positive
attitude, dream big and be a
part of this great company and
take it to the next level.
Tete-e-tete with Ranjan Bose, VP ["Marketing], Industrial Packaging
How many years have you
spent in IP and how has your
experience been?
I joined BL and SBU:IP in
August 1989 and have been
with IP ever since. Initially, I
was posted at Barrel Division,
Chennai (BDM) as the Head of
Marketing for Southern Region.
Before joining BL, I was working
with one of the leading Paint
Companies located at Kolkata.
BDM was commissioned
approximately two years before
my joining and initially produced
Bitumen drums and later
commenced production of Lube
drums.
The tenure at BDM was not only
challenging but was also
interesting in terms of
expanding the Customer base
for IP in the Southern Region as
well as ensuring a smooth
transition of servicing existing
Customers of IP (which were
being earlier catered from CDC)
in terms of on time deliveries,
better coordination and overall
satisfaction being in proximity to
the Market, during that period
there was substantial growth in
Sales for IP.
Since I had come from an
altogether different Industry i.e.
from Paint to Packaging Industry
there was a lot of learning and
exposure to the challenges
faced in a Packaging Industry in
terms of Product requirements
and Customer expectations.
Subsequently, my next
assignment was at Mumbai in
the Coordination Dept. of IP
wherein the job profile was
different as compared to my
earlier one. The focus was more
on the softer skills of Marketing
in terms of Coordination and
liaising with the Oil Marketing
PSU Companies who had been
traditionally lP's largest
Customers.
This was followed by my
transfer to CDC as the Regional
Marketing Head of the Eastern
Region which at one time was
one of the most important
activity centers for IP. The next
assignment was also based at
CDC and was radically different
from all my earlier assignments
as I was given the responsibility
of Plant Head of CDC. I was in
charge of all the activities
related to Manufacturing,
Commercial, Administration and
HR at the Plant level.
This was certainly an enriching
and a new experience for me
(as I have always been a
Marketing person both
academically and professionally)
and also helped in personal self-
development as it gave me a

13. BLOG13
Tete-e-tete with Ranjan Bose, VP [Marketin ], Industrial Packaging
360 degree insight of Drum Manufacturing and
related activities which enhanced my knowledge
and appreciation of the activity tremendously,
which I could apply in my day to day working.
Presently, I am located at Mumbai heading the
Marketing function of IP and responsible for all
India sales and marketing.
Considering the vast market size spread across
all the regions and the Competition essentially
from local manufacturers with the Installed
Capacity of the Industry being at least 2 times
the demand, and with Customers who are
becoming more discerning by the day, it is indeed
a tough battle to maintain market leadership in
the Industry.
How have you seen the SBU evolve over the
period of time?
The introduction of Strategic Business Units in
the Organization has helped in focusing on the
Business with greater depth and understanding of
the Market and Customer, since all across the
regions the Customer profile and segments is
similar primarily varying in the volume of
business. The SBU concept has not only
facilitated an uniform Marketing approach but has
also helped in greater standardization across all
the Plants.
What according to you is the biggest
strength of IP?
There are a number of strengths in IP and in my
opinion the biggest strength as compared to its
Tete-e-tete with Mr. G N Mattoo
Competitors would be its qualified and skilled
Employees both in the areas of Marketing and
Manufacturing. Apart from the above, its Brand
image and dominant Market leadership status
with a pan India presence.
What steps are being taken to keep pace
with the changing market trends and
combat competition?
The drum Industry has evolved from being a
primarily a sellers' market to a highly competitive
market wherein there are at present 53 active
competitors and the total Installed Capacity being
almost 2 times the demand. There is also a
constant threat from substitute products e.g. PE
drums, IBC, Flexi Tanks etc. which are eroding
into MS drum market.
Enhanced customer focus, emphasis on
increasing sales of value added products,
targeting higher sales growth in the Chemical
segment along with technological upgradation of
the Plants and continuous cost reduction
exercises all across IP are some of the key
measures being taken.
What will be your message for newcomers
in IP?
The Market Scenario in the coming days will
become more Challenging, however challenges
also brings opportunities; thus maintaining
Customer focus in terms of quality and service
would be of prime importance to secure the
dominant market leadership position for IP.
Mr. G N Mattoo, Sr. Vice
President HR, retired on 28th
February 2014 after
successfully completing
around 26 years of service.
Wehad a chat with him on his
last day at Balmer Lawrie to
know more about his journey
and post retirement plans.
