InsideIndia
A quarterly newsletter for Ashland employees and commercial partners
Autumn 2013
Highlights Valvoline Cummins opens new manufacturing plant in India ASI Mumbai lab hosts hands-on training Ashland shares safety and EHS expertise with customers through its “Influence Connect Program”
With good chemistry great things happen.™
Table of Contents 1 Message from the chairman 5 Ashland shares safety and EHS expertise with of the India Business Council customers through its “Influencer Connect 2 Introduction to Naveen Program” Gupta, vice president and general manager, Valvoline 6 Valvoline Cummins opens International new manufacturing unit in India 3 Ashland India’s activities in corrosion market 7 ASI Mumbai lab hosts hands on training: A people 4 Ashland offers performance, development initiative economics and innovating solutions to the converting 8 Get to know your financial industry in India controller: Ashland group companies in India
9 HR: Ashland India wins an award at global forum for people development 10 AWIN India highlights 11 Corporate social responsibility (CSR) India highlights 12 Sports and health section 13 Safety is our priority
Message from the Chairman of the India Business Council Dear Colleagues, Greetings! 2013 has been a challenging year for the Indian economy. Slowing industrial growth, depreciating rupee and increasing interest rates pose a fresh challenge. We at Ashland India have been proactively tackling these challenges and believe that our continuous and sustained efforts will lay a strong foundation for long term growth. Continued business growth and rapid infrastructure expansion reinforce our belief in growing Ashland’s business in India and making a significant contribution for Ashland’s growth globally. Ashland’s focus this year is to expand our footprint and encourage our employees and partners to deliver and boost the growth momentum. A remarkable success was achieved by the Ashland Women’s International Network (AWIN) chapter in India, as it was recognized as one of the leading chapters of Ashland. The group also used their collective strength to support various social causes which were well received in the cities of Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi.
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Our focus on environmental, health and safety (EHS) continues unabated. In our drive to achieve a zero incident culture, we launched several initiatives engaging various stakeholders. Several environmental health and safety awareness programs conducted with our customers, channel partners and business associates were highly appreciated. We shall continue to strengthen our safety culture by adopting safe practices. I am sure with the collective strength of our employees and business partners Ashland India will not only be able to overcome the economic challenges but will also continue to grow on its journey to become the best specialty chemicals company. I wish you all the very best!
Vivek Singh
Managing Director, Ashland India Private Ltd. Chairman, India Business Council
Introduction to Naveen Gupta, vice president and general manager, Valvoline International Naveen Gupta graduated from Sri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University in 1978 and went on to become a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in 1982. He was involved in setting up of the joint venture (JV) with Valvoline since 1995. Working with Valvoline Cummins Limited, he was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of the JV in October 1998.. In 2004, he was named vice president and general manager of Valvoline international. He moved to Ashland Inc. in the US in 2005 as Director of global heavy duty, OEM and emerging markets for Ashland Consumer Market’s Valvoline International business. He was responsible for developing the business in Europe and China and both regions now have solid foundation to build larger businesses in the future. Presently, Naveen Gupta holds the positions of vice president and general manager, Valvoline
International and has responsibility for Valvoline’s Commercial activities in Africa, the Middle East, India, Southeast and East Asia. He is based out of Lexington, USA and keeps travelling between USA and India. Naveen Gupta is a family man with two grown up sons. His wife Renu is a housewife.
Naveen Gupta
Ashland Consumer Markets Vice President and General Manager, Valvoline International
He likes to spend time reading, watching movies and playing badminton.
Ashland India’s activities in the corrosion market T. Ramakrishnan India is world leader in developing the Rayon manufacturing process technology globally. Rayon is a pioneer in Viscose Staple Fibre (VSF), a man-made, biodegradable fibre, which is widely used in apparels, home textiles and fabric. To manufacture viscose Rayon fibers, the manufacturing vessels have to withstand very aggressive chemical processes. In the past, rubber-lined steel equipment has been used for this, but recently, more and more steel vessels are replaced by fiber-reinforced plastic vessels based on Ashland’s Derakane™ vinyl ester resins technology. The Rayon manufacturing process involves highly corrosive chemical like carbon-di-sulphide, hydrogen sulphide gases, sulfuric acid and aggressive salts, and service conditions including operating temperatures to a maximum of 150 degree Celsius.
