Aparna Enterprises to Invest 100 Crores inAlteza Brand in Next 4 Years

Leading building materials player, Aparna Enterprises Limited today announced their plans to invest INR 100 crores towards building its aluminum window and door system brand Alteza in next 4 years. The investments will be used for strengthening its product portfolio as well as manufacturing facility, marketing and retailing. The occasion also witnessed launch of their latest range of slim aluminum sliding door system – ACA M-19 Series. The system works on very narrow sightlines and is the slimmest aluminium sliding door system that Alteza offers to its customers. This unique system is based on minimalistic design, which offers 19 mm of thin aluminium profile throughout the door opening including the interlock, and the system can be used for corner openings as well.

Commenting on the plans for Alteza, Mr. Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, Aparna Enterprises Limited, said, “Aluminum window and door system market in India is close to INR 20,000 crores and it is growing at a CAGR of 7.9%.  There is a growing demand for quality products as well as services and we are gearing up to address this demand. From the 100 crores, 60 percent of the funds will be directed towards strengthening the manufacturing capacity and the rest towards research & development and building our dealership network. To complement this growth vision, we are also planning to strengthen our team. We plan to hire more than 100 people by the end of 2021 and majority of this will be in Telangana. We are optimistic that Alteza will capture 8-10% of the organized aluminum door and window market by 2025.”

Launched in 2019 Alteza has wide range of aluminium window, door and railing systems. With Alteza ACA M-19, the brand will be further strengthening its foothold in the growing premium aluminum window and door systems market. The new system ACA M-19 is the slimmest sliding door system from the house of Aparna Enterprises. The system comes with a slimmer interlock and reverse interlock of just 19 mm as compared with 40 mm in standard sliding door systems. The ACA M-19 system can manage single panel of 6.72 M2 dimension and can manage single panel weight of 300 kg. The elegant system with thin profiles will enable consumers to have more light that can come inside the home and views of the outside are less inhibited. Slimmer interlocks are also considered attractive and show resemblance to a contemporary appearance.

The Indian building materials industry is evolving

Today the building materials segment in India is pegged as a USD 225 billion industry. Industry experts predict a strong recovery rate for the construction and building materials sector through FY2021-22, buoyed by the Centre’s focus on expediting infrastructure development.

The building materials industry is one of the few expected to regain momentum in leaps and bounds through the ongoing financial cycle. It has the potential to witness a growth rate of around five percent to 10 percent by 2022. Even the Ready-mix Concrete (RMC) sector, a critical part of the building materials industry, is expected to register a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of more than eight percent in the next two years. Much of the growth will be fuelled by the industry’s focused push towards supporting infrastructural development.

A lot has changed in the sector in the past decade, which has supported the segment’s resilient growth trajectory. Here are some of the significant shifts that have impacted the industry positively and are worth taking note of:

Increased adoption of technology across verticals

The sector fundamentally has been very mechanical and workforce dependent. However, over the last few years, there is an increased shift towards the adoption of technology to improve quality, product shelf life, employee productivity and overall output. From a quality point of view, the concrete mix used in construction has heavily adopted technology, especially for automatic mixing of RMC (instead of traditional manual mixing), pumping RMC to high-rise building structures, maintaining durability via the use of mixers.

Even for the tile manufacturing segment, technology has taken the front seat, especially with the introduction of digital printing on tiles which has opened new avenues and choices for consumers. Additionally, in the uPVC segment, technology has been extensively used to increase the production capacity while enhancing product quality and finish.

Becoming more environment-conscious

Sustainable building practices is the need of the hour, given the turmoil that our environment is going through. The industry has become more sensitive and is adopting better practices for manufacturing building materials. One of the major developments in the shift towards the use of manufactured sand in construction instead of organic sand to avoid further depletion of river beds.

Policy changes driving a positive change for the sector

Over the last five years, the eco-system has witnessed multiple policy reforms like the introduction of RERA, affordable housing and Make in India, which in turn has boosted the demand for building materials providing the industry with the needed impetus for growth.