Your journey at Balmer Lawrie ...
I joined the Company on 3
rd
June, 1988 as
Manager (P&A) in Tours & Travel, Delhi. Prior to
joining Balmer Lawrie I was working with Oil
India at Duliajan, Assam. In 1991 I was
promoted and transferred to Mathura as SM
(P&A), responsible for handling HR /IR functions
at CSDM and CDM. In 1994 we transferred the
ownership of CSDM to Anant Raj clay products,
along with all the workmen, as a going concern.
This led to a very disruptive/highly volatile
industrial relations situation and managing it
successfully was a great challenge and a learning
experience. Towards the end of 1994 I was
transferred to G&L, Mumbai, as SM(P&A)
responsible for HR/IR roles for G&L Sewree and
Taloja. In November 1995 I was moved to
Corporate HR role at Kolkata in the department
then known as Corporate Personnel Department
and thereafter changed different roles in HR
between Corporate and Associate HR Services.
My journey at Balmer Lawrie has been extremely
fulfilling. BL being a legacy Company, had
systems, work processes, and practices that were
strongly ingrained/embedded and as such any
attempt at making these processes and practices
contemporary needed lot of discussions with
collectives. However, I feel happy that we were able
to bring about lot many changes in the work
practices through LTS, making them more
contemporary and performance based.
Your personal and professional achieve-
ments ...
One of my major achievements was facilitating
transfer of CSDM Unit at Mathura as a going
concern. The situation was extremely difficult and
volatile, giving us lot of painful moments.
However, our commitment to achieve the goal
was very high and together with the support from
the corporate helped us to handle the situation
successfully.

14. 14BLOG
Tete-e-tete with Mr. G N Mattoo
During the period, from 1995-2003 rightsizing of
manpower had become an important
organizational imperative. We successfully
introduced Voluntary Retirement Schemes/SVSS
and marketed them extremely well, with an
innovative approach, across different depart-
ments/units which helped us to achieve the
intended purpose.
Took lot of initiative in the e-enablement of HR
Function. Was the member secretary of the
committee responsible for taking forward
implementation of online benefit administration
at HO in 2005. It gave us enormous satisfaction
and pride when we rolled out HRMS in a limited
way at HO in 2005-06.
Your most memorable moment at Balmer
Lawrie •.•
There are many memorable moments but the one
that immediately comes to my mind is the one,
when we got music of the Balmer Lawrie song
composed by the famous music director, Shri
Buddha Dev Gangulyand then got it recorded in
the Studios by leading singers Amit Ganguly and
Dola Ganguly. I feel it was indeed an emotional
and a memorable moment.
The love and affection of the people, the freedom
and space given to individuals for working with
emphasis on ethical approach to employee
relations' have uniquely shaped BL's culture,
which allows openness and accessibility to
leadership. I will miss being part of this
wonderful family.
What do you plan to do post retirement?
Have not seriously thought about it .at the
moment. I have stayed away from my native
place for more than three decades and hence
shall be relocating to Delhi, so that I am nearer
to my native place. I'll be in Srinagar during
summers and will be in Delhi during winters.
After sometime I may take up teaching
assignments at some Business schools.
Yourmessage for Balmer Lawriens ...
Strive for excellence, have commitment and
passion, build knowledge around humility and
this would make the Company timeless.
I'll miss the warmth of the people and the
support they have given me while making my
journey exciting. I wish good luck and very best
to all my fellow Balmer Lawriens, so that we can
take this great company to even greater heights.
KNOW YOUR lEADER
Mr._Prem Prakash Sahoo, Director [HR & Corporate Affairs]
retires from the Company on 31st
May, 2014 after a very long
innings of more than three decades. Mr. Sahoo has made
significant contributions to the organisation not only in the area
of HR, but also in institutionalising Corporate Communications
and HSE in the Company A thorough professional, who had an
eye for detail, he has always striven to professionalise the HR
function in the organisation. I wish him al/ the best in his future
endeavors.
1.Your journey at Balmer Lawrie ...
