JEEVAN CHEMICALS, LEADERS OF VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS THROUGH INNOVATION
Jeevan chemicals started its journey with first-generation entrepreneurs Sonir Shah and Ashita Shah with the commitment to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact. They made a humble beginning with surfactants for Crop Protection formulations. It was diversified to a range of products and, at present, has advanced to a strong foothold in the Specialty Chemicals market.
“We are ISO 45001:2018, OHSAS18001:2207, Halal, Kosher certified & having a range of Reach Registered & EPA approved products in the Specialty chemicals landscape. We have been conferred with the honor of Export Excellence Award by the Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association in 2019, listed by Industry Outlook magazine as one of the Top 10 Specialty & Fine Chemical manufacturers in Oct 2021, and one of the leading SMEs of India 2021 by Dun & Bradstreet” added the entrepreneurs.
This enabled the company to enrich its client base and market penetration. As regards geographies, they now have a strong customer base & are exporting the products to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and North America. Their biggest strength is innovation. Be it products, technology, processes, or systems, they passionately innovate around all these facets to drive sustainable growth in this industry.
CHALLENGES AND GOALS
The company aims to be the leader in targeted niche sectors in the Chemical industry and become a 250 Cr company by 2025. The company has already started manufacturing agrochemical formulations and has obtained necessary regulatory permissions from the government to manufacture agrochemical active ingredients. This year, the plan is to introduce a wide range of Specialty aldehydes & ketones in the flavor & fragrance industry. Jeevan Chemicals also has plans to launch pharmaceutical intermediaries based on specialty ketones. The long-term goal is to be a listed Company.
The entrepreneurs further added, “one of the biggest challenges came from Pandemic. It was indeed challenging to stay indoors and keep the factory operations up & running. Despite all odds and tough situations, we delivered consistently and outperformed our targets. We follow our vision of ‘creating your advantage through innovation’ as it gives a sense of direction and a meaningful purpose for all our team members towards a unified goal.”
THE CORPORATE ETHOS AT JEEVAN CHEMICALS
On a strategic note, they have a vertical hierarchy with multiple levels. So, under the MD is the leadership team of all domains followed by their respective executive and supervisory cadre. They are primarily a process and system-driven company. They believe in having the right people in the right place with clearly defined KRAs and responsibilities.
The motto is ‘Creating your advantage through innovation’. Innovation and change are the foundation of growth and the ever-evolving cultural ethos that has enabled them to drive their sustainability and mission. They have been constantly upgrading systems, quality standards, processes, technologies, and teams. Product innovation is a must, and it continues to be one of the core values and primary drivers of sustainable growth.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AND CHANGES
Jeevan Chemicals does not offer commodity items, but rather performance-driven products, with services allowing customers to develop and expand their existing and new products. It supports clients and helps them towards success and sustainability by being a part of their journey. It helps clients with application support, followed by technical assistance, providing guide recipes, laboratory testing, and optimizing new formulations and solutions.
“With over two decades of experience in the chemical industry, we have implemented our Vision for working towards a common goal. We have a strong hold on our core competencies and have diversified into Strategic Business Units (SBUs). We have four manufacturing plants in Gujarat, and a powerful R&D center managed by qualified and experienced technocrats. Jeevan Chemicals has an in-house application laboratory to offer custom solutions for its specialized clientele. As a result, the firm has designed its product range and improved its strategy to supply them with the necessary answers,” assert the entrepreneurs.
DYNAMICS AFTER THE PANDEMIC
The company is categorized under the head of essential services so it was a nightmare to have a remote working mechanism with a commitment to delivering.In spite of the odd onslaught of the Pandemic, they have registered 50% growth in the years 2020-21 and 100% growth in the years 2021-22. In fact, the exports grew by 200% during this time
The entrepreneurs affirm, “Post pandemic, we are of the opinion that the Indian government now sees the chemical industry as a significant economic driver, with the chemical sector expected to account for roughly 25% of the industrial sector’s GDP by 2025.
There is a rising demand in the personal care and home care segments, which h is propelling the growth of various categories in India’s Specialty chemicals market.SME sector domestically is expected to exhibit 18-23% revenue growth in FY 22 owing to the impetus intended to be provided by higher domestic demand, as per the industry analysis and forecasts. Furthermore, with global corporations looking to de-risk their China-reliant supply chains, the chemical sector offers several prospects for major expansion. So, opportunities are tremendous and we are fully poised to capitalize on them.”
CREATIVE THINKING AND IDEAS
The leadership inspires creativity by practicing an inclusive team culture and fostering it through freedom & flexibility to accomplish a task. They offer a comforting environment within the team for sharing knowledge, insights & industry best practices, more so through self-reflection as well as through support in creative risk-taking. All three are essential, the mission, core values, and vision. The mission and vision are meaningless without an embodiment of core values as they are the fundamentals of existence and survival. Customer focus is one of the core values. So, some of the rich ideas emanate from the experience with clients.
“We have a practice of obtaining client feedback which we follow diligently, which has helped us in arriving at some of the very great ideas and also helped us to understand their needs. Another rich source is our team which is not just our R&D team but even others who can think creatively. To reiterate, we have an inclusive team culture which enables others to submit their ideas any time and every time,” assert the entrepreneurs.
LEADERSHIP AND ADVICE
At Jeevan Chemicals, they have designed vision and mission cards that encompasses core values. All the team members wear the same close to their hearts at all times as it is a part of the attire boldly embedded on the Identity cards. Besides, it is also reflected in actions and words that are communicated not just to internal customers but also to external customers. They indeed walk the talk.
The entrepreneurs wrap with a piece of advice, “Our relentless commitment towards product innovation for clients and client-servicing has enabled us to reach where we are today. Our drive and passion for sustainable growth with a clear customer focus have made it possible for us to reach where we are. Our approach is a blend of being contemporary yet futuristic. This has paved the way for progression in all forms and areas. For others who wish to set off in a similar direction, one piece of advice would be to stay focused & never give up.”
