December 2019

News from Corporate Office

Managing Director speaking on the occasion Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Alagappa College of Technology, Anna University Managing Director Honoured with Distinguished Alumni Award, MD is proud of AC Tech maintaining its identity though becoming part of Anna University, welcomes the vision for making AC Tech a Centre of excellence.

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Alagappa College of Technology (1944-2019), part of Anna University was organised from December 20 to 22, 2019 by AC Tech and AC “Those days, students Tech Alumni Association.

An exhibition under the theme “Make in ” also marked had only two the memorable function which was attended by a large number of alumni, faculty, teachers, representatives of interests- studies and industries and senior officials from . sports. There was no Governor of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Banwarilal Purohit was the Chief Guest at the inauguration of Platinum Celebrations in other distraction or Anna University on 21.12.2019.

Mr. N. Srinivasan, Vice- Chairman & MD, India Cements and attraction”, Chairman of the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations Committee, in his special address went down memory lane and proudly - Managing Director recalled his student days in the premier institute.

3 Compass News

Distinguished Alumni Award for MD Governor presented the Distinguished Alumni Award to our Managing Director. The citation said he is being presented the prestigious award “ For nonpareil business acumen, which helped India Cements emerge as the region’s largest manufacturer with significant footprint across India, for being the messiah of Indian Cricket, for transforming lives by supporting schools, colleges, polytechnics, sports facilities, temple renovations , building shelters, for helping elderly living with dignity and for believing that if you are right, never give up because you will eventually win”

Mr.N. Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman & MD, India Cements being presented Distinguished Alumni Award by Governor of Tamil Nadu, Sri Banwarilal Purohit at the inauguration of Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Alagappa College ofechnology, T Anna University in on 21.12.2019. Looking on are ( from left) Prof. S Meenakshisundaram,Dean, A C Tech , Prof M K Surappa,Vice Chancellor, Anna University and Mrs. Vidya Shankar, President, A C Tech Alumni Association

Mr. Srinivasan and other Distinguished Award winners from my teacher, Prof. different fields were selected by the Jury Panel headed by Selvarathanam Prof M S Ananth, former Director of IIT M that was constituted running fast to by the Alumni Association for inviting nominations for the congratulate me awards. for the win”.

Mr. Srinivasan is one of the early students of AC Tech , He told a large studied B. Sc ( Tech) in chemical engineering between 1960 number of and 1965 and passed out in first class. He was a shining star alumni who have as tennis Champion and represented the college in tennis, gathered for the cricket and hockey celebrations, “As Alumni of Speaking on the occasion, MD said “I am really proud that I Alagappa College am an alumni of Alagappa College of Technology. I am one of Technology, of the early students of this College. Those days, A C Tech it is a proud was quite young but it was one of the premier technology moment for all institutes of City of Madras, Later, IIT Madras was started”. of us in joining and participating He proudly recalled how he represented AC Tech and later in the Platinum Madras University in Tennis and won Tournaments including Jubilee the one in IIT- Madras. “Those days, students had only two Celebrations of our College in Chennai. We all have one interests- studies and sports. There was no other distraction common bond. That is, we all studied in AC Tech”. or attraction”, he said. Mr. Srinivasan said, “ Over the years, AC Tech has stood the “I still remember, I was in my third year (1963) in A C Tech. In test of time and has grown to become a glorious and great the keenly fought tournament in IIT Madras, after losing the institution. Though it became part of Anna University, it has first two sets, I defeated IIT- Madras student, Lionel Paul. I saw maintained its identity”.

4 December 2019 MD on vision on Developing AC Tech a Centre of Excellence

MD has welcomed the vision of Alumni Association for “Although Information Technology has developed, we still developing AC Tech as a Centre of Excellence in the next few need engineers and high quality engineers. My suggestion years. “It is an excellent idea. We should bring back glory would be to make AC Tech a Centre of Excellence where of this thought process as far as technology is concerned. academic knowledge meets practical application. The amount I invite all the alumni to share their ideas for realizing this of knowledge learnt by students during the semesters should vision”. be useful when they pursue higher studies”, he said.

AC Tech Alumni, Professors, Senior Company Officials and dignitaries attending the celebration function Photo Gallery on the proud Journey of India Cements India Cements took part in the exhibition organised in A C Tech Campus on December 21 & 22, 2019. Students, faculty and alumni visited our stall and keenly viewed the photo gallery which had rare photos on growth journey of our Company since 1946, our long sporting tradition, MD as captain of various industry bodies, an able administrator of different sports bodies and MD a Luminary of AC Tech, top tennis tournaments he had won representing AC Tech and his visiting AC Tech in 2013 for delivering founder T S Narayanaswami Memorial Lecture.

