Premier october 2014

C N C

M A C H I N E S

E N G I N E E R I N G

A U T O M O T I V E

Issue 22 路 October 2014

Machines Division New Developments

HR and Training

The Essence of Transformation

Teams in Focus The Wonder Workforce

@ PREMIER

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2014

CONTENTS OCTOBER 2014

EDIT DESK

The proud students of the Vinod-Doshi Merit Scholarship 2013–14.

04

Cover Story – CSR, highlights of 2014

10

Machines Division

11

Engineering Division

12

Automotive Division

13

Finance Department

14

Teams in Focus

16

HR and Training Update

18

Welcome Aboard

19

Sunset Club

C N C

M A C H I N E S

07

In the recent years, the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) across the globe, especially in India, has undergone a transformation. With the introduction of new rules and regulations, CSR has become one of the focus areas for most companies. At Premier, CSR is deeply rooted in the heart of the company. With this issue of Premier Today, we bring highlights of our CSR initiatives in 2014. With our collaboration with the Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation, we have been focussing on initiatives in Art & Culture, Education, Employee Welfare and the Community at large.

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16 E N G I N E E R I N G

A Quarterly Newsletter

A U T O M O T I V E

Issue 22 | October 2014

EDITORIAL Editorial Board

Dear Reader,

M. D. Adhikari, Rakesh Mehta, D. S. Totre, K. G. Rathi, R. M. Tavhare, Erica deSouza

Editorial

Spenta Shroff, Esha Chanda

Design

Anand Dhuri

Digital Imaging

Ninad Jadhav, Rohit Naik, Tulshidas Chougule

SPENTA MULTIMEDIA

Peninsula Spenta, Mathuradas Mill Compound, N. M.Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai – 400 013.

Tel: +91-22-24811010 Fax: +91-22-24811021 Email: ho@spentamultimedia.com Website: www.spentamultimedia.com

PREMIER TODAY  2

Premier Today, a quarterly newsletter, is printed and published

by Erica deSouza on behalf of Premier Ltd. Premier Today is printed and published at Spenta Multimedia, Peninsula Spenta, Mathuradas Mill Compound, N.M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai – 400013.

The views and opinions expressed or implied in Premier Today are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Spenta Multimedia or Premier Ltd. Unsolicited articles and transparencies are sent in at the owner’s risk and the publisher accepts no liability for loss or damage.

Material in this publication may not be reproduced, whether in part or in whole, without the consent of Spenta Multimedia or Premier Ltd.

Also, read about the latest updates that have been made in the Machines and Engineering Divisions to stay updated with the changing technology and to meet and exceed our customers' expectations. Meet the experts who form our legal and secretarial team at Premier. Headed

by Mr Ramesh M. Tavhare, the team strives to resolve legal issues and also serve Premier’s shareholders. In this issue, we also introduce you to the hardworking executive technicians of Premier’s Engineering Division and give you a glimpse into their lives. Lastly, Mr Dilip D. Mulherkar turns back the hands of the clock and takes us through his early days and journey at Premier in our Sunset Club section.

As always, there are updates on our regular features such as HR and Training and iSuggest — our suggestion scheme. I would like to thank our readers for their valuable feedback. With every issue, we aim at improving the content provided and it is only possible through your constant support. We hope you enjoy reading this issue, and welcome your feedback at ericadesouza@ premier.co.in.

Have a great festive season ahead!

Cheers, Editor, Premier Today

Introduction

Premier's Corporate Social Responsibility

Highlights of 2014

In January 2011, we brought forward the highlights of our CSR initiatives in Premier Today for the first time. Since then, the concept of CSR across the globe, and particularly in India, has undergone a transformation — from philanthropy to sustainability and most recently, the new CSR rules in the Companies Act, 2013, which has changed the face of CSR in India. As of April 2014, there are now clear definitions of eligibility, spends and permissible areas for CSR funding. Premier's CSR has been simultaneously evolving. While we continue our initiatives in employee welfare and the community, we have also widened our reach to include certain marginalised sections of society. We believe that the key to our success is not to focus on how much money is spent, but on the impact these investments create. This approach has proved effective for us and our next step is to identify ways to increase this impact.

Although Premier is completely independent, both financially and in scope, from the Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation — our promoters' public charity trust — the two entities associate with each other on certain one-off projects. The Foundation supports initiatives in the fields of Art & Culture, Education and Community. Through our cover story in this issue, we take you through some of the highlights of our CSR initiatives in the year gone by at Premier and the Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation.

Company Welfare Initiatives

We believe in doing our bit for our employees through regular health check-ups and women empowerment programmes. Read more about these initiatives on page 6.

05

06

Art & Culture

Whether it is through our annual Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival, our partnership with National Centre for the Performing Arts for 'Centrestage' or our efforts to help amateur artistes by providing scholarships, through each programme, we work together with organisations to create new avenues for upcoming artistes. Read more about it on pages 4 and 5.

Education

Through our educational projects, we endeavour to create a platform to enlighten young minds. The Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation has partnered with organisations such as Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth and American Alumni Association to build programmes that help the beneficiaries to pursue further education. Read more about these projects on page 9.