Some of the applications of Ashland’s Derakane resin products in this process are: • Derakane Momentum 411-350 resin-based ducting / piping system collecting gases and mists containing carbon disulphide, hydrogen sulphide, sulphuric acid and sodium sulphate. The gases are saturated with water and have an average temperature of 40°C with a maximum temperature of 60°C. • Derakane 510 A 40 resin-based scrubber protected by an internal corrosion barrier of Derakane 510 A 40 resin. Due to fire hazard, flame resistant epoxy vinyl ester resin has been used throughout the laminate structure and CR Liner for aggressive CS2, collection and cleaning of fumes containing a mixture of CS2/H2S. • Derakane Momentum 470-300 resin is widely used in areas with demanding conditions for spin bath solutions / scrubbing gases at high temperature between 110-150 °C .
To withstand these conditions, service equipment - from storage tanks, over spin bath pipes and fittings to air pollution control equipment including ducting, scrubbers, evaporators and heater vessels - is manufactured with Ashland’s Derakane resin.
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Ashland’s Derakane resin has widely been specified in the Greenfield VSF/ cellulosic projects in India and South East Asia. Owing to Ashland case histories, India’s fiber reinforced plastics fabricators have earned a name and reputation in the VSF industry for their quality and consistency of supply of equipment. The VSF industry has demanding corrosion resistance applications - Ashland’s Derakane offers solutions to many of the industry’s corrosion challenges.
Ashland offers performance, economics and innovating solutions to the converting industry in India Vikram S. Patil
Aroset™ high performance pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) products are custom designed and provide innovative solutions for tapes, labels, graphics, surface protection, solar film, safety film and specialty film. The wide portfolio of Aroset PSA’s offers the Indian customer’s application specific adhesive products to choose from.
“One of our high solids products, Aroset 5270 adhesive, offers performance, economics and environmental awareness to the vinyl graphics industry in India and is exceptionally accepted by Indian customers. In addition, Aroset 301 adhesive is widely 3 | Inside India Autumn 2013
recognized as a value adding adhesive for surface protection films, as it delivers a unique combination of high performance and lowered applied cost. “Our recently introduced the Aroset AGX-L PSA delivers soughtafter adhesive technology for the medical industry. This adhesive offers excellent adhesion to fabrics and has a combined balance in tack, peel and shear properties for medical applications. “With our vast experience in the solution acrylic adhesives and wide product range we are well positioned to respond and deliver to the growing industry demands”, said Vikram Patil, business leader adhesives, Ashland India, APM.
Ashland shares safety and EHS expertise with customers through its “Influencer Connect Program” With good chemistry great things happen.™ — this is not only the tag line of Ashland but also its conviction. Ashland Performance Materials (APM) in India displayed this conviction through its Influencer Connect Program, which is APM’s responsible care initiative. Under this program, APM educates its important customers towards technical, safety and EHS issues. “This program has been started to build a long-term relationship with its customers in order to demonstrate responsible behavior towards them.” said Santosh K. Sharma, general manager, marketing and product management, APM.
Molders training at Hindustan Marble & Granite
Molders training at Shiv Shakti Fibre Udyog
Molders training at Sintex Industries Ltd.
Molders training at Mahadev Marmo Pvt. Ltd.
Molders training at R.K. Marble
Molders training at Hamon Shriram Cottrell Pvt. Ltd.
