Aparna Reddy wins Women Entrepreneur Award from ZEE BUSINESS.

Ms. Aparna Reddy, Director of AEL, wins Women Entrepreneur Award from ZEE BUSINESS Dare to Dreams Awards for her outstanding efforts in making the business grow in the FY 2018-19.

Aparna Enterprises Limited (AEL) is a part of the highly successful Aparna Group. Founded in the year 1990, AEL prides in having the largest market share in South India through a range of businesses in building-material products, such as RMC (Ready Mix Concrete), uPVC windows and doors, uPVC profiles, Tiles and Sanitaryware fittings. Associated with several landmark projects for over 28 years, AEL is globally renowned for setting benchmarks in technology, research, design, and quality.

Ms. Aparna Reddy, Director of AEL, had a conversation with Telangana Today.

Aparna Enterprises Limited (AEL) is a part of the highly successful Aparna Group. Founded in the year 1990, AEL prides in having the largest market share in South India through a range of businesses in building-material products, such as RMC (Ready Mix Concrete), uPVC windows and doors, uPVC profiles, Tiles and Sanitary ware fittings. Associated with several landmark projects for over 28 years, AEL is globally renowned for setting benchmarks in technology, research, design, and quality.

Ms. Aparna Reddy, Director of AEL, had a conversation with B Krishna Mohan, Editor of Telangana Today.

Why Aparna Crusher has become one of the most trusted names?

Aparna Enterprises Meeting Demand.

T Chandra Sekhar, Technical Director, Aparna Enterprises, reveals to Maria R why Aparna Crusher has become one of the most trusted names in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and gives credit to Puzzolana’s high-tech machines for helping them deliver high-quality products.

How do you see the pace of growth and development in India’s Infrastructure and residential construction sector?
We see great growth in infrastructure and residential construction in India. Some of the factors contributing to this growth are policies taken by the Indian Govt. over the years. In the Union Budget 2018-19, `71,000 crores was allocated for national highways and `19,000 crores to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for development of roads in rural areas. Highway network in the country is expected to grow to 50,000 km by 2019. We can also see that national highway construction in India increased by 20% year-on-year in 2017-18. Also, the creation of National Highways Investment Promotion Cell (NHIPC) is attracting foreign and domestic investment in India’s highway projects. Indian real estate market is expected to touch $180 billion by 2020 and contribute 11% to the GDP.

What led Aparna Enterprises to diversify from manufacturing building products to real estate to quarrying of aggregates and sand manufacturing? What are the strengths of each business vertical?
The company started trading tiles in 1990. When founder SS Reddy recognized the need for quality building materials, he became determined to manufacture world-class products in India for which he began importing European and other world-class manufacturing technology. Today, we are the leaders in South India in manufacturing double charged vitrified tiles, uPVC windows, doors, and profiles, aluminum structural glazing, Feldspar, read mix concrete and crushed rock fines.

The company entered the real estate sector in 1996 by developing gated communities. Today, Aparna Group has its presence across India with its diversified business portfolio. Our core strength lies in delivering world-class products, be they homes or building materials, through innovation and sustainable practices.

Now that there are greater opportunities in aggregates for road and highways construction and coarse and fine sand for infrastructure projects and real-estate development following the government’s ban on river sand, how is Aparna Enterprises ensuring sustainable growth of its businesses?

Sand is a rudimentary material that is required for construction. The expanding infrastructure and growth of urbanization has pressurized and increased the demand of natural sand, which is now in decline and has become a point of concern for realtors since a long time. This decline has been seen in developing countries like India where the source of natural sand (river beds) have been exploited and the mass mining of the sand has lowered the streams bottom and in turn led to bank erosion.

The demand for river sand for making concrete is increasing day by day and has reached a point where the rivers can no longer meet the rising demand of the construction sector. It takes millions of years for natural sand to form and cannot be replenished. However, a few cement manufacturers have replaced natural sand with manufactured sand. Though many players in this industry are taking a stance in reducing use of river sand; however, in rural areas, many still use river sand despite government regulations and law enforcement.

