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
A Quarterly Newsletter
Issue 18 路 January 2013
W MEN Who Inspire Us At
CONTENTS JANUARY 2013
EDIT DESK
We celebrate the amazing women of Premier in our cover story.
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03 Cover Story 12 In Focus 16 News You Can Use
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18 CSR Initiatives 21 Premier Pulse 22 HR and IR update 24 The Sunset Club
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25 welcome Aboard 26 Feedback
C N C
M A C H I N E S
E N G I N E E R I N G
A Quarterly Newsletter
Issue 18 | January 2013
EDITORIAL Editorial Board MD Adhikari, Rakesh Mehta, DS Totre, KG Rathi, RM Tavhare, Erica deSouza Editorial
Spenta Shroff, Jheel Kacharia, Dalzeen Nikorawala
DESIGN Art Director
A U T O M O T I V E
Minaal G Pednekar
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
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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.
Dear Reader, After a whirlwind 2012, we make a wonderful start to the New Year by bringing you our 18th issue of Premier Today. This issue is a little different. While we take a look at the usual favourites, we have used this issue to highlight a subject that is globally recognised as an important constituent of all our lives — Women. Here, we bring you the women who inspire us at Premier. Spanning designations, roles, levels of expertise and talent, we chose to bring to light some of the women who have truly made a difference. We tell their stories not only on the basis of their professional merits but for a variety of other reasons such as planning an ideal balance of work and family thanks to Premier, or creating a niche in a maledominated industry. We hope you enjoy this cover story. We take a look at what 2013 brings in terms of new tidings. An interesting new project we discuss is our Windmill Tower project. From its humble beginnings of a 3,000-sq. metre manufacturing unit, this division has grown from strength to strength. See our exclusive feature on page 14. Of course, our CSR team has been busy in the last quarter. We bring you highlights of our College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) scholars’ lives as they live their dreams. We also take you to Goa for our Prison Art Project Exhibition 2012 on page 19. Finally, I would like to thank you for your continued support in giving us feedback on the magazine as well as contributing interesting articles and information about Premier, which we have covered over the last year. I hope you had the happiest of New Year celebrations and I wish you all the best for 2013. Do send feedback to Erica deSouza at ericadesouza@premier.co.in. Cheers, Ms. Erica deSouza, Head – Corporate Communication, Premier Ltd.
COVER STORY
The story of Premier’s Women
In every cover story, we bring you a facet of Premier that we're proud of, one that we'd like you to know more about. Turn the next few pages to admire, respect and cherish one of Premier's greatest strengths — its women employees. We dedicate this issue to the amazing women of Premier. On this page, we take you through the various 'firsts' achieved by them.
a Legacy of Firsts
2008
First Woman Employee, Premier Ltd.
Shubhangi Chavan
• Joined Cooper Engineering (now Premier Ltd.) in 1964. • First woman ever to transition into the company. • Worked with the company for 32 years.
• An icon for all women employees at Premier. • Working with more than 300 machine tool engineers in the electrical assembly section.
Thresia Mundackal
First Woman CNC Machines Operator on the Premier Shop Floor.
2010
• First woman president of ACMA, India in 1971. • President of Indian Merchants' Chamber, Mumbai in 1981 and 2000. • Founder and Managing Director of Bharat Radiators, Bharat Radiators Industries; Director of Vista Communication. • Former member of the boards of Canara Bank and Citibank N.A., India
• An increasing number of women employees in the organisation led to the need for a woman-centric initiative. • Premier’s first Women's Empowerment Cell, formed in 2010, is based on the principles of complete empowerment, confidentiality and commitment in a unique, pioneering way.
First Woman General Manager, Premier Ltd.
2011
First Woman to be Awarded the Vinod Doshi Shikshan Yojna Award.
First Woman to join Premier’s Board of Directors.
Sharayu Daftary
Renuka Nair
Renuka joined Premier in 2004 and worked her way up in Premier’s Accounts and MIS department to become Premier’s first woman General Manager. “It’s okay to dream big, but one should hold on to a dream and fight for it against all odds.” — Renuka Nair, General Manager
2008
Pranali Shinde
First Women's Empowerment Cell, Premier Ltd.
First Panel Discussion for Premier's Women Employees On May 12, 2012, Premier held a panel discussion for women on ‘A Woman’s Approach to Work-Life Balance’. The panellists were eminent women from different walks of life. “It was wonderful to see so many of us gathered together. Such programmes need to be organised frequently to give others a chance to open up and share their experiences in a language they are comfortable with.” — Anu Jayasuriya, Manager, President’s Office.
2012
1996
2009
1964
Women Representation on Premier's Board of Directors. Rohita Doshi • Recipient of the prestigious Jennings Award, USA for Excellence in Computer Engineering. • Co-founded India's first internet portal for women. • Director of Art Point, a platform for young artists. • Featured in international magazines, BusinessWeek and AsiaWeek. • Speaker at TIE and SME conferences.
Kavita Khanna • An Economics graduate from the London School of Economics. • Member of the Mumbai Bar Council. • Member of the National Executive of the BJP.
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COVER STORY
WOMAN POWER
On the previous page, we shared our remarkable heritage of firsts — a treasured sisterhood that every woman at Premier would be proud to be a part of. Premier's vision has always focused on maintaining cutting-edge practices for our women-friendly initiatives. In keeping with this, here are a few highlights of special initiatives that we, at Premier, have recently undertaken to keep our women on the forefront of competitiveness and team spirit, intellectual stimulation, and above all, a fun and friendly, family-like atmosphere.
PREMIER Women's Debate:
At One with Mother Nature: Premier's
India is No Place for Women Women's Empowerment Forum On August 31, 2012, the women of Premier had their very first women’s debate, a true Premier initiative. A packed room of 30 was then asked to respond to a poll conducted to identify audience sentiment. 60% of the audience was against the motion Percentage of women at 'India is no place for women' while Premier who are 40% supported it. postgraduates
42%
“You and Mother Nature have a great deal in common: You are strong, nurturing and capable” was the theme of our annual Women's Empowerment Forum event. 28 women employees met at Camp Lakeside, Nilshi. “I was moved to tears with the sharing I experienced with other women from the organisation. The beautiful background of Nilshi only enriched the experience.” – Poonam Bhoi, Executive – Design, CNC Machines Division.
