The going has been really good for Mirachem Industriies. In fact, the company’s business in the country has expanded consistently over the years, thanks to its continuous innovation in products and services and the strong customer relationship. Operating across India and South Asia, the company has clearly emerged a leading supplier of speciality chemicals to the Indian textile industry. Spearheading much of Mirachem Industriies’ growth in India is Managing Director Dr Aneel Kashi Murarka. In an interview to The Textile Magazine, he spoke in detail about the company’s growth story so far and the future expansion strategy
Mirachem Industriies is one of the leading suppliers of high-performance textile speciality chemicals in the Indian subcontinent. It focuses on providing superior quality, economic advantage and prompt service to its clients. The company’s quality control labs, research and development centre and manufacturing facility are optimised for operational efficiency. It was established in 1969 by Kashi Murarka, who started this business offering only laundry products with one small unit for manufacturing. In 1981, Dr Aneel Kashi Murarka joined the business at the young age of 14. Since then, the infrastructure and family have both grown amazingly well. Here are excerpts from what Dr Murarka has to say about the company:
The Roots
Coming from humble roots, my father started his career as a sales personnel in a clothing shop. Today, he’s the founder and chairman of the company. He is the brain behind the chemistry and the whiz behind operational efficiency and we would be incomplete without him. Following in the footsteps of my father, my commitment to the team and the organisation remain undeviating. As the Managing Director, I look after marketing, client relations and represent Mirachem Industriies across the globe. We at Mirachem Industriies believe that environmental protection and social responsibility are essential for our long-term success and sustainability.
As such, we are continuously seeking ways and means to reduce the impact on environment by optimising our operations and making employees and customers aware of the importance of protecting the environment. ‘Reduce, Recycle and Reuse’ are the basic principles for optimisation of resources and minimising waste. Our commitment to sustainable development is clear once you look at our track record over the years on how we have redefined business, philanthropy and environmental protection. We believe that business is not just a standalone proposition created solely for the purpose of generating wealth. We make a living by what we get. But we make a life by what we give.
Products and Solutions
We offer products for suitings, shirtings, home textiles, denim, wool, synthetic fibres, knits and other substrates. You can find products for the entire gamut of textile production with us. Mirachem Industriies is one of the first few companies to have its chemical products approved by GOTS for organic textiles. All our products are GOTS and ZDHC certified and comply with the norms of REACH, ECHA, Oeko-Tex and all such other environment regulatory agencies. Our company now offers an extensive range of auxiliaries, which are approved under Eco Passport. Our experts in cotton processing have defined how to use our products to achieve sustainable and optimised results in organic cotton processing using the best available technology in pre-treatment, dyeing and finishing.
Manufacturing Infrastructure and Capacity
Our manufacturing facility is built on 50,000 sq. feet of land and our plant is situated in MIDC near Pune in Maharashtra. With close proximity to rail, air and port services it offers great connectivity while predominant batch processes offer manufacturing flexibility. Our quality control labs employ a dual testing method and conduct a variety of in-house tests to ensure the highest quality standards. We have now a strong presence in the textile processing industry thanks to our research and development department professionals who work non-stop to bring forth new technologies for our clients. With a range of application testing equipment, we aim to scale-up in record-breaking time!
Recent Investments and Capacity Expansion
We are also planning to get into agro-based manufacturing setup. It’s too premature to talk what and how but very shortly there will be something in the offing. Coming back to what the ground realities of the current business are, we are planning to get into a joint collaborations with overseas companies for new innovations. As regards investments, they keep happening day in and day out and there is nothing specific in terms of numbers. Our main area of focus is the research and development cell. That is, prima-facia, this is our main focus area that will call for some major investment. It’s also the future.
Innovations and Technology Advantage
A continuous improvement in our products with a focus on efficiency, ecology and economy is an ongoing process in our development lab. All our new product ideas are sourced from our customers since their feedback is taken seriously and their evolving needs are precisely identified. These are discussed in our brainstorming sessions attended by the top management. They are then evaluated for potential value and feasibility and resources are deployed according to priorities. The products are then developed, evaluated in labs, refined and launched. We do not like to rest on our past laurels.