My association with Balmer Lawrie dates back
to 1978, when I joined as a Management
Trainee in the IBP-BL Group. As a Management
Trainee, I spent 3 months in Calcutta, mostly in
BL HO where the Group Personnel Department
of IBP-BL was housed and then moved to IBP,
Korba as Personnel Manager [Works]
responsible for the total gamut of HR, IR and
Admin. In 1983, I left IBP to explore the private
sector. I joined Brooke Bond but the fondness
for BL remained and I always felt an
inexplicable pull for it. I knew the people, the
organisation and there was a certain degree of
comfort with the culture of BL. My ex-bosses in
- Viren Sinha, C&MD
IBP-BL were continually persuading me to come
back. Moreover, after my success in driving the
closure of the ..Aurangabad Plant of Brooke
Bond, the Company wanted me to drive the
same in two other Units and I was not too
comfortable in being the 'hatchet man'. As a
result of all this, in July 1987 I joined back BL
as a Senior Manager in Corporate Personnel
Department, even with a cut in salary.
Since then, by the time I retire in May 2014, I would
have spent around 27 years in BL. It has been a
long journey. Though it has been a chequered one,
with the usual ups and downs, I have enjoyed every
bit of it. In the initial days the learning opportunity
was immense as I had to often interact 1-to-1 with

15. BLOG15
KNOW YOUR LEADER
the Managing Director and other Directors,
especially during periods of transition of the HR
leadership. In 1994, I was entrusted with the
responsibility for closing the Cylinder Unit
employing around 300 + people at Mathura. In spite
of being personally assaulted, we accomplished a
difficult mission. This experience truly made me
courageous and thereafter I have been ever ready
to face any situation in the line of duty. During my
early years in BL, I rose rapidly in the Company
and became a General Manager at the age of 41.
In 1997, I moved to Tea Division as GM [Tea] in my
quest for greater exposure.
I Was in Tea for a little more than 4 years. In those
days Tea business contributed around 10% to the
top line of BL but was a losing proposition. In the
first 2 years I tried to turn it around but when I
realised that the business model was not
sustainable, I tried to descale operations. The
South India operations at Coimbatore was closed
and Kolkata operations descaled. During my stint at
Tea I learnt two things. One, I became a complete
business manager learning the ropes of marketing,
sourcing, finance, operations etc. The second, I
became truly conscious of costs as I was
responsible for the - bottom line. Earlier when I
travelled, I didn't blink an eye lid to stay in star
hotels but in my role as business head I preferred
to stay in small places whenever guest house was
not available. It was emotionally tough because the
business never made profits but this assignment
had its positive side as well as I had the opportunity
to visit more than 10 foreign destinations during this
period.
In January 2002, I was entrusted with the
responsibility of restructuring the organisation but
before we could truly pursue the exercise, the
Government decided to disinvest the Company. As
a result, I had very little to do. But my self-
resilience not only saw me through this difficult
phase in my professional life but also gave me the
opportunity to master the laptop. My comfort with
technology owes its origin to this period of my life.
In 2003, I moved back to the HR function as an
Executive Director. Since then, my mission has
been to professionalise and contemporise the HR
function in BL and I have never looked back. I am
grateful to the Company that it considered it
appropriate to upgrade the HR function and elevate
me to the Board in 2011.
2. Significant professional and personal
achievements
I successfully introduced technology in HR. In mid-
2000, interventions like HRMS helped to improve
the service levels and reduce transaction time. E-
HR is something that I can take the credit for. I was
also responsible for several core HR interventions.
We are one of the firsts in public sector companies
to carry out competency mapping, run assessment
centres, undertake 360 degree appraisal,
implement bell curve rating system etc. We first
implemented bell curve in PMS in 2005-06 much
ahead of DPE's mandate in 2008-09. In recent
times we have done a wonderful job in further
making the PMS process more robust.
I can take credit for making the function "more
young". I have immense faith in youth and hence,
encouraged hiring Executive Trainees and young
managers and grooming them to become leaders.
My faith in the youth emanates from my own
experience as a young manager. For what I am
today, I owe it to my learnings in the first 2 to 3
years of my professional life. After 4 months of
training, I was sent to Korba as Personnel Manager
[Works]. At the young age of 24, I had 5 officers
reporting to me, a couple twice my age and the
challenge to manage a difficult location.
Another thing I am proud of is building the CSR
structu re and introd uci ng the Corporate
Communications & HSE function in the
organisation in spite severe resistance. It is my
belief that not only today but going forward all these
functions are expected to make significant
contributions to the sustainability of BL.
I have "one regret", and that is our inability to
institutionalise the partnership between the line
management and HR. It is happening in patches
but not enough. A few years back, we introduced
the concept of SBU-HR through a matrix structure
with the limited HR resource we had at our
disposal. May be the time has come to embed the
HR function fully in each business vertical in line
with Finance.