Molders training at Sumip Composites Pvt. Ltd. Inside India Autumn 2013 | 4
Valvoline Cummins opens new manufacturing facility in India Valvoline Cummins Limited has opened its first company-owned manufacturing facility in Ambernath near Mumbai. Valvoline has had presence in the Indian lubricant industry since 1998 but till now contract manufactured its lubricants for the local market. Built on 10 acres, the $30 million (Rs 160 crore) plant expands the Valvoline brand’s in-house production capabilities with an initial production capacity of 120 million liters per year and a future capacity of 150 million liters. Sam Mitchell, president of Ashland Consumer Markets, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc, explains: “Western India is a manufacturing hub that has the largest consumption of industrial lubricants among all regions. We are excited about the growth opportunities provided by this new manufacturing and packaging facility. We believe that investing in technology and innovation helps deliver what our customers need – a competitive advantage in a growing market.” Valvoline Cummins Limited recently opened the Valvoline Lube Station, a new Valvoline lubricant training center at the Cummins Sales and Service Tech Center in Pune. Cummins engineers and technicians receive on-site training including all aspects of engine lubrication and maintenance. Participants learn hands on - with an exhibit hall, models of lubricated engines and interactive information kiosk to facilitate the learning process.
Quick Facts: Address:
Start of Operations:
Location:
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Plot No. G-3, Phase II, MIDC Ambernath Industrial Area Anandnagar, Ambernath (East) Thane Maharashtra – 421 605, India Acquired 40,000 square meter (10-acre) site in 2010 to build manufacturing and packaging and blending plant for Valvoline™ branded automotive, industrial and heavy-duty lubricants. Plant inaugurated on May 9, 2013. Located in the Ambernath Industrial area near Mumbai
Number of Employees:
100
Products Produced Valvoline brand lubricants including at the Site/Uses: engine, gear, hydraulic, industrial and transmission oils Site Manager:
Prashant Pathak
Number of Buildings:
5
Economic Impact: Product: Lubricating oils
Capacity: 120,000 KL per year Future employment at the plant will be more than 150 people.
ASI Mumbai lab hosts hands-on training Equips sales team with in-depth product knowledge Earlier this year, 17 Ashland Care Specialties sales team members attended a four-day, hands-on training hosted by the Ashland Care Specialties lab in Mumbai, India. Initiated by Nelson Corda, regional sales director, Care Specialties, Rest of Asia (ROA), Ashland Specialty Ingredients (ASI), the training aimed to provide the sales team with a thorough understanding of Ashland Care Specialties technologies and products in order to be more effective in the Personal Care market. The training included information on care products and the basic science of their applications. Hands-on training, such as preparing cosmetics formulations, conducting Ex-Vivo testing on hair and conducting In-Vitro testing on skin, allowed sales team members to gain a better understanding of the products and their ability to deliver certain functional benefits to consumers. “Considering the innovative new products and large portfolio of Care Specialties, the hands-on training was essential for our
sales team to be effective in the highly competitive Personal Care market,” said Corda. “Given the success of the training, we are planning to have a similar training for our distributor sales team with the support of global and regional management in the near future.” The training adequately equipped the sales team with technical knowledge to enable market penetration and the identification of potential opportunities for growth. It was conducted by Ashland Care Specialties technical experts, and it had support from the Mumbai lab team as well as the marketing and innovation team.
Get to Know Mr. Deepak Saxena, your financial controller,
Ashland group companies in India
Started his job at Ashland: 16th August 2001 Birthplace: Etah, Uttar Pradesh Favorite childhood memory: Diwali Holidays My family consists of ... Parents, spouse, daughter and son Education: B.Sc, LL.B, Diploma in Corporate Finance, MBA My first job: Allied Corporate Services Pvt Ltd My pets are: None
My hobbies and/or leisure activities: Music
My dream vacation: Miami
What I’m reading now, and why: Make It or Break It by Partha Basu My all-time favorite book: Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
If I could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, they would be: Ratan Tata, Steve Jobs and Amitabh Bacchan
My favorite musicians/types of music: R.D Burman, Kishor Kumar, Sonu Nigam, Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas
If I was stranded on an island for a month, I’d want the following three people with me: Spouse, daughter and son
My all-time favorite movies: Lagaan, Chak De India
The best part of my job is: To deal with challenges
Something I can’t live without: Work
The most fun I’ve had at work: Cross-functional interaction
My favorite sport to watch: Cricket
What excites you most about Ashland’s future? Culture
My most prized possession: My Ghazal Collection Something always found in my refrigerator: Ice cream or sweets
A memorable learning experience was: Setting up Ashland India Operations If I Weren’t Doing This, I would be a: Fighter Pilot Inside India Autumn 2013 | 6
Global human resources conference focuses on innovation
A team of nearly 100 Ashland human resources (HR) professionals from twelve countries recently convened in Philadelphia, Pa., for two thought-provoking days of networking and inspiration. Through the global HR conference, the team developed a clear path to support Ashland’s culture through the over arching themes of driving growth, innovation, collaborative relationships, critical thinking and change orientation. Highlight of the conference was the HR Honors Awards celebration, recognizing HR employees who make great things happen across the categories of leadership, teamwork, business focus, innovation, excellence, and people development. After reviewing nominations from the global HR team, Mr. Dinesh Sharma, Director – Corporate Support & HR Ashland India received HR Honor Award on People Development.