Stepathlon 2012:
PREMIER WOMEN Move the nation, Lead the world Spenta Shroff, Manager, CSR chairs the women's debate.
Premier participated in Stepathlon 2012. Stepathlon is a race around the virtual world for companies of all sizes, across all industries and countries. This unique, pedometer-based, mass-participation event conducted over 100 consecutive days encourages teamwork and fitness in a fun, inclusive and relevant manner, complementing our hectic lifestyles.
176
th
Premier's rank among 4,200 teams
19
Countries
21,000 Participants
(L-R): Rashmika Ratanghayra, Spenta Shroff, Erica deSouza, Jheel Kacharia and (inset) Kadambari Paigude represent Premier Jets, an all-women Stepathalon team.
Premier Today
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MEET OUR STALWARTS
At Premier, we firmly believe in investing in one of the company’s greatest strengths — our women employees. These investments have borne rich fruit and Premier is proud to have nurtured women who have risen within the company and proved themselves as exceptional human beings, leading to the all-important purpose of cohesiveness and harmony within the organisation. Here, we introduce you to some of these outstanding women.
The Communicators
Sreedevi Birajdar, the 'never-say-no' person at Premier's reception desk.
Sreedevi Birajdar
Fondly known as 'Shree', Sreedevi Birajdar is the true face of Premier as she charms each visitor to the factory with a welcoming smile. Shree's ‘never-say-no’ attitude makes her one of Premier’s most helpful employees as she single-handedly manages all the administrative activities for more than 500 officers, from handling the switchboard to making travel arrangements. She is the true 'communicator' of Premier. “My job gives me complete satisfaction. The family environment, the new challenges I face every day and the flexibility with which I am allowed to work give me a sense of stability and loyalty to Premier.” – Sreedevi Birajdar
Erica deSouza
Erica deSouza is Head – Corporate Communication, CSR and Training at Premier by day and an upcoming canine behaviourist, trainer and painter on the weekends. Armed with degrees in psychology, sociology and hospitality, she has a keen interest in customs, cultures and business styles around the world. On a personal note, Erica is currently apprenticing with a renowned dog trainer and groomer, and is working towards a formal certification in dog behaviour therapy this year. Few people know that Erica is also a talented painter, specialising in pet portraits. Her passion for interacting with people and learning new things are what set her apart as she multitasks and juggles several portfolios, dealing with employees and stakeholders across the company. "I guess that's where my degree in psychology has really been put to use. Training, corporate communication and dog behaviour therapy are all about managing people and getting them to feel and do their best, both for themselves and for the company." – Erica deSouza
Jheel Kacharia, the energiser bunny.
Jheel Kacharia
The energiser bunny, the open book, an efficient communicator are a few of the ways in which we can describe Jheel Kacharia, Premier’s Communication and Digital Marketing Manager. Handling a wide communications portfolio, Jheel is one of the faces of Premier for the external world. A positive person, she finds the company’s non-political environment, its family culture, and her interesting job to be motivating factors. She is an avid reader and a voracious dancer, believes in the therapeutic advantage of dance, and has thus learned different forms from kathak to zumba. Jheel also makes it a point to do a good deed every day. "The greatest reward for doing a good deed is the opportunity to do more.” – Jheel Kacharia
Erica deSouza, Premier's master communicator.
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COVER STORY
THE LOCOMOTIVES Nidhi Singh
Don't let her sweet looks and youthful face fool you — Nidhi looks after one of the toughest jobs in Premier's Automotive Division. An introspective and insightful young woman, Nidhi was hand-picked from a campus interview, and her talent for interpersonal relationship management was acknowledged when she was entrusted with the very responsible portfolio of handling the company’s dealer development network. To her credit, Nidhi has built a dealership network of more than 50 dealers for Premier across India over the last two years. With her determination and tenacity, she has overcome language and cultural barriers and has won the respect of colleagues and dealers alike. She thrives in the challenging world of automobiles, and her confidence, optimism and enthusiasm is evident when you meet her. Her interests include travelling, shopping and photography. “An intelligent girl who is willing to learn, she carries out any job given to her with sincerity and lots of energy. I see a bright future for Nidhi at Premier.” — Mr. Mehta, VP, Automotive Division, who is also Nidhi's professional mentor. Nidhi Singh, the automotive rock star.
Neelam Mokashi and Jyotsna Manvar
Unique in many ways, the RiO assembly line has state-of-the art technology and infrastructure. Its most unique feature, however, is its two women employees who take care of the electrical fitment and wiring jobs in the vehicle. Both these ladies have pursued their ITI in the Electrical field and have completed 2½ years at Premier. Married young, Neelam Mokashi was encouraged by her husband to advance in her professional career. An avid reader, Neelam is a determined and ambitious lady who is currently appearing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exams and is looking forward to joining the civil services. The love that Jyotsna Manvar has for her studies made her the first and only graduate from her family. This determined girl completed her Arts degree while simultaneously mastering the electrical trade through her ITI qualification. The youngest of five sisters, she is happy to be the only one continuing to work post marriage, and takes great pride in declaring herself to be her mother’s support system. Neelam Mokashi (left) and Jyotsna Manvar (right) working on the RiO assembly line.
Premier Today
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THE HUMAN TOUCH Pranali Shinde
An efficient Industrial Relations executive, Pranali plays the roles of nurturer, support system, agony aunt, and 'go to' person with aplomb. She forms the link between workers and management, and the maturity with which she handles grievances has earned her tremendous respect. This year, Pranali enrolled for a Diploma in Industrial Relations at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). What few know about Pranali is that she is a true entrepreneur at heart, who, for 10 years, ran her own chaat corner, for which she is still well known in her vicinity. “Never brood over the past; take it within your Percentage of female stride and move on.” representation on the Board of Directors – Pranali Shinde
30% Pranali Shinde, Premier's 'go to' person.
Kadambari PAIGUDE
1.5
Number of training man-days per female employee.