At the professional level, I have continuously
strived to emerge as a complete business manager
rather than a HR person alone. In this journey I
have made significant contribution to the-
deliberations of the Budget Committees of the
Businesses over several years. I have been the
Chief Assessor of CII for HR Excellence Award and
a lead assessor for the Business Excellence Award.
Speaking of awards, I have won several awards
from National institutions recognising my
contribution to the field of HR. I have written articles
in professional magazines, been guest faculty in
various educational institutions, and have
addressed several professional forums and
conferences.
3.Who all are there in your family?
I am married to Shipra and we have two children.
Our daughter Shilpa is happily married, and we are
grandparents of a 3 and ~ year old boy. Shilpa, a
travel professional used to work with Lufthansa but
the child taking the centre space of her life, she is
currently working from home. Our son Pratik, after
completing his graduation, is currently dabbling in
website marketing.

16. 16BLOG
KNOW YOUR LEADER
Shipra has been my tower of strength. With her
around I have not had to ever bother for the. home
front. She likes designing clothes and manages a
boutique from home.
4. Who is the person who influenced you the
most and why?
Professionally there's none who has influenced me.
However, I have always admired Mr. S K Sinha, our
ex Managing Director for his humility and concern
for people. To me he is the highest beholder of
human values and conscience. I have had the
privilege to work with him very closely. He has left
an indelible impression on me.
On the personal front too, I can't name a single
person who has influenced me. I moved out of home
at the age of 10 and thereafter have been a
wanderer, studying and working at different places in
the country. The person I am today is the by-product
of various cultures, several friends and colleagues.
5. What is your favourite one liner?
Just do it! Nothing can be perfect so go ahead,
grab opportunity, get the job at hand done and just
don't procrastinate.
6. What are your hobbies?
I've always been a good sportsman. I was a
University hockey player. I played cricket and
football in college and office league cricket for BL
until 5 years ago. I've always held fort, sometimes
as wicketkeeper and sometimes as goalkeeper. I
am an outdoor person. Now I dabble in some golf. I
love to read fiction as that tickles my imagination. I
love to write as well, and have written a few poems.
I like photography but capturing shots depends on
my mood.
7. Which is your favourite travel destination?
None in particular. But I prefer beaches to
mountains and I like the Goa beaches in particular.
I love to travel and have visited around 30
countries. Most countries in Europe are small but
beautiful, Russia is rich in culture and architecture.
Going forward I would like to comprehend the
vastness of Americas, both North & South.
8. Two things that your colleagues don't know
about you
I am two different persons in two different situations
- at office I am formal and at times extremely
demanding but outside office I am very informal. My
official position holds no relevance to me beyond
the work space. Therefore, post retirement, I would
like to be valued by my colleagues as a person and
not as a Director.
9. Your management style or mantra
I am very high on task. By saying this it doesn't
mean I don't care for the emotions of people but I
normally don't demonstrate it in my action &
conduct. Further, I don't believe in short term. In
everything that I do I think of the long term and
regulate my actions accordingly.
10. Message for Employees of Balmer Lawrie
I don't see us not surviving for 150 years as an
organisation, but the challenge is to survive for
another 150 years. This can happen only if we
continually reinvent ourselves and remain an agile
organisation.
Over the last 147 years we've perhaps not done,
justice to our rate of growth. Time has come for us
to take a real quantum jump. The time has come for
us to think big. There will be associated risks but
we have to learn to manage the risks and grow
rapidly as an organisation.
Lastly, even" today, the vast majority of
organisational actions centre around relationships.
Relationships are great to cherish, but is a sure
recipe for perish if not backed by performance. We
need to learn to be a more performance driven
organisation.
In all that I have talked about, people in the
organisation, irrespective of their category and level
have a role to play. I exhort all my colleagues to
come forward and be an active partner in the
organisational journey of this great & wonderful
organisation.
KNOW YOUR FELLOW BALMER LAWRIEN ...
------
Mr. Ganesh Bahadur [GB],
Chargehand, IP-Sewree, was
interviewed by Mr. P B Pawar
[PBP], Sr. Manager
[Manufacturing], IP-Sewree.
Mr. Ganesh Bahadur has
completed 40 years of service at
Balmer Lawrie. He is a hard
worker, result oriented and well
accepted team leader.
PBP: How long have you been working with
Balmer Lawrie and currently what is your
role/dept?