Community

07

09

Through collaborations with NGOs such as Children in Progress, Apne Aap Women’s Collective and MakeA-Wish Foundation, we aspire to strengthen the foundation of our society and its people. Read more on pages 7 and 8.

3  www.premier.co.in

CSR Initiatives — Art & Culture

THE 6th ANNUAL VINOD DOSHI THEATRE FESTIVAL The Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation presented a fiveday multilingual theatre festival, commissioned by Premier Ltd, to celebrate the late Mr Vinod Doshi’s passion for amateur and experimental theatre. Highlights of 2014 were:  Taramandal, directed by Neel Chaudhuri, a Vinod Doshi fellow, was the first English play performed at the festival.  Bandish directed by Mohit Takalkar was commissioned specially for the festival. It was later staged at National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai.

“We look forward to the Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival each year, as it comes with new plays, exciting storylines and a great cast.” — Varsha Gokhale, Pune resident and a festival attendee

A still from Rashomon Blues showcased at the 6th Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival, Pune.

FAST FACT

3,500 3 More than

attendees at the 6th Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival

FAST FACT

6

years since the inception of the fellowship award

A still from the play Taramandal showcased at the 6th Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival, directed

by Neel Chaudhuri (inset) — a proud recipient of the Vinod Doshi Fellowship in Performing Arts.

PREMIER TODAY  4

FAST FACT houseful performances at the 6th Vinod Doshi Theatre Festival

FAST FACT

35

fellowships awarded to aspiring theatre professionals

VINOD DOSHI FELLOWSHIP IN PERFORMING ARTS Five upcoming theatre artistes receive the fellowship to help them with their creative pursuits by funding their monthly living expenses for a year. Let us meet some of the fellows.  Neel Chaudhuri has directed William Shakespeare’s The Winter Tale. He is a foundermember and artistic director of Tadpole Repertory.  Trupti Khamkar has acted in more than 100 one-act plays and more than 28 full-length plays in different languages.  Abhay Mahajan has won many prestigious awards, both as an actor and a director, such as Purushottam Karandak, Sawai Abhineta and the Firodiya Karandak.  Suhas Sirsat has been involved with theatre for more than 10 years and has enacted in plays and films.

CSR Initiatives – Art & Culture

ENVIRONMENTAL ART THEATRE FESTIVAL (EAT)

An annual five-day communitybased programme, EAT introduces the children of Pune to the world of theatre with environment as the theme. The event bridges the gap between the arts and community giving Premier a chance to enlighten, enrich and engage our community through the arts. Highlights of the festival were:  Plays with environment as the theme were performed to create awareness.  Hearing- and speech-impaired children from Indian Red Cross Society secured the second position.  56 Pune-based schools participated in the festival.

“Each year, the festival keeps getting bigger, better and greener! The plays enacted by these young green agents of change filled the hall with energy.”

— Dr Shriram Lagoo, noted theatre personality and a judge at the event

A still from one of the plays showcased during the Environmental Art Theatre Festival.

FAST FACT

3,500 attendees at EAT

FAST FACT

2,000 participants at EAT

FAST FACT

2

years of association with EAT

NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (NCPA) CENTRESTAGE The Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation partnered with NCPA to present Centrestage — a multilingual theatre festival for premiering plays. The festival has created a platform for new works with debut performances from established and upcoming theatre groups.  2,000 people attended the festival across 10 days.  15 plays were premiered in 4 languages.

“Over the past few years, the Indian theatre scene has witnessed a metamorphosis and there is now a great demand for quality theatre.

Centrestage taps into that demand and offers a wider variety each year.”

— Khushroo N. Suntook, Chairman, NCPA

A still from one of the plays showcased during Centrestage.

5  www.premier.co.in

CSR Initiatives — Company

PREMIER'S WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME It is a quarterly initiative for women employees to create an atmosphere of confidentiality, trust and openness. At the heart of the women's empowerment programme, is the concept of sharing with a confidentiality clause signed by all participants. Highlights of 2014 included:  Open and uninhibited discussions helped participants to cross personal barriers, leading to selfgrowth and self-actualisation.  Innovative ice-breakers were integrated into the session.  A special mammography test was conducted for all women employees this year.

“A few hours of bonding, discussions pertaining to work and personal lives...

I enjoy these programmes and look forward to the next one each time.”

— Nilam Bedekar, Executive, Machines Division

An employee undergoing a test at the Employee Health Check-up camp.

PREMIER TODAY  6

Participants at Premier's Women's Empowerment Programme.

FAST FACT

35

women participated in the programme

FAST FACT More than

600

employees benefitted from the health check-up

FAST FACT

3

years since the inception of Women's Empowerment Programme

FAST FACT

71

employees contributed 90 bottles during the Blood Donation Drive held

EMPLOYEE HEALTH CHECK-UP FOR PREMIER EMPLOYEES Premier has undertaken several initiatives to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees.

The medical room in our factory premises is registered under Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Medical Department for disposal of biomedical waste.

