1 The Sanmar Group 9, Cathedral Road, Chennai 600 086. Tel.: + 91 44 2812 8500 Fax.: + 91 44 2811 1902 Sanmar Holdings Ltd Sanmar Consolidations Ltd Chemplast Sanmar Ltd Sanmar Shipping Ltd TCI Sanmar Chemicals S.A.E. Cabot Sanmar Ltd Sanmar Speciality Chemicals Ltd Sanmar Engineering Technologies Ltd - Products Divn. Flowserve Sanmar Ltd BS&B Safety Systems (India) Ltd Xomox Sanmar Ltd Xomox Valves Divn. Pacific Valves Divn. Anderson Greenwood Crosby Sanmar Ltd - Steel Castings Divn. Sanmar Matrix Metals Ltd Matrix Metals LLC 2 In this issue... 10 4 14 Four Decades of Ties with Lt Governor Kiran Bedi Denmark... and Counting 18 Visits Chemplast 4 Vijay Sankar Becomes Karaikal Third Generation Consul General in Chennai International Coastal Clean-up at Karaikal Chemplast Sanmar 8 Cabot Sanmar Turns 20 Actively Participates 19 Desilting of 18 CII Core Group CEOs in Aranthamangalam Lake 10 Singapore Near Cuddalore Chemplast Pitches In N Kumar Leads Business Government Recognition 11 Delegation to Japan 20 for Chemplast Cuddalore’s CSR Initiatives 21 Sanmar Bags Six National Sri Sankara Schools – 12 Safety Council Awards 21 All-round Excellence Emergence of Women in Legends from the South 14 Sports in India 22 Tipu Sultan Matrix can be viewed at www.sanmargroup.com Designed and edited by Kalamkriya, 9, Cathedral Road, Chennai 600 086. Ph: + 91 44 2812 8051/ 52 For Private Circulation Only. 3 Four Decades of Ties with Denmark... and Counting Vijay Sankar Becomes Third Generation Consul General in Chennai The strong ties between Sanmar and passed on to N Sankar in 1989 when he Denmark owe their origins to the became the Honorary Consul General. visit in 1947 by founder-Chairman Apart from the trade links, the Danish KS Narayanan, who visited the cement International Development Assistance major FLSmidth & Co., in that country agency, DANIDA, supported by the in his capacity then as a Director of Danish Government, has implemented India Cements Ltd. programmes relating to health, After playing a keen role in strengthening water supply, drainage, agriculture, the Indo-Danish relationship, KS training centres in environment Narayanan assumed charge as Honorary and management in Tamil Nadu Consul for the Royal Danish Consulate and also in other parts of India. in Chennai in 1975. The mantle was KS Narayanan and N Sankar, 4 were decorated with the nation’s Knighthood and again, N Sankar was decorated with Knighthood First Class by the Queen of Denmark in December 2005 for his services to the Royal Danish Government. SB Prabhakar Rao was also honoured in recognition of his distinguished services as Vice Consul. Vijay Sankar succeeds N Sankar as the Honorary Consul General of Denmark for South India, continuing the tradition. The Ambassador of Denmark in India, Peter Taksøe-Jensen, visited Chennai on 4 July 2018 to formally announce Vijay Sankar as the new Honorary Consul General of Denmark in Chennai for South India. The Ambassador presented Vijay Sankar receiving the citation from Peter Taksøe-Jensen, the Ambassador of a citation to Vijay Sankar from the Queen Denmark in India. of Denmark. 5 (L to R): Vijay Sankar, N Sankar, Peter Taksøe-Jensen, Eva Szeftel and SB Prabhakar Rao, at the Sanmar headquarters. Speaking at a reception well attended improving now after nearly seven years, by diplomats, industrialists, members it was time to “board the train” to the of trade councils, representatives of market of 1.3 billion people. governmental and quasi-governmental “Archives which can fill up to 70 bodies and media, Peter Taksøe- metres of space are here in Tamil Nadu. Jensen said, “It is time to reshape the But they are in very poor condition. role of the Honorary consulates of To preserve such documents rich in Denmark in India and to build the national heritage we are looking for business-to-business relationship between private enterprises which will fund this the two countries.” restoration project,” said Taksøe-Jensen. The Danish Ambassador said with the K Pandiarajan, Minister for Tamil relationship between India and Denmark Official Language and Tamil Culture, (L to R): N Sankar, Sukanya Sankar, Vijay Sankar, Ambassador of Denmark in India Peter Taksøe-Jensen, Consul and Head of Chancellery, Royal Danish Embassy in Delhi, Eva Szeftel and Vice Consul, Royal Danish Consulate in Chennai, SB Prabhakar Rao. 6 who was present at the event said, “The Tamil Nadu government spent close to Rs 4.5 crore last year to renovate the museum in Tranquebar. Now the tourist footfall at the museum has increased threefold. Next we plan to add lighting and sound effects to display the artefacts in a better fashion. The next main focus is to develop the coastal town of Tranquebar or Tarangambadi in Nagapattinam district with the support of the state government.” K Pandiarajan, Minister for Tamil Official As Consul General of Denmark for Language and Tamil Culture in conversation South India, Vijay Sankar will be looking with the Ambassador. after the consular activities across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, of the Danish companies in India. We Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry. all know Danfoss, Grundfos, Vestas, Raising a toast to the Danish Maersk, FLSmidth, Novo Nordisk, Ambassador and the Queen of and Ramboll all of whom have made Denmark, Vijay Sankar said in his mainly Tamil Nadu and also other acceptance speech, “I am very grateful states in South India a very large set of to the Danish Government and His Danish investments in India.” Excellency for appointing me as their He thanked the Vice Consul Honorary Consul General for the SB Prabhakar Rao for putting in yeomen South.” efforts to improve the Tranquebar Mr Taksøe Jensen’s arrival in India in connection. 