Aparna RMC has started using crushed rock fines (manufactured sand) in ready-mix factories as fine aggregate. Our commitment to sustainability in construction has been recognized by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) during the construction of one of our flagship gated community, Aparna Sarovar Grande in Hyderabad.

How well equipped is Aparna Crusher with new technologies and high-tech equipment, and what crushing plants do you have in your fleet?
Aparna Enterprises forayed into quarrying of metal aggregates like crushed Robo Sand/ Metal Chips for road & building-materials under the brand name Aparna Crusher in 2014. Since then we have become one of the most trusted crushing plants in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The first plant was set up in Madharam Village of Telangana and was expanded to Anakapalli Village of AP in 2016. To deliver the best quality products, Aparna chose Puzzolana as its equipment provider. All the plants are 3-Stage 200 TPH crushing plants, which means that Aparna Crusher is able to provide world-class raw materials such as crushed rock fines and robo sand for producing reliable ready-mix-concrete.

Aparna Crusher started production using two high-tech Puzzolana plants; what influenced you to choose this brand?
The main reason was Puzzolana’s high reputation in the infra segment. Their Make-In-India efforts have been driving their brand further. The Group offers comprehensive solutions across design, manufacture, supply, installation, and commissioning of Crushing & Screening Plants on a turnkey basis. Their presence in South India is another reason why we chose them.

Currently, we are producing and meeting the demand of our in-house RMC plants. Our RMC division is a market leader, and our crusher plants run continuously on most days.

Vitero Tiles looking to increase market share

Hyderabad: Vitero Tiles, from the house of Aparna Enterprises, launched in 2017 to provide premium double charged vitrified tiles, recently completed one year of inception. The brand has seen growth over the past one year with revenue generation of Rs 75 crore from August 2017 to June 2018 and a quarter on quarter growth of 5 per cent.

Over the last one year Vitero Tiles has undertaken several government and private projects in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Some of the key government projects include APMSIDC, R & B, AP Integrated office complex, Gajwal Integrated office complex, APCRDA and APTIDCO Guntur.

Ashwin Reddy, managing director, Aparna Enterprises, said “We will soon be venturing into manufacturing of Glaze Vitrified Tiles (GVT) and Polished Glaze Vitrified Tiles (PGVT). Our aim is to continuously raise the bar of the Indian tile industry and provide our customers with something new to choose from as we grow.”

The Vitero Tiles facility at Peddapuram (near Kakinada) spread across one million sq ft has the capacity of manufacturing 15,000 sq mts of Vitero tiles every day. With a rapidly expanding distribution network, the brand is set to make its designs available all over the country.

T Chandra Sekhar, technical director, Aparna Enterprises, said “The continuous process of research and development in the raw materials and process enables us to produce innovative tiles that create a market trend. We are using high level laboratory equipment such as X ray fluorescence system to ensure total quality assurance of the raw materials used in manufacturing. And the fact that we source our raw materials from our own mines and that we purify them in our advanced mineral processing plant ensure we have total control of the quality. Our plans include introducing new variety of tiles under Vitero. Our focus is on strength, quality and durability of the tile.”

With the launch of new categories, Vitero aims to cover even larger share in the market. The Glazed Vitrified tiles which will soon be added to the portfolio offers options of making any type of design that is only possible in this type of vitrified tiles.

Amongst the existing double charged vitrified tile collection, Atlas, Georgia, Lithos, Georgia Royal and Mykonos cream are the most sought after shades, the company said.

Ms. Aparna Reddy, Director of AEL, had a conversation with Eenadu.

Aparna Enterprises Limited (AEL) is a part of the highly successful Aparna Group. Founded in the year 1990, AEL prides in having the largest market share in South India through a range of businesses in building-material products, such as RMC (Ready Mix Concrete), uPVC windows and doors, uPVC profiles, Tiles and Sanitaryware fittings. Associated with several landmark projects for over 28 years, AEL is globally renowned for setting benchmarks in technology, research, design, and quality.

