We are able to pass on various benefits of this procurement position to our customers. In every product, we optimise the raw material.

  Soujanya Color Pvt Ltd is in the field of chemical manufacture for a considerable period of time. Headquartered in Mumbai, the company has crafted a name in the country. We speak to Jashan Ashesh Bhumkar, Director, Soujanya Color Pvt Ltd about the company, the procurement guidelines followed and on other topics.

Range of products for the industry
Speaking about the range of products offered by Soujanya to the chemicals industry, Bhumkar  said, “Recently, we have undertaken a shift towards greener chemistries – as a result, we now offer a range of VOC-free universal machine colorants, VOC-free aqueous pastes and solvent-free colorants for epoxies, composites and polyurethanes. Our products are also free of heavy metals.”

The company offers tinting solutions for the chemicals and coatings industry. “We manufacture colorants for architectural as well as industrial coatings, construction chemicals, flooring (epoxy and polyurethane), reinforced composite materials, wood coatings, plastics and various water based applications including inks, personal care etc,” he further said.

Why Soujanya?
“Over three decades, we have developed a uniquely strong understanding of pigment chemistry and dispersion technology, putting us among the Top Three colorant companies in the world. Our fully automated production facility located in Mumbai is today Asia’s largest colorant manufacturing unit, with stringent process control and foolproof systems that ensure batch-to-batch consistency,” Bhumkar  answers when asked about the points that give Soujanya an edge over others.

“We believe in offering more than just products – we offer a complete on-going service to the customer. Wherever there is any need or concern about colour, we aim to be there with our valued customer. To that effect, we provide continuous technical support, a dedicated shade development team, product customisation and optimisation with respect to performance requirements, and software to bring about marriage of the colorant with the tinting machine,” he adds.

Innovations in recent times
Bhumkar  feels that the main change on the innovation front is that buzzwords of yesterday, such as ‘green’ and ‘nanotechnology,’ have become realities today. He explains, “Take for example nanotechnology. A decade ago, academic institutions and innovation centres of various organisations undertook extensive research in the field. Today in the market, high performance nano-materials, especially nano-coatings for targeted, niche, high-value applications are being introduced at a rapid rate, and the nano-coatings segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 25 per cent between now and 2020.”

According to Bhumkar , another big drive is in the field of energy efficiency. He says,“The energy sector has expanded its umbrella to include not just the sources and production of energy itself, but also various other aspects such as energy-efficiency, energy storage and energy saving . There is huge potential here for the chemicals and coatings space, with key innovations being in the area of energy-saving coatings for automobiles and chemical processes. There is also increased usage of energy-efficient composite materials for construction, mass transport systems and aircrafts.”
Procurement and payment methods
Sharing about the procurement practices that are followed at Soujanya, Bhumkar  said, “We are able to pass on various benefits of this procurement position to our customers. In every product, we optimise the raw material mix – pigments, carriers, surfactants etc. – to give the best performance with the best economics. Additionally, the efficiency gains resulting from enduring relationships are very significant – not only in terms of added efficiencies to our business, but also in terms of shorter lead times and reduced inventories for our customers.”

In addition to this, Bhumkar  also feels that the support of the  suppliers, helps them constantly improve upon existing products as well as introduce new products in the market with quick scale-up from R&D to production scale.

When asked about the payment and the credit terms with the clients, Bhumkar  said that the credit terms are closely linked with the relationship that builds between the companies over time. “Credit terms are closely linked with the relationship that builds between the companies over time,” says Bhumkar.
Crossing hurdles
When asked about handling situations like breakdowns, Bhumkar  said that the year 2014-15 was more of a turbulent one. “Though the times were tough, we took that as an opportunity to enhance our capabilities. We put a lot of focus on technology and innovation, and within one year completed product
development for 3 new products. On the process side, we launched a company-wide ‘Khara Sona’ (Pure Gold) campaign, to improve and re-standardise every product and every
process along the lines of ‘Pure Gold’ as a metaphor.”

“The main idea behind these initiatives was to realise that bad times and downturns are cyclical – when things outside are low, if we invest time and effort internally, we are in a much better position when things turn upside again. All these efforts did pay off, and for the previous financial year 2015-16, we recorded growth upwards of 30 per cent. Today we are ever-ready and poised to offer increased value to our customers, all thanks to effective use of breakdowns and downturns as opportunities,” sums up Bhumkar .