Kadambari Paigude, Assistant Manager, HR is a talented and hard-working young lady who is the primary breadwinner of her family. Kadambari pursued her graduation while simultaneously undertaking a part-time assignment, which also helped fund her MBA. At Premier, Kadambari has the sole responsibility of the company’s entire HR department. Kadambari is also a true all-rounder, being a linguist, an adventure lover, a singer, and a guitarist. “The difficulties in my life have increased my self-confidence and made me a stronger person.” – Kadambari Paigude
Kadambari Paigude, the all-rounder.
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COVER STORY
THE NUrTURERS Vaishali Chavan
Vaishali looks after the purchase of capital equipment for the Engineering Division, compares quotations from different vendors and negotiates large purchase deals for Premier. Armed with a B.E. in Automobile Engineering and an MBA, Vaishali has reached the position of Assistant Manager, Purchase. Flexible working arrangements after her baby was born is just one of the reasons why she won't be leaving Premier in a hurry. Few know that this demure, young mother is passionate about bikes. "My professional learning in terms of purchase and negotiations also helps me on the personal front in the market, and at times with my husband!" – Vaishali Chavan
Shruti Singh and her baby.
Shruti Singh
Shruti, an HR Executive for the Automotive Division, was compelled to take a break from work after the birth of her son. Recognising her potential and talent, Premier has unconditionally welcomed Shruti back whenever she is ready.
34% Percentage of women at Premier who are engineers
Vaishali Chavan, the negotiator. (Inset) Vaishali with her child.
Spenta Shroff
Spenta's life is influenced by her maternal instincts; her daughter is at the very core of her being. A behind-the-scenes person, Spenta is organised, a brilliant planner, methodical and rational in her decisions. She treads the line between finding and executing new projects for the CSR department and the Trust. "The work I do gives me a sense of satisfaction, which is very important to me." – Spenta Shroff
Spenta Shroff, the young mom. (Inset) Spenta with her daughter.
Premier Today
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THE ENGINEERS Rohini Rokade
Selected at one of Premier's campus interviews, Rohini Rokade is a rank holder in Electronic Engineering and a star achiever all around. Being the first woman engineer to join Premier, she has completely transformed the department and its work culture. Electronic design, development activities, and having tremendous knowledge in writing logic and software are a few of Rohini's core interest areas. "Rohini is a keen learner and one of the best team players. She prompty responds to customer problems by attending to them on location, and cherishes a sense of achievement when she witnesses her design working satisfactorily." – Mr. SD Joshi, General Manager – Design, Premier Ltd.
Rohini Rokade, the designer.
Shubhangi Chavan
Shubhangi, Assistant Manager, Assembly, is Premier's only female engineer to work on a male-dominated CNC shop floor, which makes her possibly one of the few women in the industry to do so! Armed with a Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Shubhangi works shoulder-to-shoulder with the men in the CNC Machines Division. Soft but assertive, she is an assembly supervisor and efficiently handles manpower on the floor, looks after programming activities, and handles functional checks and material management. Few know that Shubhangi is an expressive writer who is currently compiling an autobiography.
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Average age of women at Premier Shubhangi Chavan, a woman in a man's world.
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COVER STORY
THE DESIGNERS The women in Premier’s design team have an admirable aptitude for design and development. Collectively possessing a host of degrees and diplomas in Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics, Telecommunications and Production Engineering, they are dedicated towards their involvement in new product development or customisation of existing products to meet customer needs. Premier's dynamic design team of women.
THE GRANDE DAMES Premier owes much of its resilience and formidable strength to Anu, Lizy and Sheral, or, as we fondly refer to them collectively as, Premier's Grande Dames. Annmary Jayasuriya (Anu), Lizy Joseph (Lizy) and Sheral Anand have each spent more than 25 years at Premier and have seen it through thick and thin. As administrative assistants for Premier's senior management, they have key roles to play and are adept at protocol management for foreign dignitaries, VIP arrivals, etc. There is nothing any of them cannot find, source, research, or arrange for you.
Sheral Anand, our very own Florence Nightingale.
Anu Jayasuriya, Premier's most reliable lady.
Anu has been with Premier for more than 37 years. A disciplinarian at heart, she was inclined towards the police services as an adolescent. Anu compares Premier’s journey to a quote by Vincent Van Gogh: “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”
Premier Today
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When not at work, Sheral, who is our very own Florence Nightingale, can be found at her community church spending time at the local orphanage. Starting her own nursery for underprivileged children is a dream that Sheral wants to fulfil post retirement. “The women’s empowerment forum has been a platform for me to know my colleagues better, not only on a professional front but also on a personal front.” – Sheral Anand
100% Increase in the number of women in Premier from inception.
Lizy Joseph, a true example of loyalty to the company.
Lizy started her career with Premier in 1979. On her first day, she reported for duty at the Engineering Division to Mr. KG Rathi, who, 33 years later, still finds Lizy extremely dedicated, systematic and punctual. Acknowledging her sincerity, Mr. Rathi extended her service post retirement and brought her on board as a consultant. An introvert by nature, Lizy firmly believes in the principle of “simple living and high thinking”.
THE FINANCE TEAM A 20-member team comprising five women, the finance team once had a majority of women! Led by Renuka Nair, this team is efficient and sincere.
Shilpa Patil is the face of Premier for all financial institutions. She is hard-working, dedicated, energetic and passionate about her work, and strives to maintain a work-life balance. Also part of a community NGO from where she has adopted and nurtured a child, she finds peace in playing the sitar. “The way women are respected and cared for in our company is unique, and I appreciate this familyoriented atmosphere.” – Shilpa Patil, Assistant Manager, Accounts.
The women in Premier's Finance and Accounts team. (Circled) Shilpa Patil, Premier's financial face.
premier'S men speak We were also interested in interviewing the men at Premier across all divisions in the company. Here’s what they had to say about their outstanding female counterparts.
