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Education – India until 1974

I was born in New Delhi to Indian Punjabi parents, my father was a governmental official at the Ministry of Defence, and my mother – the home maker. I did my schooling at The Mother’s International School, ranked as the best in Delhi for multiple years (Outlook survey 2001). Compared to other educational institutions, her vision and methodology were truly holistic. Her integral education aimed at physical, emotional, mental and spiritual personality, and preparing for lifelong learning. Especially, the proclivity for all-round knowledge and scholarship, and the aptitude for consistency in high performance got ingrained in me during that period of my formative years. I concluded my school education in 1972 with “distinctions” from the “Central Board of Secondary Education”, New Delhi.

At the University of Delhi, I did my Pre-Medical with distinctions in 1973 and the second year BSc Honours in Botany in 1974.

Education – Poland, 1974-83

In 1974 I received an Indian Government scholarship for studies at the AGH Technical University of Mining and Metallurgy in Cracow, Poland. I lived and studied there, and concluded my Masters of Technology (MTech Mechanical Engineering) with Good-Plus in 1980. I got awarded yet another scholarship for doctoral studies, this time from the Polish Government. Simultaneously, I became a research scholar at the AGH Faculty of Mining and Metallurgical Machinery.

I did my research for PhD in rock drilling process optimisation in-situ in opencast mines with the machines made by Böhler (Austria), Atlas Copco (Sweden), Hausherr and Krupp Widia (both Germany). Besides shorts stays in those companies, I did a four-month practical training in 1982 at M/s Wirth in Erkelenz in the Drilling Machines – Project Department. Much beyond a training in the German company, I got exposure to other German, West European, Japanese and American manufacturers making similar equipment. I also got the opportunity to take deep dives into procured components like hydraulic systems of Rexroth or large diameter slewing bearings form Rothe Erde, the hammer forging of heavy duty parts from Dillinger, or tungsten carbide drilling bits made by Krupp Widia.

I defended my PhD thesis in Cracow, in Jan 1984 with Very Good marks. Tremendous emphasis had been placed on the methodology for statistical analysis for optimisation.

Mining and Metallurgical Machinery 1984-1996

Following my doctoral degree I joined Wirth Maschinen- und Bohrgeräte GmbH in Erkelenz in February 1984. I then shifted to the Federal Republic of Germany with my family and have been living here since.

I started at Wirth, then the “pearl” in the Otto Wolff Group of Companies, as a Technical Delegate for developing Sales Plans and establishing Sales Coordination and Follow-up procedures. Thereby, for Sales Management’s endeavours to gain a definitive leadership edge, I conducted a thorough Market Study, as well as Competitive and SWOT Analysis. I assisted the Sales and Marketing Management in carrying out specific tasks related to the most comprehensive strategy plans hitherto and budgeting. I participated in numerous trade fairs, seminars and congresses, wrote and published several technical articles which were later compiled into a larger sales manual for representatives.

An internal project for oilwell drilling components supplied to Norwegian Petroleum Corporation was managed by me. On the one hand, satisfying QA- requirements based on entirely revised standards, made me penetrate our entire organisation – her production planning and actual production, procurement and supplier QA, warehousing and logistics; on the other hand, our documents’ integration into the customer’s revealed to me the intricacies of a much larger project management in Norway. I came to absorb deep knowledge, thus adding enormous value to myself.

In 1988, at Putzmeister GmbH in Aichtal, in close vicinity to the Owner and Managing Director, I learnt prudent management of resources in a rapidly growing company with meticulous cost controls and state-of-the-art supplier chain. At the same time, I independently elaborated strategical planning procedures for the company, conducted statistical regression of failure data as well as compounded the performance results of collated field data for improving subsequent machine designs.

From 1989 until 1991, I worked in prestigious, highly technologised mining machinery manufacturers with deep vertical integration: the Gebr. Eickhoff Maschinenfabrik- und Eisengießerei mbH as Product and Market Research Manager and later in Gewerkschaft Eisenhütte GmbH (Westfalia Lünen) as Sales Manager Export for English speaking countries. Both companies complement each other in products and services; they are worldwide leaders in their respective fields.

Both as Product and Market Research Manager and Sales Manager, my emphasis was placed on English speaking “mining” countries – the USA, South Africa, Australia, and also China, CIS and India. Geo-technical mining data availed worldwide was analysed and matched with actual machine design parameters. Competitive analysis was carried out encompassing both technical and commercial details, including value-analysed costs structures. Company and joint venture constructs were studied, as were those of the competitors. These activities paved the way for board position at the Indian subsidiary, Bharat Westfalia.