Ms. Aparna Reddy, Director of AEL, had a conversation with SathyaVani, Editor of Eenadu.

The Homegrown Boss Lady with Global Dreams.

Ms. Aparna Reddy, Director of AEL, with The New Indian Express.

HYDERABAD: Plan. Prepare. Perform. Reads a flyer at the plush front office of Aparna Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Jubilee Hills. Aim. Act. Achieve. That’s the one next to it. Respect a woman. You’ve been brought to life by one. Let’s Double, reads another. Beyond these posters and flyers and a wall with their product inventory, there is nothing loud or in-your-face at the office of Aparna Enterprises Limited (AEL), located in the leafy bylanes near Peddamma Temple.

Success speaks for itself, believes Aparna Reddy, Executive Director of the manufacturing & fabrication of building material segment of Aparna Group, the parent group which started operations in 1990 and achieving a revenue of Rs 1,700 crore in the 2017-18 financial year. She keeps the business journos busy with her new milestones and this time around (June 2018), it was to announce plans to invest Rs 200 crore on expansion over next three years and setting up a Felspar unit in Kakinada next month.

For those of us who don’t have a head for numbers and figures, Aparna heads a business conglomerate in building materials industry with 2,700 employees. Her company, she says, is what provides tiles, ready mix concrete, uPVC windows and doors to major real estate players in South India. “Since its inception, Aparna Venster (uPVC windows and doors provider), has delivered over 10 lakh windows and doors by 2016 December,” she states matter-of-factly.

While she deals with hardcore hardware stuff necessary for construction, Aparna is soft-spoken and is no-nonsense in her approach and interactions. Dressed in an elegant white shirt and black trousers and simple stone ear studs, she walks in tall with a well worked-out body. “I am tied to the desk from 8 am to 8 pm and my 5.30 am work-out with my personal trainer is my most important ‘prepare-for-the-day-ahead’ ritual that I never miss,” she says.

Mom of a six-year-old boy and 18-month-old twins, Aparna may as well be a real-life model of ads that hail youthfulness and energy. Barring two annual family vacation trips and a Sunday brunch with her husband Ashwin Reddy (Managing Director of AEL), six days of her week and 12 hours of her day are dedicated to working.

A techie with a Master’s from the Indian School of Business (2015), Aparna started from the bottom of the career ladder at her dad SS Reddy’s firm, her namesake company 10 years ago and full time for four years now. By her own confession, she likes to “keep a low profile, but be a high performing person”. Not a socialite like many of her counterparts in the business, Aparna meets the media only when she has something to talk about.

Most recently, she opened Aparna Unispace, a luxury bath furnishing showroom in Hyderabad. In the highly competitive roller coaster world of business, what keeps her going? “Hope, practicality, and excitement of starting new ventures and fulfilling new dreams,” she says. “Even a blow like demonetisation could not disrupt our business as we had our practices and procedures in place,” she says.

Her eyes light up when she talks about Vision 2020. “We want to transform into a company that can provide all building materials and with focus on glass and high-end aluminium. So much excitement ahead.” From a trading company to a manufacturing company, she says she loves the shift the company has taken. Like a true blue business leader, she states, Evolves with every (business) quarter, one tile, one window and one aluminium sheet at a time.” For someone who makes a tile as part of her lifestyle, this vision seems apt.

Aparna Enterprises plans Rs 200 Cr Expansion.

Aparna Enterprises Ltd (AEL), the building materials manufacturing arm of the Rs 1600 crore Aparna Group, on Wednesday(18-July-2018) said it will be investing Rs 200 crore over a period of three years in diversifying into new segments and expanding its existing facilities as part of the group’s plans to hit the Rs 2300 crore turnover mark by 2020. In line with this, AEL is diversifying into the aluminium windows and structural frames segment soon under its Venster brand, with an aluminium windows and structural frames manufacturing facility coming up at a cost of Rs 10 crore at Bachupally in Hyderabad and expected to become operational in a month’s time, AEL managing director Ashwin Reddy said here on Wednesday(18-July-2018).