“This is the Premier family. Just like in a family, women here, too, play a key role in the management and progress of the company. I believe that for every company to be successful, we need energetic and committed women — and we have them here, at Premier.” – Mr. DB Chikane, Sr. Manager, Finance “I admire every woman for her dual responsibilities, which she successfully fulfils with the utmost commitment.” – Mr. KG Rathi, Vice President, Engineering
“Women in the company play a critical role in determining the progress of Premier. We salute you!” – Mangesh Salve, Engineering
“I hold women in high esteem. The women of Premier perform each job with sincerity and dedication. They are more stable and focused in their career. I respect them.” – Mr. Rakesh Mehta, Vice President, Automotive
30% Percentage of women recipients of the Vinod DoshiCOEP Merit Scholarship.
1:3
Ratio of female to male interns since 2008
40% Percentage of women in Premier working on the shop floor
With their ability to shoulder immense responsibility, provide unending support and never-say-die attitude, the women at Premier have proved time and time again that they are women of substance. We salute these outstanding, hard-working and dedicated women of Premier and thank them for everything they have given the company all these years. 11
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IN FOCUS
RiO on the go
AUTOMOTIVE
PASS UPDATE
new dealership A RiO showroom at Gurgaon was inaugurated by ex-petroleum minister Mr. Manishankar Iyer, who spent a good deal of time at the function taking a lot of interest in the RiO. He also commented on how important it was for India to get this kind of fuel-efficient and fit-to-all kind of vehicle.
• Premier Ltd. is ramping up its all-India after-sales service network by setting up Premier Authorised Service Stations, branded ‘PASS’. • A dedicated team has been formed to implement this initiative in a time-bound manner. • Premier also has a tie-up with India Assistance to provide a 24x7 breakdown service. • Additionally, the company has taken further steps to provide 24x7 mobile services attending to service calls within 8–10 hours at any given place across India.
FIRST RiO MULTIJET OWNERS
The first RiO MultiJet delivered in Bengaluru to Mr. Rajeev Kumar.
The first RiO MultiJet delivered in Mumbai to Mr. Ganesh Kate.
RiO IN THE PRESS
DNA Money, Ahmedabad, August 3, 2012
Sakal, August 3, 2012
Business Standard, Delhi, August 4, 2012
Premier Today
The Economic Times, August 2, 2012
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RiO 3600 MARKETING CAMPAIGN
CRDi4 CAMPAIGNS
SPOT THE RiO
Sakal, September 17, 2012.
AUTOMOTIVE
With the introduction of the CRDi4 diesel engine from FIAT, RiO went into overdrive. A print-heavy campaign focusing on features and mileage was launched, and the CRDi4 diesel engine was also promoted through its online platform and on outdoor hoardings. A fun 'Spot the RiO' Facebook campaign was introduced wherein the person who spotted the RiO from among other cars won an iPad. The campaign ran pan-India, covering the remotest of places, and got a whopping response on both, the online and offline platforms, making RiO a household name.
Mid Day, September 27, 2012.
Top left: 'The Spot the RiO' contest App. Adjacent: The 'Spot the RiO' contest announcement on Facebook. Top right: Jheel Kacharia presents an iPad to Aditya Govindan, the winner of the contest. DNA, November 21, 2012.
ONLINE STORY
Premier RiO
90,846 5,249 Likes
Talking about this
CNC MACHINES
A CUSTOMER-CENTRIC INNOVATION
Recently, Premier got the opportunity to develop the CNC Horizontal Machining Center (HMC) Model HB–1000 for Chittranjan Locomotive Works for machining of railway engine parts. Typically, HMCs are equipped with ‘milling spindles’. However, to meet the deep boring requirements of the customer's component, Premier developed the HMC with traversing-type precision ‘boring spindle’ (quill), co-axially mounted in the milling spindle. Such an innovative effort has added another feather to our cap in new product development for state-of-theart technology, and credit goes to Mr. YA Shivaram, AGM Design and Development, Bengaluru.
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ENGINEERING
IN FOCUS NEW PROJECT DEVELOPMENTS
Windmill Concrete Tower
Wind energy is a new, emerging green energy source holding great importance for its natural availability and non-polluting behaviour. India is fifth in wind power generation capacity after USA, China, Germany and Spain, having generated 16,000 MW from a total of 2,41,000 MW of power generated globally in 2011. Premier’s Engineering Division started its 3,000-sq. metre windmill tower manufacturing unit in March 2012 with exclusive, state-of-the-art facilities of world-class column and booms, rotators, SAW (Submerged Arc Welding) machines, flange facer, easy laser, etc. At present, the wind turbine towers have been developed for smaller capacities of the wind turbines and are now being geared up to manufacture bigger capacity wind turbine towers. Here's a look at the salient features of this project.
Exclusive facility of cone-bending specially required for tower sectors.
Equipment List: • CNC Profile Gas Cutting Machine: CNC operated 18 m x 4 m-sized profile cutting machine with two oxy-fuel cutting nozzles. • Cone-Bending Machine: Three-roll, pyramid type, conebending machine being used for plate bending of various thicknesses. • Column and Booms: Having a 4.5 m horizontal and 2.5 m vertical stroke, these column and booms in a total of five work stations are used for semi automation with the best in the world SAW machines made by Lincoln. • Rotators and Idlers: Customised to requirements, heavycapacity rotators with idlers having a wide range of variety, such as long-seam welding, fit-up, blasting and painting, are used. • Flange Facer: Specially designed and manufactured online machining solution facility (flange facer), with hydraulically operated, two-point cutting tools for flange machining of a concrete tower, which maintain very close tolerances. • Easy Laser: An ultra modern laser-measuring equipment, having the capacity to check geometrical parameters over 40 m, is used for checking flatness of end flanges.
In-house handling and movement of tower sections ready for dispatch with an approved packing system.
Premier Today
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Employees using world-class laser equipment for the inspection of tower flange flatness.
• Blasting Booth: 15 m x 7 m x 5 m-sized blasting booth solely dedicated for the tower. • Painting Booth: 15 m x 8 m x 6 m-sized painting booth having the capacity to paint two towers, 11 metres in length, at the same time.