In 1992-96, I was at InterStahl GmbH in Hünxe, an internationally well-known supplier of niché equipment to the steel industry. I started as Sales and Marketing Director, also responsible for Group’s sales through subsidiaries and representatives worldwide. I played a crucial role in rendering alpha-numeric marking machines and machine reading systems integratable into intra-company tracking logistics software of steel makers and other metallurgical companies. Successful cooperations were initiated and followed up with Thyssen Krupp, Dillinger, Rautaruukki, British Steel, Novy Oskol, Magnitagorsk, Nippon Steel, Nucor, just to name a few. Just as the largest steel plants were addressed, so were the manufacturers of integrated steel making machinery, e.g. continuous casting and rolling equipment, like Schloemann Siemag, Mannesmann Demag Hüttentechnik, Danieli, and many more. Later, after acquisition of InterStahl by an Austrian Group, I became responsible for the group strategy.

In a six-month interim position at Inocon GmbH, a hi-tech sister company in Austria manufacturing components for assembly lines, I took forward the cooperations with, e.g. renowned research institutes like Joanneum Research in Graz, Austria for vision classification and finding applications in diverse industries. Further, it should be mentioned that Inocon successfully researched the use of cold plasma for surface hardening through to medical disinfection. With Sony we signed an Exclusive Representative Agreement for SCARA Robots for the markets of Central and Eastern Europe, and the CIS.

Power, Chemical, Petrochemicals – Plants and Machinery

In 1996 I started at Deutsche Babcock, first as Managing Director of Babcock Rohrleitungsbau GmbH subsidiary in India, the Deutsche Babcock Piping Systems Limited, and later – after her dismantling, continued as one of the Executive Directors of Deutsche Babcock’s Balcke-Dürr AG subsidiary, the Balcke-Dürr and Wabag Technologies Limited in Madras, India.

Market studies were carried out and strategic industries established as Power, Chemicals, Refineries and Fertilisers; Implementation of Key-Account Management at large customers like NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation), Engineering India Limited, IFFCO, as well as consortium leaders like Siemens AG, Asea Brown Boveri AG were performed. Selective activities with respect to collaborations with Japanese companies, like Hitachi, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, etc. were conducted too. The sales-supporting staff at the mother companies in Germany was integrated, turn-key inquiries in power and industrial sectors were acquired and processed.

The products allocated to me for the Power Industry were Balance-of-Plant, i.e. all the mechanical equipment of the power plants other than turbines and steam generators. For example, BoP consists of stationary heat exchangers like turbine condensers, large air-intake filters, water demineralisation plants (water for steam generation), etc.

Other products assigned were the steam generators (boilers) of Balcke-Dürr design for waste heat recovery, Nordex wind turbines, Borsig Chemical and Petrochemical equipment including specific equipment – reactors, heat exchangers, compressors and valves, as well as total turbine packages of TUMA Turbomach SA of Switzerland.

The Sales Organisation was expanded to cater to this wide range of sales and services. I led the training and development of a qualified sales and engineering team and expanded the range of offered systems by developing and qualifying additional system partners. These measures played a decisive role in certifying the companies by IBR, EIL and other approvals. The outsourcing of low value-added products, services and engineering, was executed and implemented also for the mother company in Germany.

The most successful indigenous development was design modification of Balcke-Dürr waste heat recovery boilers, especially for DG-sets exhaust gas, manufactured by MAN, Wärtsilä, et al. These were marketed in large numbers locally and evoked substantial interest abroad.

Automotive 2000-14

In 2000 I changed to the Automotive industry and started at MAHLE GmbH, one of the largest internal-combustion engine component suppliers worldwide. I was employed there for five years for managing her Indian subsidiaries.

I got acquainted with the MAHLE design and engineering, production processes, and R&D in her most important European and Japanese works; a longer stay in Brazil served to impart the distinctive features of an emerging market. The foundations for challenging benchmarks in India were established and their successful implementation triggered with immediate effect.

As “Managing Director Designate” of its largest subsidiary and as “Chairman of the Board of Directors” in another, the Best Practices were defined, the TQM and TPM implemented, Statistical Process Control as well as JIT and Cell/ Modular Production introduced. By involving complete management and workers’ representatives, Continuous Improvement Processes were reanalysed, accelerated and extended. Thereby the potentials for additional performance, but also for quality could be tapped. These improvements were also the groundwork for stepwise QS 9000 certification.

Together with our JV partners, substantial labour-cost reductions in bargains with the national Trade Union leaders were achieved. Worth mentioning is the floating of Voluntary Retirement Scheme which resulted in early pensioning of 800 workers (from original 4,800), as well as institution of a performance-dependent remuneration.

In Sales and Marketing, we could, in line with Key-Account-Management, increase our market shares, but also acquire numerous purchase orders for concurrent developments. Major adjustments in the Aftermarket network were set off thereby not only expanding busi¬ness volumes within India but also internationalising the business.

Detailed Strategic Plans were elaborated, resulting in targets for works’ modernisation and capacity expansion as well as taking over of engineering jobs for the mother company.