AWIN India activities AWIN Asia (AWIN India + AWIN China win Asia Pacific Regional Excellence Award In Ashland Asia Pacific, there are employees who go above and beyond expectations in their jobs. Some are known for creative solutions and business excellence, while others are valued for their contributions to creating a safe working environment and One Ashland family. On March 25, a total of five teams and four individuals were honored at the 2012 Asia Pacific Regional Excellence Awards ceremony in Singapore. About 70 participants attended the ceremony from various Ashland locations across the region. Initiated by the Regional Leadership Team (RLT) in 2010, the Asia Pacific Regional Excellence Awards are Ashland’s highest honors in Asia Pacific, recognizing and rewarding teams and individuals from all parts of the organization for excellence in supporting Ashland’s vision, mission and values and making a difference for Ashland both externally and internally. The awards consist of four categories, including innovation, safety, growth and One Ashland. Richard Royce, chairperson, Asia Pacific RLT and vice president, Ashland Water Technologies (AWT), Asia Pacific, hosted the
ceremony. Luis Fernandez-Moreno, president, AWT, also attended the event. “On behalf of the RLT, I’d like to congratulate all the winners for their outstanding contributions to support Ashland’s growth in the region. It is exciting and inspiring to hear their great stories. We are confident that with great people like you, we will be able to build our track record and ultimately achieve our vision of becoming the best specialty chemical company in the world,” said Royce at the awards ceremony.
A session on corporate finesse at Mumbai Office A session on corporate finesse was conducted at Mumbai office on 29 July, 2013. The program covered all aspects of etiquette such as event management, effective meetings, email etiquette, telephone etiquette and non verbal communication. Trainer for the day was Ms. Deepti Jandial. With 17 years hands on experience of training, in PRISM brain mapping and neurolinguistic programming, Jandial was a great source of learning.
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Women’s Day Celebrations
Uma Reddy Ernest
Senior Administrative Assistant, Hyderabad, Ashland India
International Women’s Day on 11th March 2013 (instead of March 8th) celebrated at Ashland India. Ms. Joy Gallo, global director of procurement, APM, and AWIN Chairperson celebrated the International Women’s day with Ashland India employees with a special event held in Mumbai at Vashi Office. This year’s Women Achiever’s Award was presented to Uma Reddy (ASI) and Sangeetha Gusain (Valvoline).
Sangeetha Gusain
Executive Administration, Gugaon (Valvoline)
Women’s well-being awareness campaign Early this year, AWIN India conducted an awareness program at Hyderabad office. Dr. S. Kameswari, MRCOG (UK), Head of the Department Gynecology and Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Fernandez Hospital, Hyderabad presented on female health issues, such as sexually transmitted diseases and cancer. This event helped women to raise awareness about manageable steps they can take to improve their health. The focus was on cancer awareness and on the importance of incorporating simple preventive and positive health behaviors into everyday life.
Financial investment and awareness program for women In May 2013, a financial and investment awareness program for female employees was conducted by One Tree Spaces, a womencentric wealth organization based in Delhi. Their mission is to help women to grow their money, and to make money work for them in financial portfolios and in real estate. The work that the company does is designed to support and amplify women’s new found freedom in 21st century India. The workshop is led by Ms. Priyanka Bhatia, who discovered that just 3% of Indian families are able to meet their financial life goals and designed this workshop around this need.