Worldwide installations of wind energy generating capacity have now reached a total of 2,41,029 MW on average, enough to produce an annual output of more than 4,73,880 billion kW (473.9 Tera Watts) per hour of power, meeting 2.3% of the global electricity demand. The global wind market produced a record-breaking number of installations this year. In-house Cone-Bending Facility: Brand-new, three-roll, pyramid-type bending machine has been exclusively installed in the tower bay for manufacturing cones of high quality. Online Machining Solution: A flange facer is used exclusively for on-site machining of flanges in tower manufacturing for maintaining parallelism, face-out and, most importantly, flatness. Easy to handle and transport, the flange facer gets fitted on the tower with the help of hydraulic jacks. Two single-point cutters provided on the arm of the flange facer reduce the cycle time of machining to almost 50%. The finishing observed is similar to that of the machined surface from the vertical turning lathe. One-of-its-kind Blasting and Painting Booth: Exclusively customised blasting booth of size 15 m x 7 m x 5 m and painting booth of size 15 m x 8 m x 6 m are a few of the highlights of the tower project. Unlike other projects, the tower is
Highly equipped paint booth with paint drying facility in tower bay.
not moved inside the blasting and painting booth on trolleys, but motorised PVC-coated rotators, specially procured for blasting and painting, are used for easy handling as well as blasting booth to paint booth line movement. Tight Check on Quality at Each Stage: At present, the tower is the only product and the longest one, which employs all NDT (NonDestructive Testing) methods such as DP, MPT, UT and RT. With a complete third-party involvement requirement, in addition to the necessity of quality checks done by the customer, towermanufacturing is a critical and time-consuming procedure. Yet, the Engineering Division has achieved an accuracy level even greater than that mentioned in the customer’s quality plan. Critical Fitting of Internal Parts: Considering the criticality and importance of the tower in wind turbines, all internal parts that play a major role in the performance of the windmill are fitted before dispatch on the Premier premises. This not only involves the fitting of internal parts but also involves welding 'n' number of bushes of different sizes, creating platforms and strengthening rings, which are more than 11 m in length, and inspections such as DP, MPT, etc., which are required for fitting these internal parts. Geometric Accuracies: The accuracies in the tower depend on highly skilled technicians. The straightness for 11 m is ± 2 mm, the flatness for 250 microns varies by 20 microns, face-out varies by ± 0.5, concentricity
In India, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat are the states where maximum numbers of windmill towers have been installed in the last 10 years. This is expected to lead to a capacity of 52,000 MW by 2020.
Fit-up station having a high load-bearing capacity for heavy fabrication of tower.
Considering the increase of 15% that has happened in the last 10 years, the total windmill manufacturing business is forecasted to increase by 22% in the future.
varies by ± 0.5 and chambering varies within ± 2 mm. Continual Improvements: Team ED understands operational difficulties, analyses the problem and comes up with the best-fit solution before any shut-downs or lags in the process occur. Besides employing people in the tower bay who have prior experience, continual developments are also being made, such as introducing a multi-point contact spider for controlling cone ovality, adding stage machining to control flatness, and introducing a sequential welding method to control distortion.
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NEWS YOU CAN USE A NOTEWORTHY EXCHANGE
CELEBRATING WITH KINDNESS
On October 5, 2012, Erica deSouza, Head – Corporate Communication, Premier Ltd., was invited as a guest lecturer to ISB&M (International School of Business and Media), Pune, as part of their Institute-Industry interaction programme. ISB&M is known for the overall development of its management students and this engaging session oriented aspiring managers with corporate expectations.
Diwali is, no doubt, a beautiful festival. Every year, the colours, lights and energy brighten up cities across India, but one downside to all the festive cheer is the effect of noisy crackers and smoke on our canine friends. This year, thanks to growing awareness, Premier's Corporate Office went out of their way to support the Festival of Kindness, a unique initiative designed to spread the joy of Diwali by sensitising people towards the effects of fire crackers. A noteworthy achievement is that Premier employees contributed to raising more than 33,000 pledges for this campaign.
“The session was very interactive, energetic and inspiring. The guest lecturer showed us, in a practical way, what corporate organisations expect from new managers.” – Jyoti Verma
“...(Erica) told us about the environment and culture of the corporate world and what are the good, bad and ugly sides of business. She also told us about the gender scenario in manufacturing companies.” – Tripti Raghav
CAMPUS INTERACTIONS Cicero's Challenge, judged by Erica deSouza.
PREMIER IN THE PRESS
Clockwise from top left: India Business Journal, October 2012; Modern Machine Tools, October 2012; Engineering Review, April 2012; DNA, October 21, 2012; The Times of India, September 30, 2012; OEM Update, September 2012
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A pre-Diwali gathering to support the Festival of Kindness, with Blackie the dog expressing his gratitude to Premier.
Cicero’s Challenge, the intercollegiate B-school festival of IIPM, Mumbai, is a one-of-its-kind debate competition. Erica deSouza, Head – Corporate Communication, Premier Ltd., was invited to judge the event, which was held on July 27 and 28 last year.
THE SPARK OF INTELLECT MINDSPARK 2012 Premier and COEP spark new environmental conversation ideas at MindSpark 2012. For the third consecutive year, Premier Ltd. partnered with MindSpark, the intercollegiate technical festival of College of Engineering, Pune (COEP), as the official Engineering Sponsor.
Put proudly on display
10,000 Collegians
CONTRAPTION
This year, we gave this contest an 'environmental twist'. Each contestant played 'inventor' for a day, building the most creative device to conserve energy from articles we use in our daily lives. Ms. Charulata Inkar, who designed a single-trigger operated apparatus, was selected as the winner from among 11 shortlisted teams. The gadget was devised to conduct three tasks simultaneously — generate artificial rain, draw water from a well, and use that water to create energy.
Ms. Charulata Inkar explaining the contraption set up by her.
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Colleges
PREMIER UTKARSH
Premier Utkarsh was a design challenge that entailed contestants to work out feasible and optimised solutions for a real-time problem statement in the CNC Machines space. The statement, provided by Mr. SD Joshi, General Manager Design, CNC Machines Division, Premier Ltd., invited design solutions for 'positive locking of the gripper fingers during rotation'. The competition was judged by Mr. Kothari, AGM, Application Engineer, Premier Ltd. and Mr. Khasnis, AGM Manufacturing, CNC Machines Division, Premier Ltd.