Aparna Group to manufacture premium tiles segment

Aparna Group, a construction conglomerate manufacturing and fabrication of building materials, today announced to venturing into the manufacturing of premium tiles segment with a separate brand identity.

The group has three brands underneath: Aparna Constructions and Estates Pvt Ltd., Aparna Property Management Services Pvt Ltd and Aparna Enterprises Ltd.

In a company statement, Mr. SS Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of Aparna Group, said, “We started as a tile distributor company in the year 1990, and now our group has total revenue of 1300 crore. Aparna Constructions and Estates Pvt. Ltd., the flagship real estate company from Aparna Group, is coming up with its second green certified luxury residential project ‘Aparna Sarovar Zenith’ at Nallagandala in Hyderabad.” The project comprises of 2475 units in 24.5 acres with a built-up area of 5 million square feet.

Commenting on the growth of real estate, Mr. Rakesh Reddy, Director- Aparna Constructions & Estates, said, “Over the last 21 years, Aparna Constructions has delivered around 36 projects comprising of fully-integrated gated community villas, premium apartments, commercial projects, residential plot projects spread across 18 million square feet. With close to 10,000 satisfied customers across Hyderabad and Bengaluru, we are excited to launch our second Green certified residential project ‘Aparna Sarovar Zenith’. Aparna Enterprises Ltd. plans to venture into manufacturing of double charge vitrified floor tiles with a state-of- art manufacturing facility at Peddapuram (near Kakinada) with an installed capacity of 15000 M² of double charged vitrified tiles per day”, he said.

Aparna Enterprises to commission Rs 320 crore tile unit by July

Real estate company Aparna group is all set to commission a major backward integration project, a ₹320-crore tile manufacturing unit at Peddapuram in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

The two-decade-old Hyderabad-based real estate company has taken up a number of backward integration projects, including manufacture of uPVC windows, sanitary ware, 12 ready mix concrete plants, and brick making, has now diversified into tiles, with a greenfield manufacturing unit.

Expansion plans

The company is also considering a buyout or strategic stake acquisition of a tile unit in Gujarat to expand its product portfolio in the North.

SS Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of Aparna Group, said, “The company is gearing for the next phase of growth.”

While the real estate-cum-construction company closed last financial year with a turnover of ₹800 crore, the enterprises business which covers several backward integration projects closed with revenues of ₹500 crore.

In the phase one of the tile unit, now ready, ₹200 crore has been invested with a capacity to produce 1.75 lakh sqft of tiles daily. This will be doubled with the completion of the project by next year and contribute to about ₹600 crore revenue, Reddy said.

Realty Ventures

Referring to the real estate business, the CMD said that thus far the company, which has a land bank of over 800 acres, has completed over 18 million sqft of residential space and has a strong pipeline of about 10 million sq ft. “We are also seeking to enter retail, entertainment, and commercial space. This could be through partnerships,” he said.

“The new projects include a luxury apartment venture Aparna Sarovar Zenith and our first affordable housing venture close to the IT hub of Hyderabad,” he said.

The Aparna Sarovar Zenith project will be taken up on a 24.5-acre site where 5 million sqft spread across 2,475 units will be developed. The affordable housing project will have apartments in the 800 to 1,500 sqft size range, priced at ₹20 lakh to ₹45 lakh.

Both these projects will target customers in the financial district offering luxurious lifestyle with good connectivity.

Interview with Ashwin Reddy in an Architecture Magazine

Ashwin Reddy, MD, Aparna Enterprises Ltd. (a part of Aparna Group), in an interaction with Kajol Tamang talks about their new venture into manufacturing tiles with the new brand VITERO backing with 26 years in distribution of building materials.