Increased focus on infrastructural development

Taking a closer look at the major budget allocation over the last decade, it is evident that infrastructure development has been the focus of the government as well as the industry. The dedicated push towards PMAY, affordable housing projects, road, railways and airport infrastructure development have all been contributing to increasing demand and will continue to do so in the near future.

Setting new benchmarks during the global crisis

One of the most striking shifts in this industry is the way it has managed the workforce over the last year during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Nearly 100 percent of this industry is used to the traditional methods of working and workplace policies, but the lockdown pushed the sector to relook at workplace strategy and enable a more hybrid form of working overnight. The resilience that the sector has shown requires will set the tone for defining the future of the workforce in this industry.

Despite the ongoing challenges, days ahead for the industry look very promising, provided organizations address the pandemic challenges most effectively and appropriately, keep up the workforce’s morale, and continue adopting best practices to optimize growth, quality, and brand value.

This article was contributed by Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, Aparna Enterprises Ltd.

TekTalk with Mr. T Chandra Sekhar, Director-Technical, Aparna Enterprises Ltd

TekTalk with Mr. T Chandra Sekhar, Director-Technical, Aparna Enterprises Ltd, on the growing demand of uPVC windows & Doors profiles in the market. He also spoke about the various building-material products that Aparna Enterprises offers to its consumers. , Mr Chandra sekhar enforces on delivering high quality products to the customers as a long term strategy.

Watch the full interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYGHURXSY8k

Aparna Group Undertakes COVID Vaccination Drive for 4000 Employees & 6000 Frontline Labourers

Aparna Group, a conglomerate focused on building materials manufacturing and real estate today announced that they have initiated the vaccination drive for their employees and their frontline staff across their brands Aparna Enterprises Limited and Aparna Constructions and Estates Private Limited. The vaccination drive, which will be sponsored by Aparna Group, will be covering close to 4000 employees and 6000 frontline labourers across the markets that the Group operates in.

With this voluntary vaccination drive for interested employees and workers, Aparna Group has reaffirmed their belief in the collective well-being of the community. So far, 360 employees have taken the vaccine and more are expected to complete the process soon. Apart from this, the company is also taking all possible measures to ensure employee safety, maintain morale and assist employees with their requirements even beyond the realm of day to day work.

Having started on 02 April, the voluntary vaccination drive opened for employees above the age of 45 and has progressed seamlessly across Aparna’s Group’s Corporate Offices, Manufacturing Units and Construction Sites. Now with the government opening vaccination for everyone above the age of 18, Aparna Group will also be extending the drive to provide all employees and workers suitable opportunity to get themselves vaccinated.

Aparna Group’s ethos has always been that for the “overall well-being of the society, the fruits of development must flow to the underprivileged.” With this vision the company has undertaken numerous society focused initiatives through ‘Aparna Novel Society for Welfare and Research’ (ANSWER), the company’s non-government organization which has founded in 2007. ANSWER primarily works in the areas of housing, water, sanitation, health services, employment and education.

The company was also one of the first few who had come forward and extended monetary support towards the Prime Minister Relief Fund and the Chief Ministers Relief Fund in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during the onset of the pandemic. The Group had donated INR 5 crores towards COVID welfare initiatives.

How Covid-19 brought a paradigm shift in employer sentiment in the building materials industry

Employers are still on the learning curve and the industry has shown strong signs of agility and adaptability. One cannot call this industry traditional in its approach anymore.

What is the first thought that comes to anyone’s mind when one speaks about the building materials industry? Often, people associate this sector with traditional practices, both from an operational perspective as well as from an employment perspective. However, this is fast changing as technology is taking a front row in the operation of this business. Not only this, employers are also realigning their people policies and hiring strategies to adapt with the rapidly changing times. Much of this was also fuelled by the Covid-19 lockdown, which completely altered the dynamics of the sector. Let’s take a closer look at the five key aspects that employers had to re-look at:

1. Incorporation of Work from Home: Remote working was completely nil in this sector, as it predominantly involved manufacturing of products and on-the site discussions. But this was not an option when the pandemic compelled everyone to return to the safety of their homes. Employers understood the situation and took the most appropriate action. They had to take additional measures to provide necessary infrastructure (like computers, laptops etc) to employees. More than the structural challenge, the complexity was to align teams together, sync individual tasks and ensure productivity. The industry had successfully managed, in fact, the industry bounced back with the pre-Covid level revenues and production figures within a short span of time.