The Premier stall at MindSpark 2012.
CNC LATHE WORKSHOP
A CNC Lathe workshop, conducted by Mr. BB Gawas, a Premier employee, made participants aware about the importance of CNC on the production shop. A MindSpark staple, this workshop gained such an overwhelming response that registrations for the event closed after 250 entries with several clamouring for more.
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Mechanical Engineering students
Engrossed students listening intently during the CNC Lathe workshop.
“The overwhelming response that the CNC Lathe workshop gained this year proves that this event has built up a brand of its own and is now a regular feature on the MindSpark calender.” – Mr. BB Gawas, Sr. Manager Applications, CNC Machines Division, Premier Ltd.
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PREMIER’S CSR INITIATIVES
EDUCATION
Premier has always embraced its human responsibility and has done its part to create a positive impact through its CSR activities, ensuring that all stakeholders — consumers, employees and the community — are benefitted. As always, Premier's corporate conscience is a mark of great pride. Here's a look at what we're doing.
REWARDING Vinod DoshiCOEP Merit Scholarship Last November, 10 students from the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) were rewarded with the Vinod Doshi-COEP Merit Scholarship for their commendable academic performance. The scholarship not only sponsors the scholars’ entire engineering course but ensures that the programme is a sustainable one.
Rahul V Waghmare, T. Y. Computer Science, College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) hosting a seminar for the Students Welfare Forum, of which he is the Joint Secretary.
Rahul Waghmare and Ankush Tapare, second-year scholars.
WELL-BEING PRIORITISED A programme which is of the student, by the student, for the student.
The entire Vinod Doshi-COEP Merit Scholars group.
Receiving the COEP Merit Scholarship changed Rahul V Waghmare's life in more ways than one. With the support extended to him, Rahul no longer needs to worry about his finances or work after college to support his education. He is now able to devote more time to studying and is also the Joint Secretary of the Student Welfare Forum (SWF) of the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP).
INCENTIVES FOR MOTIVATION
A special reward scheme was announced last year for all first-year scholars, wherein the top two students won a laptop each from the Vinod and Saryu Doshi Foundation.
Chitra Watwani is a girl of many talents: COEP scholar, part of the COEP chess team, and first-year topper.
“Pursuing my internship at Premier strengthened my aptitude for SAP and made the topic easier and more interesting.” – Chitra Watwani, first-year Computer Engineering topper
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"I learnt a lot from the nurturing mentorship and open-door policy. I would love to come back every vacation to learn more.” – Rahul Waghmare S. Y. B. Tech Computer Science intern
WELL-POSITIONED
The first batch of Vinod Doshi-COEP Merit Scholars is in its final year, ready to graduate. We are delighted to note that two of the five scholars, Vishnu Hogale and Nikhil Tekunte, have already been professionally well-placed. Apart from maintaining a good academic record, Vishnu and Nikhil also participated in COEP's third attempt to set a world record. Nikhil Telkunte and Vishnu Hogale, third-year 3,248 students engineering scholars. and teachers of COEP assembled to solve the Rubik's Cube within 10 minutes, in what is considered to be the highest number of people to attempt to solve this puzzle at a given point in time. Both our scholars have already started walking towards a bright and settled future, and we wish them nothing lesser than the best.
COMMUNITY
The Blue Shores Prison Art Project Exhibition 2012 Things We Lost in the Fire — A Memoir, a unique exhibition of paintings by the participants of Blue Shores Prison Art Project, was held from November 6–20, 2012 at the Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts. Attracting more than 2,000 visitors, the exhibit was the culmination of a four-year pilot syllabus, now in its second year.
"Blue Shores moves beyond therapy and teaches a different way of seeing and interacting with the world through the serious and committed practice of art for its own sake." – Margaret Mascarenhas, Blue Shores Founder-Director
Dr. Saryu Doshi lighting the lamp, declaring the exhibition open.
With the primary objective of teaching a collegelevel art syllabus to specially selected inmates who face long periods of incarceration, the project also documents the effect of pure arts on the psyche and world view of the participants — unlike any other prison art programme in the country. Supported by the Vinod and Saryu Doshi Foundation, Blue Shores is the brainchild of Margaret Mascarenhas (novelist and independent curator) and Swatee Nair (abstract artist and theorist) and is conducted at the Aguada Central Jail, Goa. Blue Shores intends to bring the exhibition to Mumbai this year.
“The works certainly underlined the therapeutic and psychological benefits of providing creative outlets for those living within prison walls. For, although prison terms are about consequences, they are also about rehabilitation.” Visitors at the exhibition appreciating the work of the participants.
The works of participants being shared through a reading.
– Dr. Saryu Doshi, noted art historian and Padma Shri awardee
Swatee Nair, co-founder of Blue Shores, and the Chief Minister of Goa appreciating the work of the participants.
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environment
PREMIER’S GREEN JOURNEY
THEATRICALLY ENVIRONMENTAL Premier supports the Environmental Art and Theatre competition
Earlier this year, Premier joined hands with Tree Public, an environmental NGO, to plant 10,000 trees in the heart of the city at Aundh, just 10 minutes away from its factory. Through this initiative, we also spread the message about the importance of the environment among school and college students.
“By supporting a children's theatre initiative, we provided a platform to showcase young talent. It was an added bonus for us that the children worked with an environmental theme; another of our interest areas.” – Erica deSouza, Head – Corporate Communication, Premier Ltd.
Children of Ahilya Devi School, sponsored by the Vinod and Saryu Doshi Foundation, on stage performing at the Environmental Art and Theatre competition. Premier tree plantation initiative.
CORPORATE EXCELLENCE Premier recognised by the Institute of Public Enterprise
"Being a winner on such a big stage among so many participants, I see my dream of becoming an actor turn into reality.”
– Mr. Aditya Ranade from Abhinav School, Pune and the winner of the Environmental Art and Theatre competition.
900 30 Participants
Pune Schools
Integration of two of the company's main CSR focus areas: the environment and the arts.