GB: I was born in Sewree, Mumbai. My father
was also an employee of Balmer Lawrie and
retired as security guard.My house is a small
hut, and the wall on the backside is part of the
IP (Sewree) factory's compound wall close to
the main gate. I joined lP, Sewree as casual
labour in 1974. Now I am working as
Chargehand in the manufacturing department.
PBP: What changes have you seen over this
long period of time?
GB: When Ijoined the factory, the work was very
difficult. All the machines were manual machines.
The output was only 1200 barrels in a shift. Now
there are automatic machines. The work is easy

17. BLOG11
KNOW YOUR FELLOW BALMER LAWRIEN...
but we have other challenges. Today output in a
shift is 3200 barrels.
PBP: Tell us about your journey from casual
labour to Chargehand ...
GB: After completing 4 years in casual labour,
I was promoted as Majdoor. During this
period, out of self-interest and guidance from
superiors, I learned machine operating. Then I
was upgraded as an operator. While working
as an operator, I used to observe the
machine breakdowns carefully & also learnt to
repair/rectify the machines. Then I became a
fitter. During this period I got an opportunity
to work as an acting Chargehand. I learned
manning & manpower management. Finally I
was upgraded as Chargehand in the year
2001. I trained many young employees in
various machine operations and maintenance
activities and made a new dedicated team. I
tried to save resources such as electricity,
water etc. With the help of my team I start
the production shift well before shift timings
[7.00 a.m.] i.e. by 6.30 a.m. My journey was
full of hardships but was satisfying. I tried to
meet daily targets by putting in hard efforts.
I was nominated by our company for national
level "Shramik Award". I am also proud of to
be an employee of BL, IP-Sewree.
PBP: What do you like in Balmer Lawrie?
GB: I like the dedication & team spirit of
employees in BL. People changed & the time too
changed but the dedication and team spirit
remained the same. It is an inspiration for me.
PBP: What are your hobbies?
GB: I like to do social service. I help the needy
and ill people. I dedicate my time in uplifting the
downtrodden and provide helping hand to
helpless ones.
Mr. Ranjan Ganguly [RG],
Operator, Industrial Packaging,
Kolkata was interviewed by Mr.
Atin Mukherjee [AM], Manager
[HR). Hejoined Balmer Lawrie on
fj'i' September 1979. A sincere
and diligent worker, he is a very
amiable person.
AM: How long have you been working with
Balmer Lawrie and currently what is your
role/dept?
RG: I have been working here for approximately
35 years and currently I am working as an
Operator at Industrial Packaging, Kolkata.
AM: What do you like about Balmer Lawrie?
RG: The thing I like most here is the work culture.
The mutual relation among the Officers and
Workers is very good. Workers can talk about their
problems and demands without any hesitation; this
creates a healthy atmosphere.
AM: What is your most memorable moment in
Balmer Lawrie?
RG: The most memorable moment of mine here
came in the early 1980 when I was selected and
sent to Bahrain [UAE] for some important work by
the Company.
AM: Who is your inspiration in life and why?
RG: My father is my inspiration and that is because
of his honesty, noble deeds and good behaviour
with people. This inspires me to do well by following
his ideals.
AM: Whatare your hobbies?
RG: I used to play football, but presently my hobby
is watching football matches especially the
international ones.
AM: Place you belong to and who all are there
in your family?
RG: I belong to Hoogly, West Bengal. My small and
happy family comprises my wife and son.
AM: Any message for Balmer Lawrie
employees.
RG: Be punctual and sincere in your work. Regard
the Company as your own and perform your duties
honestly so that the Company can reach its zenith
and maintain its status.
BL on a walking stick
On zs" April, 2014 a gentleman named Mr. Scott Copes wrote to Mr. R K Murthy, COO [IP] enquiring about
fibre composite drums. It was indeed interesting to know how Mr. Copes became aware of Balmer Lawrie.
Recently, he acquired a walking stick from the estate of an English gentleman in Charleston South Carolina.
The stick looks to date from the latter half of the 19th century. On a
silver plate attached to the shaft of the stick is engraved:
From a Tea Bush
Burpatra Teas Estate
Messrs Balmer Lawrie Co. Ltd
Calcutta
He researched our organization and found out that Balmer Lawrie is
in the business of Industrial Packaging and hoped we could provide
him Composite Drums. Though we were unable to meet Mr. Copes'
request, wethank him forthis wonderful archival information!

18. 18BLOG
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
In February, 2014 Mr. Ravishankar,
COO, SBU: Tours - Vacations Exotica
won the 'Most Influential Person'
award in the Travel Industry,
instituted by OTM - India's leading
travel trade show, its sister
publication - Travel News Digest and
media partner NDTV Profit. He was
presented a trophy and a certificate in
recognition of his achievement.