I actively participated in the technical and financial evaluations (due-diligences) for acquisitions of numerous potential companies as well as for arranging imminent mergers.

In 2005-07 at MAN Commercial Vehicles, first as Chairman of the Management Board of MAN Star Trucks & Buses in Poland with locations in Poznan and Starachowice, my foremost task was carrying out organisational changes for improved integration between the two Polish works. The reorganisation led to increasing the EBT from € 34.8 mn to € 41.5 mn despite reduced turnover from € 237 mn to € 221 mn through product mix rectifications, ERP- optimisation and austerity measures throughout the company. The number of DIO was significantly reduced, so was the WiP. Significant investments (€ 90 mn) for improving life-cycle costs as well as expanding production capacity were carried out at MAN resulting in its being nominated “Investor of the Year 2005” in Poland by the daily Gazeta Prawna (Axel Springer Publishing House). An additional 15,000 trucks assembly unit was being erected in Southern Poland then, in the vicinity of Cracow.

As a Member of the Management Board of NEOMAN Bus Group in Salzgitter, Germany, I actively participated in pan-management priority projects aimed at reduction of and adherence to the delivery schedules and greater customer satisfaction.

Later, in 2006, I took the overall management for the buses joint venture with Force Motors in India. Comprehensive studies were carried out for target markets in Asia, CIS and Turkey, and business-cum-manufacturing plans made prior to signing the Letter-of-Intent in Hanover in presence of the Indian incumbent Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel.

In 2007-08, at Daimler AG in Stuttgart, as Director Designate – Manufacturing Operations – Global Matrix India (later Daimler India Commercial Vehicles), I analysed the different processes and methods of vehicle production, and engines and transaxle assemblies at Mercedes works in Germany, Brazil, Turkey and at Fuso-Japan during lengthier stays there. Line concepts for body-in-white, paint shop, cab trim, frame assembly, final assembly and testing, were extensively cross-checked, critically evaluated and discussed with Daimler Trucks’ Global Production Planning Department. Choosing the most appropriate systems, benchmarks and key performance indicators and blending them with latest Mercedes lean production guiding principles were accentuated all the way through. Proposals for rapid localisation and indigenisation in close partnership with Tier-1 suppliers were worked out. These also pertained to simultaneous engineering, capacity enhancement and assurance of Quality-Cost-Delivery and Safety and Environment parameters. My recommendations, together with those of the Planning Department were effectively incorporated into the production systems of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles.

At BPW Bergische Achsen (2008-14) in Wiehl I started as Business Development Director. BPW, one of the Top 30 German “Hidden Champions”, is a leading global manufacturer of intelligent running gear systems for trailers and semi-trailers. As a mobility and system partner, it creates the highest level of transparency in loading and transport processes and enables efficient fleet management. On a special assignment to Poland for seven months as CEO, I realigned our market activities as well as all the areas of financing, budgeting and controlling. On another assignment to India for four years, I was responsible for the establishment of Indian subsidiary with immediate emphasis on the local market imports from BPW’s Chinese subsidiary, as well as carrying out feasibility studies for ASEAN countries. We established a stable Supplier Chain Management including the local Quality Gates for whole of the BPW group with suppliers from India, the Far- and the Middle East.

BPW Trailer Systems India Private Limited has come a long way since and now an established running gear manufacturer in India.

Interim 2014 onwards

In 2014 I joined Fackelmann GmbH + Co. KG in Herzbruck as Director Projects.

With a brand awareness of 80% in high-end kitchen and bath products, Fackelmann is one of the leading household goods companies worldwide. She serves her customers along the entire supply chain with her own brand universe or with private label solutions that are specially tailored to the individual requirements. She has several production sites in Germany, France, Poland, China (as many as four) and India and more than 40 business units spread across the world.

Until 2017 I have been a consulting/sparring partner to her subsidiary, the European Quality Housewares at Hong Kong, Mainland China and India. Especially, the Indian subsidiaries engaged were Rajan Manufacturing and Fackelmann INDA Kitchenware in India and Dubai.

Emphasis has been on business expansion, supplier network and enhancing and technologising production. Selective assignments are still ensuing.

Since 2017, I have been engaged with selective consulting assignments in commercial vehicles and electrical buses in Germany, India and Canada, with the diesel engine technology in Germany and India, chemicals (especially coolants) for Automotive in India and surface treatment of mechanical parts in Germany and India.

In 2021, I also joined WP Human Capital Group in Bad Homburg v. d. H., where I am responsible for ASEAN business as head of the Indian Desk. The focus here is particularly on corporate restructuring.

Since the beginning of 2025, we have also started recruiting skilled workers in cooperation with the Chelsea AiCademy of the ABAAM Group, where I am one of the the Executive Directors. This includes engineers for the German D-A-CH engineering and manufacturing industry on the one hand, and medical staff for healthcare facilities on the other.

Addendum

Tabular CV and testimonials shall be availed personally