The workshop focused on: • Sharpen up financial goals, actions, and consequences • Give clarity and control over your finances • Start a roadmap to a financial destiny that you want – and include appropriate advice on money management, investment portfolios and real estate • Bring peace of mind that you’ve started your journey to wealth creation
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Phase-II Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Ashland India The CSR volunteers from Hyderabad Office visited the local old age home “Om Sai Sevashram”, providing shelter and support to seniors citizens since 1982. The employees turned volunteers effectively planned the half-day activity and started the day with a session on personal hygiene and food habits. This was followed by exciting games for senior citizens, allowing them to have fun and put aside their day-to-day worries. Ashland employees have donated and LG refrigerator to the home, as well as other items for their daily needs. Towards the end of the day, an emotional cake cutting ceremony saw the end of this social event. Ashland employees from its Mumabi site visited Shushrusha care centre and provided clothes, groceries and personal items. Ashland employees from its Gurgaon site visited John’s day care and boarding and donated gaming seven entertainment kits.
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Sports & Health All great employers underline the importance of work life balance and employee engagement, which aim to engage in events which make employees come together for fun activities to foster team spirit. Such activities not only help the employees bond together, but also help the employees form a stronger bond with the organization. We are proud as employees that the management at Ashland also actively promotes employee engagement.
20:20 Cricket Tournament at Mumbai In April, Ashland India’s fun club Funtoosh organized a 20:20 cricket match. Four dedicated teams were formed to play the tournament – Ashland Super Kings, Ashland Sunrisers, Ashland Dare Devils and Ashland Knight Riders. Employees participated in the tournament with high spirits and intensity, which was visible throughout the matches played. It was not only the participants but also the audience who enjoyed watching the matches and cheered for the teams. To re-energize the players throughout the games, there were snacks and drinks on offer. The Ashland Super King team, won the tournament with flying colors.
Ashland Hyderabad Badminton tournament In February 2013, Ashland Hyderabad hosted an employee Badminton tournament. Enthusiasm and excitement was in the air as the participants from both the Corporate Support Center and the laboratory waited for the event to unfold. The league matches were played in great spirit and with great intensity. As the matches entered the semi-final and final stages, the intensity and excitement grew even more. The Ladies Singles Final was played between Lakshmi Inturi and Meenu Wani. Though Lakshmi had had the better of Meenu in the league matches, it was a different story in the finals as Meenu emerged the winner in two wellcompeted sets of a best of three set final. The Men’s Singles Final was tougher due to a much higher number of participants and hence more matches en route to the finals. The final between Vivek and Suresh went down to the wire and enthralled the audience with some amazing rallies and power shots. Vivek emerged the winner after fiercely fought three sets which could have gone either way.
This tournament gave an opportunity not only to the employees but also to their families to spend time together and get to know each other.
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Hyderabad employees improve health Yoga makes for a stress-free start to the day Recently, the Ashland Hyderabad office concluded a three-month pilot project to offer yoga lessons to employees before working hours. The lessons were taught by Ashland volunteers who are experienced yoga practitioners, and were designed to foster a healthy lifestyle by helping employees start the day in a relaxed, refreshed and stress-free state. Eight employees seized the opportunity to participate in the biweekly yoga sessions that were offered between 7 and 8 a.m. local time. Participants were enthusiastic and felt a positive effect on their health, such as reduced back or neck pain and an overall feeling of well-being “The yoga sessions we practiced were amazing,” said Amith. “I slept better and overall, I was able to start my day with a fresh mind.” Due to this success, the Hyderabad office is planning to continue the Yoga offer.
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Safety Safety is our priority Safety is our priority and we at Ashland demonstrate it in our day to day actions. As a part of safety awareness campaigns, safety drills were conducted at different locations, educating employees on how to proactively take safety measures in the case of emergency. Various safety and EHS programs were conducted with our customers, business associates and channel partners.