2. A shift towards niche skills: For any industry, the employability of its workforce is the most important aspect. In fact, the pandemic made companies realise the value of skills like never before and today employers are more inclined toward hiring people with niche skills. Building material sector was also not far away from this and companies have now started to look for talent who have a 360-degree grasp of their roles. For example, in a building materials industry, while hiring people for production roles, employers expect them to have domain knowledge, technological capabilities, crisis management skills, people management skills amongst others. One of the other crucial aspects in this industry is hiring for design and product conceptualization requirements. In this regard, employers are hiring people who have a holistic view of designing – they know all modern design techniques and approaches, they are equipped to manage technologies like Autocad, Revit, to name a few, they understand aesthetics and contemporary requirements, among other aspects.

3. Re-looking at how one manages the migrant workforce: As we are aware, this sector has a good portion of blue-collar migrant workers. During the lockdown, worker morale was largely affected as factories and logistics were at a standstill. This made employers realize the need to have a natured and evolved contingency strategy. In times like this, personalized connect works wonders for employers and employees – staying in constant touch, updating the workforce regularly and keeping their morale high is crucial. Now, even though the ecosystem has eased, employers will have to continue to invest in developing strategies so that organisations are prepared for the unexpected adversities like these that may or may not arise in the future. Focusing on long-term vision, instead of a short one, helps the manpower in aligning their efforts for a bigger goal. A resilient attitude keeps the workforce motivated and helps in bracing themselves for the unforeseen situations that future might bring.

4. Upskilling more crucial than ever: The lockdown was sudden and so was the shift to remote working and this clearly called out that one cannot be negligent about skilling the workforce. You can’t have employees say that they don’t know how to work with a certain software or they don’t know how to address a function/requirement. Companies now are increasingly focused on continuous upskilling of the workforce. In the future, upskilling will not just focus on domain knowledge and technology, but also on emotional intelligence, people management, crisis management, behavioural skills, mental health awareness etc.

5. Working in the post-pandemic world: Just because the economy has started to open up, can we call it the post-pandemic world? Not really! Covid still continues to be a health concern and organisations, as well as individuals, are learning to function around the pandemic. After the lockdown, when employees returned to work, HR teams had a mountainous task to ensure proper sanitisation measures were taken, temperature check was made mandatory for everyone, social distancing norms were set and sanitizers were installed at the workstations in offices and factories. In fact, training sessions were also conducted to increase self-awareness and enable self-management. These measures will still have to be followed at a different degree to avoid any disruption and casualties.

Employers are still on the learning curve and the industry has shown strong signs of agility and adaptability. One cannot call this industry traditional in its approach anymore. Everyone is and will be looking at new best practices and better workplace strategies and building materials industry will not shy away from adopting it. In fact, the industry has the power and hence may even set a few best practices that other industries can adopt.

The author, Aparna Reddy, is Executive Director at Aparna Enterprises.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETHRWorld does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETHRWorld will not be responsible for any damage caused to any person or organisation directly or indirectly.

Women Entrepreneurs: More strength to corporate India

The stories we’ve heard and the facts that we know of earlier India regarding women paints a very horrible picture in our mind, and the inhumane practices towards women silence our thoughts and are still prominent today in many regions. In a nation where sending girls to school wasn’t a widespread practice, some women fought through this system and rose to become entrepreneurs in that era, breaking all the stereotypes becoming an example for many aspiring women.

Views on Women Entrepreneurs by Ms. Aparna Reddy, Executive Director, Aparna Enterprises.

What are the most common challenges faced by women when they start a business?
Starting and managing a business is another name of facing different challenges every now and then. The usual challenges which everyone faces are to keep a clear vision, define long- and short-term goals, hire right talent and manage finances effectively.

Apart from these challenges women entrepreneurs also have to work hard to gain respect and acceptance from their fellow workers. Often in organizations, winning the trust of internal and external stakeholders becomes a mountainous task for women leaders. While the ecosystem is becoming more progressive, however there is still a long way to go.