We are pleased to announce that Erica deSouza, Head – Corporate Communication has been conferred with the 'Corporate Excellence Award in Marcom' by the reputed Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) and endorsed by the World CSR Congress, World CSR Day, CMO Asia and Asian Confederation of Business.
IN GOOD BOOKS Premier features in CSR Good Book India 2012
CSR Good Book being released by Mrs. Rajashree Birla and Mrs. Shallu Jindal as part of the CSR Live Week.
Premier Ltd. features in the 2012 edition of the prestigious CSR Good Book — a compilation of the CSR activities of top corporate organisations in India.
EXCELLENCE IN CSR
Erica deSouza with the 'Corporate Excellence Award in Marcom' trophy. You do us proud, Erica!
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Premier is proud to have been shortlisted for the ‘Manufacturing Today Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility’. From a total of 158 companies, Premier ranked among the top six. Kudos to Team Premier!
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M A C H I N E S
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A U T O M O T I V E
pulse
HR and IR Update RiO Sales Training Page 22
The Sunset Club Auto Love Unlimited Page 24
Feedback High Praise! Page 26
Vice President (Finance and Legal) and Company Secretary
From the Desk of the CFO
Patents
A patent is an official document giving the holder the sole right to sell an invention and prevent others from imitating it. A patent is, therefore, a limited property right that the government offers to inventors in exchange for their agreement to share the details of their inventions with the public. It may be sold, licensed, mortgaged, assigned or transferred, given away, or simply abandoned.
Premier's Employee Policy and Procedures Manual will be launched in January 2013. Look out for your very own copy!
Congratulations!
Mr. Ramesh M Tavhare
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK
HR and IR Update
Did you know...? · A patent is not a right to practise or use the invention. Rather, a patent provides the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, offering for sale, or importing the patented invention for the term of the patent. · A patent, being an exclusionary right, does not necessarily give the owner of the patent the right to exploit the patent. · The term of a patent is twenty years from the date of filing of the patent application. Each application is associated with a single invention only, and patents can be renewed after this period on payment of a renewal fee. Why are patents important? · They protect the inventor’s time, effort and resources. · They establish the right to exclude others from making, using, selling or profiting from the invention. · They encourage innovation and growth.
A letter of praise and encouragement from Mr. Adhikari, President, Premier Ltd. to Ms. Sonal Daithankar, daughter of Premier employee, Mr. VM Daithankar.
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
The PCT is an international agreement for filing patent applications having effect in up to 117 countries. This treaty: · Simplifies the process of filing patent applications. · Delays the expenses associated with applying for patent protection in other countries. · Allows the inventor more time to assess the commercial viability of his/her invention.
Patents and Premier
Premier Ltd. is in a continuous process of innovations and productions and has filed 19 patents with the patent office. A few of these are: · Gear Tooth Chamfering and Rounding Machine · A Vertical Machine Centre · An Automobile · A System for Machining Railway Wheels · Turbo Diesel Engine · Naturally Aspirated Internal Combustion Engine Premier is in the process of filing further patents for processes and products, demonstrating the strong technical and innovation skills developed in-house. Premier constantly strives to create systems and a work environment that encourages intellect and the best design capability. To prevent misuse, these technologies are filed for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), enabling us to use them for the benefit of the industry as well as society.
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COLLECTIVELY, WE CAN! "Disasters always hit without warning. My wife, Gita, met with an accident, developed a crucial fracture in her right knee, and had to be operated on the very next day. Premier came to my help. Ms. Pranali Shinde (HR Department) showed great concern, explained everything to me, and led me through the forms and processes required. My seniors, Mr. Salokhe (AGM) and Mr. Gohil (Sr. Manager) were most accommodating. The mental support, which I needed the most, was provided by my colleagues as always. I am proud to be a part of the Premier family."
Yogesh Gosavi
Executive – Materials, Automotive Division
Ms. Pranali Shinde, Premier's 'go to' person, who helped Mr. Yogesh Gosavi deal with his personal crisis.
HR and IR Update
IN-HOUSE:
RIO SALES TRAINING PROGRAMME
The RiO sales training programme held in December was organised with the intention of introducing dealers to the different aspects of marketing the RiO, with the primary purpose of understanding the market for RiO and the prospective buyers of the vehicle. The training was divided into two parts. Day 1, i.e. December 3, 2012 detailed out the overall introduction, market analysis, competitor analysis, buying behaviour, discussion of features, and customer handling. Day 2, i.e. December 4, 2012 consisted of an explanation of the different promotional, sales-boosting schemes, roleplaying, a quick quiz, and certificate distribution. The overall objective of this training programme was to boost the confidence of the dealerships' sales executives and motivate them to do their best for the RiO. RiO dealers on the shop floor and (inset) in the showroom.
Other training programmes held from June–October 2012 • • • • • • • • • •
Welding Defects and Remedies
Automotive Sales Depot Process Educational Programme for Internal RiO Customers Supervisory Development CNC Machine Tools and Electrical Systems Induction Training Awareness of ISO 9001:2008 Introduction to SAP Applications Electrical Design Concepts Construction and Class Accuracy of Ball Screw Arrangements of Spindle Bearings in CNC Machine Tools
Euro IV, CRDI Engine Training Finance for Non-Finance People
EXTERNAL:
• Welding Training • Corporate Social Responsibility — A Private Sector Perspective • Demonstration of Panasonic Advanced Welding Technology • International Welding Symposium IWS 2K12!
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THE SUNSET SUNSET CLUB CLUB
AUTO LOVE UNLIMITED
Ex-employee of Premier Automobiles Limited and the current Managing Editor of Automotive Products Finder (a magazine for car enthusiasts), Bhushan Mhapralkar speaks to us about his childhood connection with and lifelong appreciation for Premier. Clockwise from below: Bhushan Mhapralkar; the Fiat 1100 that Bhushan grew up with; the 2005 Fiat Palio he also owns; Bhushan and his 2001 Fiat Siena (photo courtesy Ronny Vesuna).