42nd National safety week – EHS awareness program, VCL Ambarnath Plant Mark Santangelo, vice president, supply chain at Ashland, and his team is planting a tree on Environment Day.
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Road safety rules Drivers or Riders Shall:
Transport Vehicles Shall Ensure That They:
• Make sure passengers are wearing seat belt.
• Check on security gate.
• Carry out a daily check of the vehicle.
• Comply with the statutory requirement.
• Plan Journey - Allow sufficient time.
• Park in reverse direction.
• Wear suitable, sturdy footwear whilst driving.
• Do not make any modifications without the approval from the vehicle manufacturer.
• On long drive take adequate rest & breaks. • Be aware about handling emergency situation.
• Carry first aid box and fire extinguisher containing either foam or multipurpose dry powder.
Drivers Shall Not:
• Carry the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
• Use a cell phone - even a “Hands Free” while driving.
• Carry good condition spare wheel and hazard warning triangle.
• Drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. • Tamper with safety devices, e.g. seat belts.
Tanker Containing Flammable Material Shall Ensure That:
• Drive faster than Government speed limits.
• Exhaust system is at the front axle on the driver’s side. • Exhaust system is fitted with a flame/spark arrestor. • Battery terminals are covered. • The tanker should have proper display, e.g. UN Number. • Wear seat belt at all times.
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Visit Ashland Performance Materials at
The India Composites Show 2013 Ashland Performance Materials will present its high-quality composite resins, gelcoats, adhesives, specialty coatings and elastomers at this year’s India Composite Show, taking place in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from October 24-26. For the second year in a row, Ashland will act as foundation partner at this show, underlining its commitment to and position in the Indian composites market. The full range of Ashland’s products presented at the show includes Derakane™ epoxy vinyl ester resins, Aropol™ unsaturated polyester resins, Maxguard™ and Enguard™ gelcoats and Pliogrip™ structural adhesives. For more information, visit ashland.com.
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Global Headquarters Ashland Inc. 50 East RiverCenter Blvd. Covington, KY 41012 USA Tel: 1 859 815 3333 Ashland India Private Ltd. 601, 606-608 Platinum Techno Park Plot no 17-18 Sector-30-A, Vashi Navi Mumbai 400705 India Toll free: 1 800 209 2475 Tel: 22 6148 9696 Fax: 22 6171 2514 India@ashland.com ashland.com
® Registered trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries ™ Trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries * Trademark owned by a third party © 2013, Ashland PC-12550
Ashland’s 10 Safety Expectations • We are accountable for working safely. • We will maintain safety alertness in all our daily activities. • We will take the initiative to talk with others about possible unsafe behavior and situations, and offer to help them find a safer way to do things. • We will be actively involved in, and contribute to, our group’s safety program. • We will report all work related injuries, illnesses, safety events and exposures as soon as they are known. • We are encouraged to apply the same workplace principles for safety, health and environment, when outside of work.
How much you know about Ashland?
• We will report to work capable of maintaining the focus and attention to work safely. • We will understand the hazards and risks associated with our work and workplace, and follow all applicable procedures and rules. • We will practice appropriate levels of housekeeping as a priority. • We will be prepared to effectively respond to EH&S incidents and emergency situations. Take time to review Ashland’s 10 Safety Expectations and reflect on your role in the company’s quest for continuous improvement toward safety excellence. Remember that safety is a personal issue … it takes personal commitment to make a difference!
Quiz
1. Name Ashland’s four commercial units. 2. Who is the Chairman and CEO of Ashland Inc? 3. What does AWIN stands for? 4. Who won the Ashland Chairman’s Award in 2012? 5. In which year did Ashland acquire International Specialty Ingredients (ISP)? 6. In which state of India is the Valvoline Cummins manufacturing plant located? 7. What does EHS stands for? 8. “With good chemistry ______things happen.™” 9. In which year was Ashland India Pvt. Ltd. Incorporated? 10. Who is the Chairman of India Business Council (InBC)? Please send your answers to: neha_singh@ashland.com. The first three entries will win a prize.