Waste generated during treatment (dressing bandages, syringes, etc.) is given to Passco Environment Solutions every month. Some of the activities to ensure the wellbeing of our employees are:  Annual medical check-up  Medical counselling  Workshops on special ailments and medical conditions  Regular blood sugar tests of employees above 40 years vaccinations to  Tetanus employees whenever necessary  Tests such as bone density, pulmonary function test and electrocardiogram tests  Health insurance policies  In-house medical scheme for domiciliary treatment for workers

CSR Initiatives — Community CHILDREN IN PROGRESS (CHIP)

Initiatives undertaken by Premier in association with CHIP — an NGO working with children in BMC schools in northern Mumbai — include:

 Book donation drive to improve English and maths proficiency in 500 municipal schoolchildren through customised books.  Six-week long English reading programme to help more than 150 municipal schoolchildren.  Factory visit to the the state-of-the-art Premier factory in Pune for 30 class IX students from one of the municipal schools supported by CHIP.

“Most of these students have never been out of Mumbai and this experience was unique and motivating... Some of our female students are determined to be engineers and wish to work in a similar environment.” — Saba Shaikh, Teacher, Oshiwara BMC school

Students from Children in Progress – an NGO Partner of the Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation.

PREMIER HELPS CHARA CHHAVANI

FAST FACT

1,200

residents of Pulkoti Chhavani benefitted

Residents of Pulkoti Chhavani receiving food grains from Premier employees.

APNE AAP WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE (AAWC) Premier undertook several initiatives with AAWC, an NGO serving women and children of Mumbai’s red-light area. Some of them were:

FAST FACT

92%

In 2013, 12,000 villages in 12 districts of Marathwada and Western Maharashtra faced one of the worst droughts since 1972. The Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation pledged its support to help the drought-affected victims of Pulkoti Chhavani in Satara by distributing food grains.  22 villages and 4,200 cattle were saved through this initiative.

“We feel blessed for getting this help from an unexpected source and pray that other villages also get similar support from the government and corporates." — Milind Chavan, a farmer at Pulkoti Chhavani Participants planting saplings during the tree plantation initiative in Chinchwad, Pune.

survival rate of trees achieved

Traffic Safety Awareness Programme  A programme for 50 AAWC children to make them aware about road safety.  Poster competition organised to reinforce learning.  The programme made children more aware and cautious while crossing the road.

The Summer Party  Premier hosted its annual summer treat for 50 children from AAWC.  This year saw the number of recipients increase by two-fold and there was an increase in employee participation as well.  3 Premier employees pledged their personal CSR time.

PREMIER COLLABORATES WITH TREE PUBLIC FOUNDATION

Over the past two years, we have planted 10,000 saplings in Pune. Dr Mohan Agashe, eminent theatre personality and environmentalist, commemorated this initiative by planting the 10,000th tree. We specifically chose the military cantonment areas as:  It is 5 kms away from Premier’s plant at Chinchwad.  It is constantly monitored and taken care by Premier’s CSR team in association with Tree Public.  It gives out oxygen sufficient to power 450 neighbouring households.

7  www.premier.co.in

CSR Initiatives — Community

PREMIER PARTNERS WITH MIRAKLE COURIERS Premier collaborates with Mirakle Couriers — India's only courier service that is run and manned entirely by the hearing-impaired. The firm caught our attention with its unique profile. Today,  A team of 44 agents navigate the lanes of Mumbai and beyond delivering more than 2,000 couriers for our Company.  Your copy of our in-house magazine, Premier Today, has been delivered by a Mirakle Couriers employee.  100% accuracy achieved in delivering parcels.

Hard at work — a Mirakle Couriers employee at Premier Ltd.

PREMIER GRANTS A WISH Make-A-Wish is an NGO dedicated to granting wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. This simple but powerful belief drove us to fulfil 11-year-old Prerna Chavan's wish to celebrate her birthday on a 50-foot yacht.  89 per cent of doctors surveyed by the Wish Impact study believe that such an experience can improve a child’s physical health.  Prerna’s parents said that the experience gave her immense happiness and it strengthened their family bond.

“The experience was overwhelming not only for Prerna but also for our family. She enjoyed her evening on the magnificent yatch. Words cannot describe how I feel, but seeing Prerna smile… it was simply great! Thank you for the magical moments," says Prerna’s mother

HAPPY HOME AND SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND (HHSB)

FAST FACT Associated since

2007

Atul Kasbe (right) along with his friends performing at the Happy Home and School for the Blind.

PREMIER TODAY  8

HHSB encourages self-expression through academic and creative activities in a nuturing environment. Highlights of Premier's association with HHSB:  Keeping in line with the school's motto 'Yes we can... Lead them to life', we tried to do our part by giving four music scholarships to the institute's visually impaired children.  Achievements of some of our beneficiaries: 1. Atul Kasbe played with noted percussionist

Anandan Sivamani.

2. Gulab, inspired by the symphony orchestra, is

learning the guitar and hopes to be a part of

the orchestra.

3. Nitesh Sonawane is undergoing solo piano training

at Furtados. He is a member of the band Udaan and

has given several live performances.

4. Rahul Gajjar, a topper throughout his academic years, obtained 94% in S.S.C. exam. He is currently studying in St. Xavier’s College and will appear for Grade V Trinity College Exam.