Is there a change in societal perspective as more and more women are rising up to be entrepreneurs?
Today we have many leading women entrepreneurs who have reached high in their careers and earned respect in the business world and society. Not only this, but women leaders have also created a strong foothold for themselves in industries that were otherwise male dominated. This visibility is changing the social perspective for women leaders and encouraging women to aim high and give their best in achieving their goals.

Most Promising women leader 2021

Passion & dedication always gets rewarded & recognized. Ms. Aparna Reddy dedicated the award to her colleagues and the employees of Aparna Enterprises Ltd., for the ongoing, elucidate and eventful journey of the company over the years. She also shared that Aparna Enterprises Limited company commitment to provide its customers with sustainable building material products and solutions that enable smarter living in today’s increasingly environmentally conscious world.

Women’s Day: Defining objectives is critical to succeed in the real estate sector

Women are creating difference and delivering value across industries, including real estate, shares; Aparna Reddy, Executive Director, Aparna Enterprises, in an exclusive interaction with 99acres.com on the occasion of Women’s Day.

1) The year gone by has been a challenging year. What strategies did you adopt to tide over the crisis, and how has the year been for your company?
The past year had been a challenging one and brought a tough time to everyone on this earth. At AEL, we believe that human power is the most critical resource for a business. It is crucial to hire the right people for the right jobs and help them develop competencies. We kept this belief intact even during the time of crisis and held onto our manpower. We neither let any employee leave nor reduced their remuneration. In return, the motivated team worked hard to get the organisation back on its feet once the pandemic’s impact subsided and businesses reopened.

2) How has been your professional journey so far, and what delights you the most about your career?
When you are running a business, no two days are the same. You face a new challenge every day, ranging from the simple ones to more complex ones. The farsightedness I inherited from my father helps me handle the work issues and develop business acumen. My professional journey has been very insightful. What delights me the most is I never took advantage of being the chairman’s daughter. I rather worked hard to earn the respect and confidence of our clients, employees, and partners.

3) What do you think is the general perception of women in your industry?
The real estate industry is predominantly male-dominated. However, as women are creating difference and delivering value, their acceptance is gradually increasing.

4) How do you maintain a work-life balance?
I ensure multitasking to finish my work during office hours and give a decent share of time to family and kids. It is always crucial to have a work-life balance.

5) What are the challenges you have faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry?
The biggest task I had to manage was gaining our partners’ confidence when I joined this business. Some of our partners were initially apprehensive about dealing with me. However, as they witnessed my passion for the business, they became confident. Today they judge by what I bring to the discussion table and not by my gender.

6) Any tips for women venturing into this sector?
Women come across several challenges irrespective of the sector they are working in or the position they are into. There are roles to suit women from different educational and career backgrounds. Like any other business, the building material industry is also a complex one. Thus, clarity in thought and defined objectives are primary requirements to succeed. This is not easy, but once this is worked out, the forthcoming path gets clearly visible. Defining the objectives usually means challenging yourself to do things that you have never done before. While this may sound like a herculean task, it is not. We already do this. For instance, we set our mind to manage a baby and home with equal dexterity. We surely are capable of finding a way to accomplish anything, even handling the pressures that come with managing a business.

Times 40 Under 40: Celebrating the game changers

There are leaders, and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.

It’s been a year of monumental challenges and change. And as the dust settles after many months of facing various uncertainties due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, there was finally a reason to cheer. For the first time, The Times of India Group created a unique platform to identify, encourage and provide recognition to professionals and businesses who have believed in innovation behind progress and success.

Times 40 Under 40 honoured and applauded 40 of the brightest corporate leaders, emerging entrepreneurs, artists, sportspersons, musicians and business professionals across south India under 40. These young people have taken the challenges of a relentless year head-on. They represent the opportunity for growth in South India and our country as a whole. The list is very dynamic and includes people from all walks of life, who have created something new and different, or redefined the way things are done.

