DCM Shriram Limited is a leading business conglomerate with a group turnover of over US$ 1 Billion. The Group’s research and development based Hybrid Seeds business has a presence in India, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.
DCM Shriram is also in a joint venture with Axiall Inc., U.S. for PVC compounds.
After The Doon School, Dehradun (India), Mr. Shriram obtained a Bachelors degree in Commerce from Sydenham College, Bombay. He attended various training and management development programs in India and overseas. He participated in the "Programme for Management Development” at the Harvard Business School, Boston USA.
Mr Shriram is also the Chairman of the Governing Body of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), a Trustee of SOS Children Villages of India and a Patron of Save the Children India.
He was President and Chairman of International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), Paris; and was Chairman, Agriculture Committee, International Fertilizer Industry Association, Paris. He has chaired numerous other boards.
He talked to Leading Lights on a recent CII visit to London, describing what he feels about prospects for the coming years of the BJP government. This week another major CII conference hits town.
Ajay said that development and growth were objectives for PM Modi. Also, having been a chief minister for over 12 years, “He has shown what good governance can do. He has brought Gujarat to among the highest developed states in the nation. Gujarat in the last 10 years has had an average GDP growth in agriculture of over 10%. He’s aware of the need for inclusivity- at the farmer or villager level- and that agriculture needs a focus because 65% of India’s population lives there. This is one state where about 900,000 hectares of land, he has ensured, has irrigation so water conservation is better and productivity is higher.
When the Tata group was having problems in west Bengal, he got in touch with the Tata chairman and within 24 hours gave him land. He’s focused and knows what he wants. He isn’t planning big bang announcements, but structured, planned development over the next three or four years.”
The Asian Voice pointed out that managing India is a different proposition to managing a state, with a rampant middleman problem. “It is complex as we have 29 states and another seven union territories. We’ve got a PM who knows state issues and who knows the problems with the Centre. His was an opposition state. So he knows how difficult it is. The focus of Centre-state collaboration is their focus. I believe they are setting up secretary, minister and chief minister fora, for interaction with timeframes. For example, he has said that there should not be more than four levels of permissions and two weeks of decision making. His memory is phenomenal and he has good people, so we are optimistic. We expect to see outcomes within months.”
Pressing Mr Shriram, we asked about his wish list for India.
“We require investments to go up and to deliver what they are scheduled to deliver. On a World Bank rating for ease of doing business, out of 189 countries, India ranked 134. The PM took up this issue with us when he was CM. Our remit has been; what is the best in each state and how other states can copy the best. Let’s not reinvent the wheel.
There are also the procedural requirements for starting business,
getting power and items for starting a business; the regulatory environment. How can that be simplified? We suggest bringing in more self- certification.
Streamline the legal framework, so that you have streamlined decision making. For instance we were discussing recently with an American company in India; Starbucks. They said they required 51 signatures!
Posco, a South Korean company, has been in India for nine years trying to do business. Who is going to wait that long?
A transparent road path of government policy is important. There needs to be a
change of sentiment; the government has to work with business and industry as partners. Business is a partner for the country’s growth.”
Mr Shriram mentioned that India requires 10-12 million jobs to be created over the next ten years. He said that when the PM met 75 secretaries recently, he asked them each to identify 10 laws which are redundant, obsolete, that can be removed.
Finally, he said, visa restrictions need changing-especially in business.
“We have to make sure that where a person is required to come for economic activity it should be ensured that they are not hindered because of visas.”
..........................................................................................................................
“Streamline the legal framework, so that you have streamlined decision making.”