CSR Initiatives — Education VINOD DOSHI-COEP MERIT SCHOLARS 10 yearly scholarships, of r 2.5 lakh each, given to students

from College of Engineering (CoEP), Pune with strong academic credentials but with severe financial constraints.

Highlights of the scholarship:  All scholars are assured fully paid summer internships for four years at Premier Ltd.  All scholars have a confirmed job once they graduate, mentoring opportunities, field trips and industry exposure.

In 2014,  Sagar Jadhav, one of our scholars, graduated as a mechanical engineer and secured a job at Premier.  Educational trips were organised such as the visit to Swadhar, a leading micro-finance company in the interiors of Pune, to create awareness about micro-finance.  A field trip was organised by our senior student scholar Chitra Watwani to Vigyan Ashram at Pabal.  11 CoEP scholars did an internship at Premier.

“What makes Vinod Doshi CoEP scholars stand out is their academic excellence. They consistently get admissions in US universities such as Stanford and MIT. What sets the scholarship apart is that it provides a chance to bright students from every economic strata of society.” — Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe, Director, College of Engineering, Pune

VED VIGNAN MAHA VIDYA PEETH (VVMVP)

THE VINOD DOSHI SHIKSHAN YOJNA

The Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation has been associated with VVMVP's Gift a Smile project since 2009 to educate more than 300 students of the Sri Sri Gyan Mandir Chimbali School near Pune.  The school opted for safe drinking water facility to cater to the students’ need of safe drinking water in school.  A new classroom was built to cater to more children of the neighbouring villages.  Books and study material were distributed to the children free of cost.  Students took a pledge to protect the girl child.  Multiple festivals were celebrated during the year, where students learnt about the history and origin of each festival.  Teacher-parent meetings were conducted, where parents were informed about various teaching methodologies undertaken by the school and were also made aware of the importance of sports and music in the overall development of a child.

The Vinod Doshi Shikshan Yojna is an annual educational aid provided by the Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation to 10 Premier employees or children of employees.  For the first time, the aid was awarded to a child of a Premier employee who has secured admission in an American University.  The aid was given to students pursuing their education in diverse fields.

Vinod Doshi-CoEP Merit Scholars of 2013.

FAST FACT

7

years since the inception of the Vinod Doshi Shikshan Yojna

FAST FACT

60

Premier employees or children of employees awarded the educational aid

PREMIER PARTNERS WITH AMERICAN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (AAA) An annual partnership of the Foundation with AAA, a nonprofit organisation to provide grants to highly qualified but needy students to study in the US.  13 students received the scholarship last year from universities such as University of Arizona, University of Texas and Oklahoma State University.  Vedika Dengade and Jenny Dedhia — the two scholars who were supported by the Foundation — are pursuing Masters in Industrial Engineering and Masters in Embedded Systems respectively.

“After completing my degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, I wished to pursue a masters from University of Southern California. I am grateful to the Foundation for sponsoring a part of the scholarship.” — Jenny Dedhia, American Alumni Scholar 2013

Jenny Dedhia receiving the scholarship from Dr Saryu Doshi, Trustee, Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation.

9  www.premier.co.in

Machines Division

Timely Updates at Machines Division Our Machines Division manufactures a wide range of CNC hobbing, shaping, shaving and tooth chamfering machines. To stay updated with the rapidly changing technology, we ensure that modifications are made to upgrade existing machines.

Hi-tech 8 Axes CNC Gear Hobbing Machine Model: PHC 150

The Hi-tech 8 Axes CNC Gear Hobbing Machine Model: PHC 150.

CNC Special Purpose Ratchet Teeth Milling Machine

The CNC Special Purpose Ratchet Teeth Milling Machine was modified to increase the production rate and accuracy.

Advantages: 1. The rigid vertical milling spindle unit, with precision taper roller bearings, provide accuracy and rigidity to the spindle .

2. The milling unit is mounted on a fabricated column, actuated by a CNC feed slide. The heavily ribbed box weldment base of the machine ensures high rigidity and stiffness.

3. The machine is designed to mill 29 teeth in 58 seconds.

4. The loading and uploading process is carried on by a robot.

5. The machine is fitted with HSK — the latest tooling system.

6. It has been designed to achieve process capability Cp>1.7 on tooth depth.

JAYSHRI DHUMAL Jayshri Dhumal, Assistant Manager, Planning, CNC Machines Division, joined Premier armed with a diploma in electronics engineering, an MBA in project management and more than 7 years of work experience. From a young age, Jayshri has worked towards a career in manufacturing.

“The transformation of ideas to products always fascinated me,”

says Jayshri. The star of her life is her 10-year-old son, who is intelligent and focussed and aspires to be a doctor.

Jayshri is a qualified kathak dancer and practises dancing in her free time. “I

love my work because I love the place where I work.” Jayshri is appreciative

and supportive of the Company’s employee initiatives, especially the Women’s Empowerment Forum.

PREMIER TODAY  10

The latest upgrade was made to the existing gear hobbing machine to suit customer requirements. The fully automated CNC hobbing machines come in different sizes, as the production ranges from small mechanical instrument gears to bigger diameter gears.