2015 has seen a large upturn in the He also said that there were many bi-lateral relations between India and ongoing government projects in Tamil Denmark, both at the political and Nadu, including the development of economic levels. He has also worked Tranquebar as a tourist destination and hard to develop the new Danish digitisation of archives. Embassy building and Cultural Centre in Delhi. The Ambassador visited the Sanmar Headquarters in Chennai on the “We would like to specially thank my father Mr Sankar for his contribution forenoon of 4 July 2018. He was as the Honorary Consul General. Our accompanied by Eva Szeftel, Head of state Tamil Nadu has a lot to thank him Chancellery, Royal Danish Embassy in for - he has been constantly pushing the Delhi. They met N Sankar, Chairman of agenda with many Danish companies The Sanmar Group and the Honorary to expand their scope of operations in Consul General of Denmark in Chennai which has now turned out to Chennai till recently. Vijay Sankar and be the preferred destination for most SB Prabhakar Rao were also present. 7 Cabot Sanmar Turns 20 Sanmar’s joint venture with Cabot and is the market leader in all segments to manufacture and sell fumed silica that it participates in. To keep up with in the Indian market, completed 20 the growing demands of the Indian years of operations in April 2018. The market, the JV continues to invest in foundation stone for the plant located new capacity to cater to the needs of at Mettur was laid on 28 March 1996 the Indian market. by Kennett F Burnes, then President In May 2017, a significant expansion and CEO of Cabot Corporation, USA. project was completed. On that Manufacturing began on 27 April occasion, Sean Keohane the current 1998. CEO of Cabot said, “The decision The JVs products (untreated and to partner with Sanmar was a very treated fumed silica) finds use in a easy one because we share so much in Kennett F Burnes, President wide range of markets and applications common. Our vision and the values of and Chief Operating – Pharmaceuticals, Automotive, the company are rooted in the family Officer, Cabot Corporation, Construction, Cosmetics, and Food heritage. The Sanmar Group shares a USA, announcing the Joint among others. similar tradition. While we both run Venture with Sanmar for the manufacture of Fumed Silica at Over the two decades of operations, our companies to the best practices of a press conference (1996). the JV has grown leaps and bounds modern management and corporate 8 governance, the family tradition serves as our foundation. Our Joint Venture partnership was founded on a common set of corporate values. Cabot’s values of integrity, respect, excellence and responsibility align perfectly with Sanmar’s values, vision and culture. Themes like integrity, excellence, performance and sustainability are central to the Sanmar ethos.” According to Dr Krishna Kumar Rangachari, Executive Director, Cabot Sanmar, “Our Chairman N Sankar, has always believed that local manufacturing in India spurs local market growth. The JV is an excellent Helmut Lorat, Director Global Engineering and Kennett F Burnes, President and Chief Operating Officer, Cabot Corporation, USA, at the inauguration of example of this. Ever since the Cabot Fumed Silica plant at Mettur (1998). establishment of the JV, demand for Fumed silica market in India safety and quality standards, combined has been experiencing double digit with reliable and timely supplies to meet growth primarily due to the significant local customer needs, has resulted in the value addition provided by local JV maintaining a leadership position in manufacturing. Manufacturing to global the Indian market”. Sean Keohane dedicating the new expanded fumed silica facility at Cabot Sanmar, Mettur. Vijay Sankar, Krishna Kumar Rangachari and S Venkatesan are also present (May 2017). 9 CII Core Group CEOs in Singapore The CII Core Group made their annual visit to Singapore during the last week of August 2018. During the visit, the Core Group took time to meet with Emeritus Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development, S Iswaran, Minister for Communication and Information, and Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade & Industry, Republic of Singapore.