Rajeev Jhawar Commentate to Uphill his Company Usha Martin

Usha Martin is one of the largest manufacturers of wire ropes in the world and has the capacity to produce 300,050 tonnes of it per annum. The company has a global base of wire rope manufacturing, with facilities located in India, the UK, Dubai and Bangkok. For specific products, the company has collaborated with globally reputed companies like Gustav wolf of Germany, Joh. Pengg AG of Austria and Tesac wire ropes of Japan. Usha Martin is known for making a wide range of wire rope products, which have applications across the world.

Usha Martin under Rajeev Jhawar is on a new start. After all that had happened in the recent past, the company is in the path for a new start. And it has already taken sprout under the leadership of Rajeev Jhawar. The company’s global R&D centre in Italy is actively engaged in the design of wire ropes and uses property design software to develop products. The company also has a comprehensive R&D facility in its manufacturing unit at Ranchi. “Product innovation that meets the customers’ needs is a continuous process for us. We are a major supplier of several OEMs,” explains Devadip Bhowmik, director, sales & marketing, UML.

The market leader in India in wire ropes, Usha Martin has the capacity to produce a wide range – from 4.8 mm to 130 mm in diameter – of wire ropes. “Our USP is diverse quality products that cater to large customers,” adds Bhowmik. “It is the concept of a ‘super market’, where one can pick up everything under one roof.”

Rajeev Jhawar Usha Martin

Describing the advantages of the overseas operations, Rajeev jhawar affirms that these operations provide a significant synergy and support to the overall business performance. It also helps us to spread the offerings across the globe. The Covid pandemic had adversely impacted UML’s demand but the international market is expected to open up, though slowly. Rajeev jhawar thinks that in the next five years, the segment will see good demand.

Mr. Rajeev Jhawar has also cautioned all to remain agile and responsive to the changing market needs and focus on increasing market share in high contributory products. Rajeev is bullish about the segment and expects oil & gas, ports and shipping to be the growth drivers. On a consolidated basis, 35-40 per cent of Usha Martin’s revenue is from exports to Europe, South East Asia, the US and the Scandinavian countries.

“Usha Martin has been supplying us with wire ropes for heavy-duty cranes for ports over decades now,” says Harinder Singh, business head, coal import terminal, Adani Ports & SEZ. Performance-wise, UML’s products are on par with the imported ropes. But, though the quality is good, there is a need to improve the services, says Rajeev Jhawar Usha Martin enjoys strong brand recall in the segment. Usha Martin is now in the process of strengthening their projects and services under the new leadership. The adopted HR policy of the company identifies future leaders. The HR processes find high-potential performers. UML nurture them internally through training and development, as part of a succession planning process, so that future leaders can be developed within the organisation. This is the what Rajeev jhawar feels. Usha Martin has a workforce of 2,300. The average age group of the company’s management is below 50.

Rahul Gandhi proved leadership abilities through padyatra: Shatrughan Sinha

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has proved his leadership abilities through the Bharat Jodo Yatra, TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha said.

In an interview to PTI, Sinha said Gandhi's 3,570-km-long march that began in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu will help the Congress double its tally in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress won 52 seats in 2019 elections.

"Bharat Jodo Yatra is getting a very good response. Rahul Gandhi's charisma has started working, and he is getting an excellent response from the people. I feel that Gandhi's yatra will help double the tally of the Congress in Parliament in the next Lok Sabha polls," he said.

"This is a 'yatra' in a true sense as Gandhi is walking unlike 'Rath yatras' by BJP leaders. Lakhs of people are coming out in his support. He has proved his leadership qualities. People have accepted him as a leader. And, those who made fun of him as 'Pappu' and didn't take him seriously have been proved wrong," Sinha added.

The actor-turned-politician won the Asansol Lok Sabha seat on Trinamool Congress ticket in a bypoll in April this year. Before fighting the election on a TMC ticket, he had switched over to the Congress from the BJP in 2019.

"BJP leaders are making fun of Gandhi, but let them also conduct a similar yatra on foot if they have the fire in their belly. The magic spell of Rahul Gandhi will work in the next elections, I feel and I want it to happen," Sinha said.

Speaking on the Gujarat elections, the TMC leader said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would either emerge as the "kingmaker or the king" himself.

"In Gujarat, Kejriwal will either emerge as the king or the kingmaker. There is a churning in the saffron camp in Gujarat. The BJP cannot milk Hindutva or the Ram Mandir issue every time. Kejriwal has played a masterstroke through his demand of photos of Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesh on currency notes," he said.

Last week, Kejriwal appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to print images of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes for the progress of the country.

"Kejriwal has paid the BJP back with the same coin. The BJP used to act as if they were the master of the 'Hindutva school of politics' but Kejriwal is now the headmaster of that school. The BJP can neither swallow it nor discard it," Sinha said.

Claiming that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be a "game-changer" in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Sinha hoped that the relation between the TMC and the Congress would improve.