Manufacturing cost-effective and sustainable steel is the new high.

Satish Kumar Agarwal, Chairman & Managing Director of Kamdhenu Ltd., speaks about the growing trend in green construction using steel and TMT products.

How are current global infrastructure trends affecting steel and TMT products?

The growing trend for green construction to reduce carbon footprint, enhance structural life, use cutting edge technologies, and the need for sustainability all affect how steel and TMT products are manufactured, marketed, and deployed in construction sites worldwide. The growing emphasis on sustainability has accelerated the adoption of eco-friendly building materials and local sourcing, among other things. It has encouraged manufacturers to produce more ecofriendly products and invest in more sustainable and waste-free designs.

What distinguishing features of your product line give you a competitive advantage?

Products in our portfolio benefit from our in-house research and development facility, which ensures the best possible quality and features that conform to the current need and construction requirements. From products that deliver superior strength and enhanced bonding for modern design requirements to manufacturing processes that deliver the best possible quality at an affordable cost to the end consumer.

The angular double rib design of Kamdhenu Nxt and the 360o locking technology of Kamdhenu PAS 10000, for example, offer effective earthquake resistance and an ultra-strong grip on concrete. The manufacturing process of our products also conforms to international quality standards.

How are the global supply chain issues adding challenges to your business?

India largely depends on imports to meet its requirements for coking coal to manufacture steel and TMT products. Any global supply chain disruption impacts steel prices in the country as steelmakers need to raise their prices to recover the rising import costs. In a competitive market with price-sensitive customers, any price increase is bound to be noticed and reflected in sales.

Today, Kamdhenu TMT is the largest TMT-selling brand in India in the retail segment, with more than 8,500 dealers and distributors exclusively in the steel business. We either have to raise prices or absorb the rising cost of production to retain market share. This has an impact on our margins and, in turn, on our growth.

How well is your organisation innovating to offer maximum efficiency and durability to the customers?

Along with operating at maximum efficiency and productivity, offering maximum efficiency and durability to our customers is an important goal at Kamdhenu. We have a
fully equipped modern innovation centre with a strong R&D practice to help us achieve that goal. The in-house centre helps us develop and produce products based on
customer requirements.

We also deploy trained technical staff at all our franchisee units to deliver the same quality standards as what is produced at our in-house plants. We also support technology upgradation and adoption to help our franchisees keep up with the latest technological developments. Our pioneering business model of decentralised production also ensures maximum agility in process upgrades and technology transfers while enabling us to remain close to our customers.

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