During his young days, Bhushan I had the opportunity to look “The RiO with a Fiat MultiJet diesel at the passion that went into Mhapralkar was surrounded by family and friends who were engine brings back old memories. It’s work,” Bhushan recalls. This car passionate about their cars, most the coming together of two old friends aficionado was an avid reader of of which were manufactured at auto magazines and also used to once again. The RiO is a very good Premier. “While the Marutis and write in them during his tenure machine.” Ambassadors were still around at Premier. – Bhushan Mhapralkar with the new generation of cars, Managing Editor of Automotive the Premier 118NE continued to Bhushan considers the S1 to be Products Finder one of the best Padminis to have command a premium position,” been rolled out by the company, remembers Bhushan. This was the time when the young lad made up his mind to build a which did well despite the foreign competition at the time. “The liking for Fiat cars was born out of the years career in the auto industry. I spent with them. I grew up with a Fiat 1100. Those Bhushan joined Premier Automobiles Limited in 1996 were simple and sturdy machines that had no problem as a trainee engineer, and his stint with the company running on bad-quality fuel or bad roads,” laughs was his life’s most enriching experience. His learning Bhushan. Bhushan is now the owner of a 1973 Premier curve had reached a different level with the exposure President, a 2005 Fiat Palio and a 2001 Fiat Siena, all he received during his tenure. “It was at Premier that made at the Fiat-Premier plant in Kurla, Mumbai.
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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. ENGINEERING Division
Mr. AD Palkhe,
Executive (Technician)
Mr. RE Pawase,
Executive (Maintenance)
Mr. RS Bhase,
Mr. PG Tajane,
Mr. MD Patel,
Mr. AA Bramhane,
Executive (Production)
Executive (Quality Assurance)
Common SERVICES
Mr. MS Wable,
Executive (Quality Assurance)
Mr. RG Gaonkar,
Executive (Quality Assurance) Executive (Purchase)
Executive (Security)
Mr. RY Humane, Executive (Accounts)
Mr. MB Chavan,
Mrs. pa ojha,
Executive (Accounts)
Manager (Secretarial and Legal)
Mr. GS Parthe,
Executive (Accounts)
Executive (Materials)
Automotive Division
Mr. Abin Kunnappillil, Mr. VB Aglawe, Executive (Operations)
Mr. SM Shinde,
Executive (Production)
CNC Machines Division
Mr. Akash Sharma,
Manager (Quality Assurance)
Mr. JS Patil,
Executive (Design and Development)
DID YOU KNOW? Mr. Sahil Gupta,
Executive (Sales and Marketing)
Mr. Sundresh Shrivastava, Executive (Sales)
Mr. SS Salvi,
Executive (Sales)
Mr. Balbir Singh, Executive (Service)
Ms. Neelam Khadgi, Executive (Marketing)
Mr. KS Ansari,
Executive (Service)
Premier’s CNC Machines Division is in the process of implementing programmes to upgrade quality and technology to maintain its competitive edge in India and globally. Design engineers regularly present papers at international conferences and at the Machine Tool Design and Research Conference.
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www.premier.co.in
FEEDBACK
TRIVIA: Last Issue Winners
HIGH PRAISE!
We asked our readers to answer five simple questions about the RiO. We received many responses, and here are the five fastest winners! 1. Nitin Chavan, Design Engineering, TCS 2. John Mascarenhas, Executive Technician, CNC Machines 3. VR Prabhakaran, Consultant, Bharat Radiators Pvt. Ltd. 4. Kushal Desai, Asst. Manager – Sales and Marketing 5. Spenta Shroff, Manager – Learning and Development, CSR
Kushal Desai and Spenta Shroff receiving their prizes from Nidhi Singh
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Feedback on Issue #17
N G E N G I N E E R I
M A C H I N E S
E A U T O M O T I V
Issue 17 · August 2012 A Quarterly Newsletter
"Great job. Excellent issue!" – Manu P Toms, Principal Correspondent, Hindustan Times
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CNC MACHINES DIVISION
"Editorials, whether they TODAY are in a newspaper or a magazine, give direction EXCELLENCE YEARS OF ENGINEERING and reflect the policy of the media. The Edit In Focus News You Can Use Premier’s CSR Initiatives Desk of the latest issue of Premier Today has the potential of both. It is a treasure house of the activities of Premier, and facts and figures are marshalled logically. The language is simple, direct and cogent. Congratulations to the Editorial Board! – VR Prabhakaran Consultant, Bharat Radiators Pvt. Ltd. Making CSR the soul of the
company
RiO at Transcend 2012
New Dealerships
"I recently came across your newsletter, Premier Today, and felt inspired to contact and congratulate you on successfully completing 50 years of excellence." – Somik Bhattacharya Inside Sales Manager – West
Spenta Shroff (left) and Kushal Desai (right) receiving their prizes from Nidhi Singh.
Last Issue Winner
Car Connoisseur CorneR
We asked our readers three interesting questions about the RiO. The most exciting responses came from Mr. Pramod Bhalekar, Manager – Service, CNC Machines. Congratulations!
DEAR READER We thank members of the Premier family and those outside the organisation who have contributed to this magazine. We urge all our readers to use the power of the written word and send us stories, poems, quotations and any other inspirational content that you've written yourself. Anything written by anyone else, including material sourced from the Internet, will not be published. Show us your creative side... Be Different! The best three entries get gift vouchers. Send in your entries to:
Ms. Jheel Kacharia
Mr. Pramod Bhalekar receiving his prize from Nidhi Singh.
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Manager – Communication and Digital Marketing, Corporate Communication, at jheelkacharia@premier.co.in
OPEN LETTER ON IMTEX Dear Valued Customer, We are sure you must be preparing to visit IMTEX 2013 in Bengaluru. As a regular exhibitor, you may be surprised to find that we, one of the pioneers of IMTEX, are not participating this year. This is because we have decided to change course. We will be working extensively with all our customers on a one-on-one basis, over the next year, offering total customised solutions for all their manufacturing requirements. Should you need more information or would like us to get in touch, please drop us a line at mtdsales@premier.co.in or call us on +91-9325378768. Regards, Mr. DS Totre Vice President, CNC Machines Division