Advantages: 1. The new model has been designed and developed in a range of gears.

2. The direct drive to the hob and table increases the speed of manufacturing, thus ensuring an increase in productivity.

3. The machine bed has been designed to ensure that the coolant is circulated through the bed, thus compensating the thermal effect.

4. Steep slopes provided for easy and quick disposal of chips for dry cutting.

The CNC Special Purpose Ratchet Teeth Milling Machine.

Engineering Division

Regen machine pans after welding on the Engineering Division's shop floor at Premier. Inset: Square flat rods added to the machine pans.

Engineering Division's New Developments

T

imely upgrades are made to the existing product range in the Engineering Division to make machines more effective and efficient, and to reduce costs. Some of the new developments are: SANDVIK PROJECT Product: Jaw crusher frame Difficulty faced: Welding of the front frame to side frame joint in a jaw crusher frame had to be carried out manually with flux cored arc welding process, which required skilled welders and was time-consuming.

Solution: The arc welding was replaced by a semi-automatic carriage type welding process.

Advantage: The welding cycle time is reduced by almost 40%, welding quality improved significantly, operator fatigue reduced and the aesthetics of the welding improved.

KENERSYS PROJECT Product: Generator frame installed in the main frame — a heavy component used in the manufacturing of wind turbines Difficulty faced: Welding distortion changes the dimensions specified by the customer, increasing the chances of rejection. The 10mm and 12mm plates used were more prone to distortion.

Solution: Manufacture an in-house designed frame to support the base plate of the generator frame.

Advantage: The generator frame was protected from welding distortions and vibrations, thus improving the quality.

REGEN PROJECT Product: Change in the process of fabrication of supporting structure Difficulty faced: It was difficult to predict the amount of machining stages required due to welding distortion.

It was also tricky to maintain dimensions of the flat square thickness during the fabrication of supporting structure.

Solution: A pre-machining stage was added before the flat square fit-up.

Advantage: Reduction in fit-up time by 80%, improved welding quality and machining time saved by 8 hours.

TOWER PROJECT Product: Change in the Engineering Division layout and infrastructure by adding fit-up stations Difficulty faced: Heavy components require precision handling and a wellplanned material flow. An 11-metre long tower section required less movement on the shop floor. A fit-up station was installed just before the blasting stage, thus making the cone shifting process cumbersome.

Solution: The fit-up station was moved close to the cone bending area and a new one was added in the layout to avoid piling of the cones.

Advantage: Handling time was reduced by 70 to 80 per cent.

Addition of a fit-up rotator in the Engineering Tower Project on Premier's shop floor.

Inset: Inspection of the tower under process.

11  www.premier.co.in

Automotive Division Spreading Smiles Premier’s Automotive Division introduced an exciting Employee Ownership Scheme for its compact SUV, RiO. Specially designed for Premier employees, the scheme offers:  Quick and complimentary after sales service by the Company.  A brand new RiO with no upfront payment.

“This scheme not only gave me my first car but also encouraged me to learn driving. It was the perfect gift I gave my husband on his 30th birthday, as my RiO was delivered on the same day.”

— Mrs R A Sahoo, Executive, Marketing Department, Machines Division

DEEPAK CHAVAN “I love my RiO! It has always been my dream car and I am so thrilled that I got it as part of such an amazing offer.”

— Mr Deepak M. Chavan, Executive, HR

“A great exterior, smart looks and spacious — these are some of the key features of my Premier RiO. The high ground clearance not only helps me drive the car through rough terrain but also gives me a clear view of the road and keeps me in a commanding driving position.”

— Mr Nilesh Jadhav, Asst. Manager, CostingFinance and Accounts Department Sushma Ghope is an independent young lady, who started her career in Premier’s Automotive Division. Three years ago, Sushma lost her father in a tragic incident.

She took over the responsibility of being the sole bread-winner to support her mother and younger brother. Originally from Jalgaon, Sushma moved to Pune to pursue her education and her career aspirations. On completing her master’s degree in commerce, she joined the Supply Chain Management Department.

“I had little technical experience but Premier gave me my first break. The support and encouragement that I received from my seniors is truly comforting,” says a grateful Sushma.

SUSHMA GHOPE PREMIER TODAY  12

RASHMI SAHOO

Finance Department

From the CFO’s Desk

T

he International Monetary Fund (IMF) update of the World Economic Outlook has projected that growth in India will gradually increase after the post-election recovery in business sentiment. This is a welcome forecast at a time when our country has witnessed its fair share of economic challenges, especially in the capital goods and auto sector.

However, despite this phase, positive signs emerged. Premier continued its efforts to diversify its customer base and profile by adding new customers and business segments as well as retaining long-standing clients. The response has been encouraging and the same is expected to improve the overall outlook of the company. Premier has recommended a dividend of 30% for the year 2013–14, subject to approval of shareholders.