Congratulations!
Mr. Utsav Khare, son of Mr. Manjul Khare,
Associate Vice President [TT-East], T&T -
Lucknow who's working with McCann, was
instrumental in creating the new Orient
Electric Advertising campaign featuring M S
Dhoni. The Ads are being aired on television
these days. Orient Electric of the CK Birla
Group, earlier known as Orient decided to
go in for a new brand positioning. McCann
has designed the campaign to announce the
new identity with M S Dhoni as brand
ambassador.
TALENT UNLIMITED
Surprised!!!
Surprised! Such an action from him was unexpected. How could he manage to do that? No one could
believe what he actually did.
How could anyone know about the limits of someone, when no one knows even the limit of
themselves? Yet, we guarantee someone's capacity.
We can learn about ourselves every day. Now, this can happen only to those who love experimenting
with themselves or challenging themselves every single day.
The ones who stop discovering themselves become predictable and their capacity can be measured.
But this is never constant. Life puts us into so many roles & challenges, so many times that we are
even surprised at ourselves while fulfilling them. And this is where a memory takes birth, when you
actually felt that you did something that was once unbelievable. So, never again be SURPRISED.
Still people are hesitant at experimenting, as hardly anyone desires to leave an equilibrium or
protected state. But the truth of life is exploring. Exploration for beauty, exploration for God, for peace,
for something unknown or it can be anything. But this exploring isn't meant for actually knowing or
achieving. Exploration is a journey which brings us closer to ourselves. It doesn't mean that truth can
be found, as truth is something that is either unreaching, unveiling or something that could be
reasonably explained.
Ooh, I got out of my context, SURPRISE. Hope to come up again in some later issue of BLOG with
something on Truth or Exploration or God knows what it can be.
-Girish Gupta
IT, Kolkata

19. BLOG19
TALENT UNLIMITED
No! A Composition
She hinted that she was about to leave me. Desolate. Lonely. Few more words would barely
sketch the idea what I feel I would be in her absence. I don't want to lose her, just like my
existence would do without her. She means a lot to me and my existence. But have I told her
this ever? No.
We were always the best of friends. We shared gossips, stories, humour and more. Things started
moving on in hierarchy as I started sharing secrets and it stopped to a point where I shared
myself. She had become an inherent part of my mind. The sub-conscious was aware of this and
continuously ranted for lack of space in the brain. I knew her well, sometimes not. But there was
one thing I had known clearly: She was a part of me somewhere in my soul. But have I told her
this ever? No.
I could see my world shattering into pieces by the elements of ego and misunderstandings. Some
relations are those complex pieces of imaginations which even the thoughts do not comprehend.
Such was our relation. We had known that we won't be together for long, but 'who cares',
whispered the heart every time I asked it. Parting was always difficult for me to digest. Byes are
never meant to be good. She was leaving me now. But did I try to stop her even once? No.
Dreams don't -die a natural death. They die painfully leaving back bodies of fond memories and
skeletons of wonderful moments. They wither, strangle and suffer. And so does the heart. Blood
oozes out from it continuously in the pathos of the death. Yes, we were not qualified to instil
dreams about being together forever. But then unlike the seeds, dreams implant themselves on
their own, their roots spread quickly as veins and when they die, the veins slit themselves. Well,
I too had a dream for us. But did I disclose my dreams to her? No.
People write their stories. Words do cry. Tears do take the form of inks. Somewhere I am sure
this story would also reach her in a matter of time. Oblivious of the author, she would find this
story fancy and praise the author. But will she ever know that this story was meant for her? No.
-Sidharth Udani
Logistics Infrastructure, Kolkata
PAINTINGS ...
Dayana George, Travel Department, Trivandrum Mousumi, dlo Mintu Dey, CHRD - Kolkata
Edited by Mohar Mukhopadhyay, Corporate Communication Dept., Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. Printed at Nabapress Pvt Ltd, Kolkata

20. oA2<.
~,
Inauguration ofthe Dubai Plant on May 27,1978 by
HH Seikh Rashid Bin Saeed AI-Maktoum, Ruler of
Dubai. Mr. H. N. Bahuguna, minister of petroleum,
chemicals and fertilizers, was also present.
Launch of lightweight barrels at Bombay plant in 1986.
Mr. R. L. Dhawan escorting visitors around the plant