A view of photo gallery in our stall in AC Tech expo 5 Compass News

GOING DOWN MEMORY LANE Student days of MD in AC Tech: Final Year B.Sc. Tech, (Class 1964-65)

The Hindu, 26.01.1965

Managing director as a Tennis Champion

Mr. N. Srinivasan visiting AC Tech on July 26,2013

6 December 2019 Founder Memorial Lecture instituted in A C Tech

India Cements has instituted Memorial Endowment Lecture in A C Tech in fond memory of Founder, Shri T. S. Narayanaswami. The Lecture is delivered by eminent persons for the benefit of students of chemical engineering, faculty and those doing research.

The Hindu, 29.11.1963

MD visited A C Tech on 26.7.2013 for delivering Founder Memorial Lecture N. Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman & MD, India Cements visited AC Tech on 26.7.2013 for delivering Founder,Shri T. S. Narayanaswami Memorial Lecture in Room 5, Raman Auditorium which was his class room.

“I entered this College 53 years ago and graduated in Chemical Engineering. It is difficult to forget your student days and days of learning when you had no other aim except to make best friends”, he said proudly recalling his fond memories.

Mr. N. Srinivasan recalling his fond memories of his graduating in Chemical Engineering in AC Tech 7 67th Annual General Meeting of The India Cements Ltd held in Chennai At the 67th Annual General Meeting of The India Cements Ltd held in Chennai on September 18th, 2013, Vice- Chairman and MD, Mr. N Srinivasan, said against the backdrop of difficult economic situation, sluggish demand for cement and all round cost pressure, the company's performance during 2012-13 can be considered satisfactory. “ While we are engaged in an unending battle on the cost front, especially coal, freight and fuel, we are equally focused on improving efficiency and keeping the variable cost under control”, MD said. On the outlook for cement industry, MD informed members that once the economic situation improves, the demand will pick up and the industry can hope to regain the double digit growth which it witnessed five years ago. As such, capacity addition has slowed down in the South. There are signs of pick up in demand with a good monsoon and expected higher rural consumption. The construction activitiy is also expected to pick up with Government likelyto spend more on infrastructure ahead of general elections in 2014. Compass News The AGM was well attended and shareholders appreciated the efforts being made by the management to improve the performance. All the resolutions listed for the meeting were passed unanimously. T S Narayanaswami Memorial Lecture: MD Reminisces Mr N Srinivasan, Vice Chairman & MD, The India Cements Ltd, on his visit to A C College of Technology, Chennai on July 26, 2013, went down the memory lane and recalled his student days in the premier institute which he entered 53 years ago. The unique occasion was to deliver a memorial lecture instituted in the memory of his late Father and the Company's founder, Mr T S Narayanaswami. The meeting was organised by the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Chennai Regional Centre. MD was cordially received by his class mates, faculty , representatives from chemical industry and students. Nostalgically, he recalled ,”I entered this college 53 years ago to study pre- university course between 1959 and 1960 and later graduation in chemical engineering. I spent five years in this college. It is difficult to forget your student days and days of learning when you had no other aim except to make best friends”. Delivering the lecture under the theme, “Growth of Indian Industries- Post Independence”, Mr Srinivasan assumed the role of a teacher in a class room to explain to the students and faculty in a very simple language the evolution of the Indian industry and major policy initiatives. Above all, he narrated how the growth of Indian industry was closely linked to the ideology of major political parties. “ When we look at the growth of Indian industry, what strikes clearly is that the political decision making and political parties had walked side by side with the industrial growth” , MD told the gathering. While giving thrust to public sector through nationalisation and Licence Raj, he said the successive Governments were micro managing the economy and had stifled the growth of private sector through controls and regulations. It was during the Nineties when the Government faced a grim situation on the forex front followed by pledging of Gold and IMF loan, it decided to open up the economy dismantling all restrictions and paving the way of for liberalisation. While a number of sectors was thrown open to private players, he said Information technology and telecom grew rapidly and changed the life of people in India. At the same time,Mr.Srinivasan said India has turned a big market for all types of foreign goods draining our forex. He stressed the need for investing more on R & D and developing indigenous technology with more collaborations between industry and institutes. He said multi skilling is a very important ingredient for being competitive. During his visit to a cement plant in Europe, he came across photograph of a person, who had all kinds of tools with him for performing different roles like plumber, electrician and fitter. It showed that he can do five jobs. “ For the same role he is doing, we will have ten people in India. Multi skilling is automatic there which is not here”, he remarked. In his concluding remarks, MD said, “ I would like to leave a thought with engineering students. Today, we are not able to get chemical, mechanical, civil and electrical engineers from premier institutes. They all want to join IT sector. It is nothing wrong. I don' want to come in your way to earn good salary. But, you should work in manufacturing for three or four years so that it will have some relevance to what you have studied. Like Chartered accountants taking up practice, engineers should join the profession. Remember after China, India is a big place for manufacturing."

Mr. N Srinivasan in room no 5, (now Raman auditorium,) Mr. N Srinivasan with his class mate, Dr. N. Padmanabhan during their visit where he studied in A C Tech to AC Tech on 26.7.2013

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