— K. S. Nair, Chief Financial Officer

BHAKTI MAHASHABDE Bhakti Mahashabde is an executive in the Company’s Accounts Department. She recognised her love for numbers at an early age and worked passionately to pursue her career as an accountant. With the support of her family, she completed her Masters in Commerce. “When I joined Premier, I was not

confident about being able to manage my work as well as family life. The male-dominated industry also scared me, but once I started working, my fears disappeared. It has been a pleasant journey so far and I am sure it will keep getting better with each day,” she says. Bhakti is a proud mother of an 8-year-old boy who aspires to be an automobile engineer. Experimenting with new dishes and singing are her favourite stress-busters.

13  www.premier.co.in

Teams in Focus

The Wonder Workforce

Introducing the talented executive technicians at Premier Ltd

Indian manufacturing sector continues to evolve with domestic and foreign competition prompting the industry to adopt new technologies and techniques to lower costs and raise productivity. A fundamental challenge faced by Indian companies is hiring employees who can apply their acquired skills such as welding, painting and drilling for technical jobs. In this issue, we introduce you to some of our executive technicians.

RAMKRUSHNA INGOLE Ram works in Premier’s Engineering Division’s paint shop as a paint shop technician. Ram grew up in Yevata, a small village in the Vashim District of rural Maharashtra. Due to financial constraints, he was unable to pursue higher studies and opted for an ITI course in spray painting. He initially joined Premier as a contractual labourer, and soon, through his hard work and proficiency, was appointed as an executive technician. "There is an atmosphere

of constant learning and perfection on the shop floor. New ideas are implemented whenever possible.

My supervisor, Mr Manoj Jagtap is my role model and I enjoy working with him,” he says.

FAST FACT

14%

of Premier's workforce includes executive technicians

PRAMOD NAYAK

Pramod, an ITI-fitter in our Engineering Division, is originally from Orissa. He shifted to Pune in search for a job. After completing his ITI-fitter qualification, he pursued a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering but due to certain circumstances, could not complete the course on time. He left his resume with a few companies in Pune and received his first interview call from Premier.

He joined the Company on a contractual basis and later was hired as an executive technician.

“The continuous support and encouragement that I receive from my seniors is my main driving force.

Tackling different challenges and an exposure to innovative solutions give me a great opportunity to grow,” he says.

PREMIER TODAY  14

Teams in Focus

Law and Order

Meet the experts who form the legal and secretarial team of Premier

Left to right (standing) – Mr Madhav V. Joshi, Mr Sudarshan K. Rao and Mr Hemant G. Samant with Mr Ramesh M. Tavhare (seated).

A

t Premier, the legal and secretarial department is headed by Mr Ramesh M. Tavhare, Vice President (Legal and Corporate Affairs) and Company Secretary. He closely works with the Company's Board of Directors and senior officers to ensure compliances under the various statutes and to resolve legal issues concerning the Company. The team also strives to serve Premier's shareholders adhering to SEBI regulations and stock-exchange requirements. He is assisted by a team that comprises Mr Sudarshan K. Rao, Assistant General Manager (Legal and Corporate Affairs), Mr Hemant G. Samant, Manager (Legal), Mr Madhav V. Joshi, Assistant Manager (Secretarial), Ms Urmila U. Nagarkar, Senior Manager (Taxation and Accounts) and Mr Lalit D. Gupte, Executive (Administration).

Their achievements: • The successful and timely closure of a large piece of land that was sold.

• Fought critical cases at Supreme Court.

• Resolving old cases pertaining to labour issues.

• Effectively serving more than 35,000 shareholders and 7,000 fixed depositors.

Challenges faced: • Maintaining a balance and managing crisis.

• Being constantly updated with the changing laws and compliance requirements.

• Constantly dealing with legal and regulatory challenges.

THE TEAM Mr Ramesh M. Tavhare, Vice President (Legal and Corporate Affairs) and Company Secretary Mr Tavhare has 32 years of experience in the field of finance and legal matters and was responsible for restructuring the legal department and bringing it to its current position of prominence in the organisation.

“Although the job is tough, every day is a new learning experience, which I enjoy thoroughly,” says Mr Tavhare.

Mr Sudarshan K. Rao, Assistant General Manager (Legal & Corporate Affairs) Mr Rao assists the VP, Legal, in all matters including liaising with government agencies. Has joined the Company as an executive and was later transferred to the Chairman’s office. He has been with Premier for the past 36 years.

“I have seen the Company in its most glorious days and also when it was going through a difficult phase. The support provided by the management when the Company was facing difficulties was motivating,” says Mr Rao. Ms Urmila U. Nagarkar, Sr Manager (Taxation and Accounts) Ms Nagarkar effectively handles all taxation issues relating

to the Company liaison with chartered accountants, auditors and income tax authorities on all tax related issues on behalf of Premier Ltd. Mr Lalit D. Gupte, Executive (Administration) Mr Gupte assists the VP, Corporate Affairs in day-to-day matters.

Mr Hemant G. Samant, Manager (Legal) Mr Samant files Premier’s patents and trademark registration and keeps a track of all legal cases of the Company.

Mr Madhav V. Joshi, Assistant Manager (Secretarial) Mr Joshi is the point of contact for all shareholders, as he maintains records for issues related to shareholders and other key stakeholders. He tracks the amendments made in Companies Act related to compliances that the Company needs to follow. Madhav has been with Premier for 30 years.