Talent and people skills were some of the major change agents we got to see in 2020, and these Indian entrepreneurs sought opportunities when all else seemed doomed. These exemplary individuals recognised by Times 40 Under 40 have been new rays of hope, helping us see beyond the gloom, as they defy all odds to build new enterprises and succeed in their respective fields. They are true proof that ambition and innovation cannot be locked down. This list of Times 40 Under 40 highlights the young and visionary leaders who have the will to do what it takes and go the extra mile to reinvent business and society.

Miss Aparna Reddy, Executive Director, Aparna Enterprises Ltd., has been included in this exclusive club, and appreciated for her contribution towards the stellar growth of the company.

This event gave deserving youngsters a chance to share their success story and showcase their achievements, to inspire many more and pave the way for a better tomorrow. The success of the winners of Times 40 Under 40 goes beyond their excellence in business. The young achievers who made the cut have made distinctive contributions to the people they serve. They have demonstrated extraordinary commitment, innovation, zeal and compassion in delivering service to the community, which has led them to excel.

Innovation is progress, and innovative business models are generated by people who think differently. Identifying and encouraging those people requires sharp people processes that lead to such outcomes. The elite platform of Times 40 Under 40 identifies and honours the professionals who have envisioned and executed outstanding achievements.

Times 40 Under 40 was truly a celebration of success, recognising achievements and highlighting innovative young people across south India, who have pushed all possible boundaries, and continuously sought out ways to do and make things better. These young achievers who have grown and carved their mark are an inspiration to us all. The winners of Times 40 Under 40 unanimously felt that recognition of this sort would go a long way in encouraging many more young leaders in the making. Their determination, perseverance and zeal are sure to motivate many others to achieve greater heights.

Building materials sector to expand and thrive in 2021

A number of ancillary industries of real estate are treading the path of recovery, while the construction and building materials sector is past this stage and posting growth numbers. The year 2021 is going to be a calendar year for the sector in terms of expansion and innovation driving new trends.

With the Coronavirus weighing heavily on economic activities and consumer sentiment in India, 2020 had been a year like never before. But the economy seems to be bouncing back. According to several forecasts with a lower base and lower labour costs, the construction industry is expected to post a sharp rebound and grow by at least 11.6 percent in 2022. This is especially highlighted by the Asian Development Bank, which states that India will make a strong rebound in the fiscal year 2021-22 with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) surging by more than eight percent as mobility and business activities resume widely.

Subsequently, India’s ready-mix concrete market is expected to register a CAGR of more than eight percent during the forecast period. The major factors driving the growth include an increase in the investments and development activities in the construction sector and the growing consciousness to be more responsible for the environment. The use of ready-mix concrete in modern constructions is an environment-friendly choice. It provides building owners with energy-efficient buildings by combining isolation with high thermal mass and low air infiltration. In addition to these factors, the growth in the ready mix concrete is aided by the fact that India is expected to see a rise in Foreign Direct Investments, leading to an increase in construction activity and acting as an opportunity for the market the future.

Similarly, tiling is another building component that is expected to see some positive momentum this year. The need for increased construction and renovation of homes is driving the need for tiles. A considerable amount of growth in the floor and wall tiles market is due to the shift in the consumer preference towards vitrified tiles. The government’s push to housing for all by 2022 is also enabling a positive drive in the Indian tile market, alongside the boost from the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

In today’s times, convenience is the most important norm. Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (uPVC) doors and windows are fast becoming the sought after purchase decision when it comes to building construction. These doors and windows do not require any repainting and extensive maintenance. In fact, the Indian uPVC window and door market was estimated at USD 1,071 million in 2018 and is predicted to reach around USD 1,810 million by the end of 2025, growing at a compound growth rate of 7.84 percent during 2019-2025.

While the above factors give a perspective on the industry’s potential, the industry and the companies in the sector to leverage the opportunities will require more strategic efforts at the organisational level. And hence one of the notable shift in 2021 will be internal. 2021 will witness organisations going all out to maintain positive sentiment amongst employees. Companies will have anot just to adopt new ways of work, they will have to be equally agile to what the future awaits. The pandemic has taught many traditional industries like manufacturing, and building materials to be accustomed to innovative and flexible ways of working and this learning is paving the way for the future of work.

This article is contributed by Mr. Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, Aparna Enterprises Limited, for 99 acres.