Also, frank feedback from customers about the products when discussed with our production and development team helps us in improving the current recipes and processes to improve efficiency. Mirachem Industriies’ ‘green chemistry initiative’ means thinking ahead and has the potential to create markets for such products and for the minds that develop them. Reducing waste in our facilities is top on our list of priorities. By generating less waste in the first place, and reusing, recycling and recovering materials wherever possible benefits the environment while also enabling more streamlined, efficient operations.
Domestic and Export Business
Our current growth target is to keep increasing revenue every year. We are also passionate about creating customer-centric experiences, and for this we are working towards enhancing our strong international and domestic presence. Today, we have a rock-solid distribution network and to take client relations a step ahead we are looking to tap more end-users in India and globally. As regards our key customers, all the corporate clients manufacturing fabric are our key customers. Each customer is important to us irrespective of the smallest order of 50 kg to the biggest of 50 tons. Globally, we export to Bangladesh, Turkey, Iran and to other developing nations.
The Company USPs
The fact is that every manufacturer has a versatile group of products. What gives us an edge against our competitors is the backbone of the company – our research and development. Before we offer any product to our customers, we ensure that it is in favour of a green environment. All the products manufactured in-house are to ensure that they are 100% eco-friendly. Another USP is that we always test the products at floor levels before launching them. This is done with a textile company that has been very close to us since the past 40 years. It serves as a platform for launching any new products. If the testing is successful with that particular textile company, we become confident that it will work with all the other companies.
Today, most companies revolve around the principles of quality control systems (QCS) but at Mirachem Industriies we term this as quality cost services. Moreover, our tagline says it all: Breathing Life into Fabric and Fabric that Breathes Life into You. I think it is self-explanatory. When you are in attire that is required for an occasion, what is more important is the comfort zone provided by what you wear and how you carry yourself. That’s what our forte is and that is what the tagline talks about. Essentially, it is all about creating products that benefit both, the person who is wearing them and the environment.
Turnover and Profits
We have a different take on turnover and profit. It’s not just about the growth of Mirachem Industriies. Rather, it also involves the nation’s growth. The government talks about fiscal deficit and it is all Latin and Greek to me. I personally have believed in one thing in life: the day when no countrymen will sleep with an empty stomach is the day our fiscal deficit will become better. There is no point talking about the growth of a company. We all keep working towards growth and we all want to do something better. But is that growth really helping mankind? That’s more important. Let’s not just focus on our individual growth.
Instead, let’s focus on how we can make our people around grow with us. That’s the modality. I don’t believe in talking about figures here since they are all available online. We will continue investing on expanding our sales and service activities in the country. Further, we will accelerate the expansion programme depending upon the achievements made in the next three years. Since, at the moment, speciality chemicals is getting top priority in India and globally too, we would like to see more value-addition in the mid-segment market as well. Our research and development efforts are aligned in that direction to be able to create new products and solutions.
Focus on Sustainability
I don’t know why this word sustainable has suddenly come into the picture in current times? Sustainable or sustainability was always the case. Who would really want you if you were not into sustainability? As mentioned earlier, the term QCS that we employ i.e. quality cost services takes into account three prime factors which look at sustainability. Products have to be sustainable without which a customer will not want you in the market. This has to translate into the way you manufacture the products. Reduction in process hours will automatically get into reduction in water consumption. And all this has to be cost-effective. That’s what key to sustainability is.
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Vision and Mission 2025
The speciality chemicals domain in the country is highly futuristic and dynamic as it caters to a variety of flourishing domestic industries. Some areas with tremendous scope include meeting the demand for new-age vehicles. Furthermore, India is moving along with the world towards a new age. India is a global leader today in the chemical sphere. Many manufacturing giants all over the world are also moving towards our country for their speciality chemical requirements as China takes a back seat in the post-pandemic era. So, the prospects are excellent for the domain in the coming years. The future is undoubtedly bright for Mirachem Industriies and yes for the industry at large.
We are reasonably well-positioned now to take advantage of this global trend of shifting focus from Chinese to Indian products. Also, if we succeed in building a presence in businesses that are cleaner, greener and more sustainable, there will be plenty of new business opportunities coming our way in the coming years. I believe that if there’s something you want to make it happen or think will happen in the next 10-12 years, you should do it today. All efforts should be highly focused so that you produce what is required in the world in the most efficient manner possible without damaging any of the earth’s resources. Always try to think ahead of your competitors. That is what will keep a company ahead of the curve.
Leadership is a two-way process. You gain experience from the company and you add value back to the company.