“I owe my career growth and subsequent personal growth to Premier. The Company has nurtured and helped me not only in my professional success, but also in my personal life,” says Mr Joshi.

15  www.premier.co.in

HR and Training Update

FAST FACT

1,500

The Essence of Transformation

cumulative man-days spent in training during the year

Mr Mirza M Nawab Baig (centre) conducting a welding workshop at Premier Ltd. Employee training is a priority at Premier. Some of the trainings in the past quarter were:

Welding Training

Several welding trainings were conducted by Mr Shirish Dhamdhare, a welding expert and consultant, to sharpen our technicians' skills and keep them updated with the latest technologies and techniques.

Premier’s Engineering Division has undergone a significant change in welding function by carrying out Welding Process qualification as per standard EN3834. Points such as awareness about

welding requirements, process control and safety measures of welding processes were discussed. It helped in production, welding quality improvement and optimum use of consumables resulting in benefits of reducing process cycle time of jobs.

Familiarisation of the Siemens 828D Control

To improve our manufacturing process, the Machines Division invested in a new Sinumerik 828D Milling/ Turning machine. A. A. Karkhanis, Senior Manager, Electrical Assembly, our in-

“Welding skill development trainings give us a competitive edge with reduction in welding rework, increase in production output and control over consumable usage.” — P G Salunkhe, GM Operations, Engineering Department house specialist, took up the responsibility to get our employees well versed with the operations of the machine.

We also conducted: 1. ISO awareness training 2. Quality related trainings such as 1S and 2S 3. Statutory compliance related trainings 4. Machining standards training

5. Open and close loop systems trainings Our Machines Division officers were invited for a training programme on ‘New Technologies being used by Machine Tool Manufacturers' in Europe, where companies such as Redex from France, Kesseler from Germany and Gudel from Switzerland shared their knowledge.

The Premier Bhajani Mandal was established in 1985 by former Premier employees, supported by our Chairman emeritus, the late Mr Vinod Doshi.

The mandal has been recognised at various competitions and is a three-time consecutive winner from 2009 to 2011 at the local bhajan competition. The mandal was formed to offer prayers at the Khandoba Temple. The bhajans help spread a positive vibe in the factory premises and promotes togetherness. Premier donated musical instruments to the members to encourage and support them.

The Premier Bhajani Mandal offering prayers at the Khandoba Temple in Pune.

PREMIER TODAY  16

FAST FACT

HR and Training Update

The Spirit of Innovation

One of Premier's ingenious ideas, the iSuggest provides a platform for employees to share their innovative ideas with the Company. iSuggest, our in-house employee suggestion scheme to acknowledge and award the most creative ideas in terms of productivity, employee morale and cost, is back. This year, too, we received suggestions to help improve the functions and machines at Premier. Let us take a look at some of our stars:

Total savings:

R16,87,480 per year

R.C. RAUT

Total savings:

R133

AUTOMOTIVE DIVISION

per engine

A.S. PATEKAR

ENGINEERING DIVISION

Brainwave: For Stator Ring Fabrication, bevelling by machining of sub-parts such as sectors and pads for welding purpose was initially outsourced by the Engineering Division. After Mr Raut's recommendation, new fixture was manufactured from the waste material for machining of sub-parts. Thus, the Engineering Division stopped outsourcing and increased production by 6 times.

MACHINES DIVISION

Brainwave: One of the major problems faced by endurance vehicles on the field and on the production line was turbo leakage. After running continuously for 10 hours, the normal bolts broke and the turbo assembly had to be replaced. A simple suggestion of using Allen bolts instead of the normal ones not only eliminated the problem but also increased the quality of engine and engine life.

FAST FACT

953 suggestions received

FAST FACT

235 ideas implemented

B.R. SHAIKH Brainwave: The AC unit of the CNC gear hobbing machine was equipped with a two-blower design with a 1,000 KW rating. Mr Shaikh suggested replacing it with a single-blower model with the same rating and performance, but at a lower cost.

Total savings:

R14,346 per unit

17  www.premier.co.in

Welcome Aboard Please join us in welcoming the new members of the Premier parivaar. We are very happy to have you all aboard and we hope you will experience co-operative and friendly association with the rest of us.

Nischad Salam joined Premier as a Manager in HR/IR. Armed with a BE in Electronics, an MBA in HR and more than 9 years of experience in HR in sectors such as staffing, telecom, insurance and media, Nischad brings new ideas and a new energy to the HR Department.

He is married to Nazma, who also works in the HR industry, and they have an 8-year-old daughter Heeya. He is passionate about languages and teaches Esperanto — the international link language — during his free time. He has also been actively involved in social work in the rural sector.

Shefali Vichare joined Premier as an Executive in the HR Department.

Her association with the Company started a year ago when she started working as a trainee in the HR Department after completing her Masters in Personnel Management. She enjoys working at Premier, as her job involves interacting with different people and facing new challenges every day. "Premier has given me a great exposure to practical HR and has helped in strengthening my career foundation." says Shefali. She has a younger brother studying in the 10th standard. She loves travelling and shopping.