What is the key reason for Aparna’s paradigm shift from distributing tiles to now manufacturing them as well?

Starting as a tile distributor as the core business of Aparna, we also realized the customer’s need for premium tiles in the given period of time is crucial. Through backward integration from tiles distributing company and moving to real estate, uPVC doors and windows, Ready mix concrete, lead-free profiles, Aparna is now entering into tiles manufacturing with the new brand VITERO. This approach helped Aparna Group to improve on better efficiency and saving cost.

Can we expect the presence of your company in various other parts of India in the near future?

Aparna Enterprises is already present in most of the cities of India through our uPVC and RMC products. We have seen a steep increase in our sales and it sounds very encouraging for us to be present across the country with all our products. Currently, we are building our dealer networks for VITERO tiles division in South India, and soon we want to expand our dealer network and operations throughout India. The infrastructure and urbanization policies driven by the government will bring in a good demand for building materials. We would like to participate in this growth initiative by producing quality building materials for our customers.

Guide us with the technology used in the unit.

We are very proud to say that Aparna Enterprises is one of the pioneers in bringing the world-class Nanotech process to India. VITERO tiles are manufactured using advanced feeders; NANOTECH COATING TECH to give the highest quality double charged vitrified tiles. Our technological prowess will let us manufacture premium tiles with long-lasting shine and toughness. Nano polishing machine will help us in achieving sheen that stays for long compared to the shine produced using old technology. Our advanced high technology 900,000 sq.ft plant in Kakinada (AP), can manufacture 15,000 sq. mts of double charged vitrified tiles in a day with consistent quality and unparalleled uniformity in colour, design and size. Our production line is backed by SACMI, Keda & Appel technologies along with an automated assembly line. Aparna Enterprises is also introducing the most sophisticated Kiln in India with the launch of VITERO – the 265-meter-long SACMI kiln is the longest in south India and third largest in India.

Considering eco-friendly uPVC products by your company, is VITERO Tiles an eco-friendly product?

Aparna Enterprises is committed to practicing environmental sustainability in all our divisions, be it constructions, Ready Mix concrete, uPVC doors & windows, profiles, and tiles. We will be using only natural gas for VITERO which will be supplied by Bhagyanagar Gas limited from Kakinada KG basin. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing unit along with new generation technologies focuses on environmentally friendly processes, energy efficiency and thus reducing carbon footprint.

What gives you an edge over your competitors?

The advanced technology that Aparna Enterprises uses to manufacture high-quality premium double charged vitrified tiles is the key differentiator. We not only have the highest number of feeders, but also a state-of-art facility to manufacture large quantity of tiles to meet the market demand with no or very less waiting time. The 16 feeder capacity with four SACMI presses at VITERO facility ensures multiple options, variations in designs and shades of tiles.

What is your retail strategy and after sales service like?

We aim to be present in both Tier I & II cities along with small towns of South India and then expand our operations throughout India. We already have a good dealer network in all our focus cities. We want to keep all our channel partners happy by giving them good quality VITERO double charged vitrified tiles, which not only brings good returns for them but keep them confident about selling a premium product to our customers.

What are the varieties of tiles your company will manufacture?

We have a wide variety of double charged vitrified tiles, designs inspired from global themes. There are a total of 15 designs in four different sizes and four different collections:

1.Globus

2.Ornate

3.Eclectic

4.Grandeur

Also to move into high-end Glazed Vitrified Tiles and Polished Glazed Vitrified Tiles and wall tiles

What are your future plans, prime market and investment details on the unit?

Aparna Enterprises is known for backward integration in sourcing good materials. As part of our strategy, we will be starting our own feldspar processing units. Feldspar accounts to 60% of raw materials we use in our manufacturing tiles and hence we want to make sure that we use good quality material. Also, we will be expanding our VITERO manufacturing plants in Gujarat in coming years.