SHEFALI VICHARE C N C

M A C H I N E S

E N G I N E E R I N G

Words of Appreciation

A U T O M O T I V E

A Quarterly Newsletter

Issue 21 · April 2014

PREMIER PROVIDES QUALITY PRODUCTS AND

PROMPT CUSTOMER SERVICE

AT LOW MAINTENANCE COSTS ALONG WITH USER FRIENDLY OPERATING SYSTEMS — WORDS OF PRAISE FROM ONE OF OUR LONGSTANDING CNC MACHINE PARTNERS

CUSTOMER SPEAK OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY...

PREMIER GOES A STEP FORWARD AND ORGANISES TRAININGS FOR RIO DEALERS TO ENSURE WE ARE TECHNICALLY ORIENTED WITH THE CAR — APPRECIATION FROM ONE OF OUR MANY SATISFIED RIO DEALERS

CoEP Story

Empowering Young Minds

HR and IR

Better Safe Than Sorry

PREMIER TODAY  18

Sunset Club

Arun Hingway's Drive Down Memory Lane

NISCHAD SALAM

FEEDBACK ON ISSUE

21

“Good effort. I have seen many company magazines but Premier Today is outstanding.”

– N. L. BHATIA, Managing Partner, N L Bhatia and Associates “I regularly receive Premier Today. It is an interesting read and keeps me updated with the developments in the Company.”

– SWARAJ BAGAONKAR, Senior Special Correspondent, Business Standard “Always a pleasure to receive your newsletter.”

– GIRISH KARKERA, Editor, BBC TopGear, India

Sunset Club

Taking

Charge

Dilip D Mulherkar at his Premier office in 2012. Inset: Mr Mulherkar representing Premier's Machines Division at EMO, Hannover.

1970

financial orbit and opened doors for new investments. The plant was modernised to improve quality of the products Third year mechanical engineering students in VJTI were being and the overall productivity. I was part of the senior allocated companies for training during vacations. Two lucky management then and our initiatives involved rationalising ones among us got through Cooper Engineering (now Premier our product range, designing new products and building a strong sales and service network throughout India and Ltd). It was every student’s dream job! abroad. Tech Centres were opened in Pune, Delhi and Bangalore along with new sales offices. A Design Centre was opened in Bangalore to design new products with While working in a gear manufacturing company in Mumbai, innovative concepts.

I conducted a survey on TELCO and Cooper to find out the best We introduced low cost VMC for SME sector and started practices in the industry. My interaction with the marketing, a separate manufacturing and marketing set-up for the design and manufacturing divisions at the Cooper plant had same. We also focussed on government orders for high impressed me. value machines and secured major orders from Railways, Defence, BHEL, HAL, etc. I decided to form a separate Agency Sales Division to sell products of other companies such as Morara S.p.A (IMT), Rafamet and FPT, and also I joined the marketing division in Cooper and was initially aimed at collaborating with these companies for joint assigned the responsibility of selling Gear Hobbing manufacturing on a case to case basis. I can never forget Machines — one of the plum products of the company... the year of ‘Mission 100 gear machines’ when our target was to double the sale of gear cutting machines in a year. ... and that is how my association with Premier started.

The efforts taken by our team in securing the orders, I was fortunate to work under the guidance of three well- manufacturing the machines and executing the orders respected names in the Indian engineering industry — M. were remarkable.

As I look back, I find that the Company still maintains its Mohandas, Shreekant Joshi and Deepak Mukerjee. I started unique identity. Premier has faced several up and downs but as a Senior Engineer and retired as a Vice President after 30 years of service. During 1982–91, Premier had stepped into has never looked back. The products made by the Company CNC machines development through collaborations with are technically competent and unique. Premier is probably companies such as Hitachi Seiki, Japan, for Machining the only Indian machine tool company in the private sector Centres; Dorries Scharmann, Germany, for Vertical who supplies precision and heavy duty machines to private as well as government sectors in India Turnmill Centres; and Pfhauter, “The company still maintains and across the globe. It is still ‘The Germany, for 6 Axes CNC Hobber. In Premier’ who strives to continuously the next decade, Premier consciously its unique identity. It is still update and innovate and makes a restructured the organisation on the 'The Premier' who strives to genuine effort for developing import concept of Total Quality Management substitutes. to face globalisation and liberal import continuously innovate.”

As a satisfied retired employee, I will policy of the government. 2002–12 saw – Dilip D Mulherkar, always cherish my days in Premier and the sales turnover increase fourfold. former Premier employee wish them glorious years ahead!

This took Premier into a different

1978

1982

19  www.premier.co.in

The ‘Vinod & Saryu Doshi Foundation’ is a non-profit, charity trust that aims at promoting Art, Culture, Education and Community.

It fosters emerging talent in the visual and performing Arts through fellowships, performances, exhibitions and festivals.

It empowers bright but financially challenged young individuals to catapult themselves to a higher economic and social orbit by providing scholarships for their entire college career.

It is committed to improving the community by funding initiatives in environment protection and social upliftment.

The Foundation’s Logo represents its modernity, creativity and energy: a metaphor for its belief in enriching the mind through education, and the spirit through art and culture.

It articulates the lifelong passions of Vinod and Saryu Doshi who have dedicated a considerable part of their lives supporting these causes.