BLOOM_February2024. Balmer Lawrie Online Monthly Bulletin

1. The month of February brought in much cheer with the celebration of the 158th Foundation
Day across units / establishments pan India on 1st February 2024. All Balmer Lawriens along
with their families got together on 4th February to celebrate the occasion. It is customary to
celebrate the Foundation Day with families on the first Sunday of February in the four regions
pan India. The Foundation Day celebrations and details of employee events organised during
the occasion will be covered in the April 2024 issue of Balmer Lawrie Organisational Gazette
(BLOG), our quarterly house journal.
Our Company announced the third quarter results as per the accounts adopted for the quarter
ending 31st December 2023. The results were approved by the Board in its Meeting held in
Kolkata on 8th February 2024. The total net income for the third quarter registered a growth
of 14.69% quarter to quarter and stood at Rs. 590.13 crore as compared to the same period
last year. The Profit Before Tax (PBT) increased by 79.30% and rose to Rs. 66.60 crore for the
quarter ended 31st December 2023 as compared to Rs. 37.14 crore for the same period last
year. Correspondingly, the net profit (PAT) during the quarter increased by 87.66% to Rs.
51.38 crore compared to Rs. 27.38 crore for the corresponding period last year. The net
income for the nine-month period ended 31st December 2023 stood at Rs. 1787.46 crore, an
increase of 3.35% over Rs.1729.51 crore in the corresponding period last year. PBT for the
nine-month period increased and stood at Rs. 200.45 crore as compared to Rs. 126.66 crore
in the same period last year.
The 53rd National Safety Week will be observed from 4th to 10th March 2024. The theme for
the National Safety Week (NSW) this year is “Focus on Safety Leadership for ESG Excellence /
ईएसजी उत्कृ ष्टता क
े लिए सुरक्षा नेतृत्व पर ध्यान दें”. A host of programs centered on the theme will be
organised by the HSE Department. Request all of you to participate and make the week a
success.
As always, please do send your suggestions, feedback and contributions to me at
mukhopadhyay.mohar@balmerlawrie.com.
Mohar
BALMER
LAWRIE
MONTHLY BULLETIN
ONLINE
Vol. 14 Issue 02 February 2024
EDITORIAL
BLO
OM

2. The Corporate Office Building of Balmer Lawrie at Kolkata was formally recognised as a Heritage
Building (Grade I) by the Heritage Commission of West Bengal in the month of January 2024. This is a
matter of great pride for all Balmer Lawriens.
BL UPDATES
‘e-Safar’, Balmer Lawrie’s own in-house Standard Self Booking Tool (SSBT) for air travel on all official
tours, was launched for Executives on 18th January 2024 by Mr. Adika Ratna Sekhar, Chairman &
Managing Director in the presence of all Directors. The event was organised in virtual mode to enable
Executives to join from regions across the country. ‘e-Safar’ can be accessed through mobile or by
website URL : https://ssbt.balmerlawrietravelapp.com/ and brings the following benefits:
• Paper free approval of Air Travel
• Managing travel on the go
• Free seat selection
• Special discounted fares
• Choose and enjoy complimentary meals along with your tickets
• Minimal cancellation charges to manage last minute change in travel
Congratulations to the Travel, IT and Corporate HR teams and all who were associated with the launch
of e-Safar!

3. Balmer Lawrie was entrusted with the responsibility of handling a special project for the 75th Republic
Day Celebrations at Kartavya Path, New Delhi by MoPNG and other Ministries, Government of India.
Extraordinary teamwork and round-the-clock coordination by the Travel & Vacations team led to the
success of the project covering ticketing, transfers, sightseeing, accommodation etc. for more than
2500 Special Guests.

4. Mr. Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri, Director [Service Businesses] and Co-Chairperson of the National Tourism
Committee of The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCC&I) addressed a session on “Swami
Vivekananda: A Herald for Sustainable Tourism” on 17th January 2024 at the BCC&I premises. The
session witnessed the participation of other eminent speakers as well. The event was followed by an
enchanting cultural presentation titled “Amritasya Putra”, a tribute to Swami Vivekananda. The event
was part of BCC&I's weeklong celebration of the 161st birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, which
started with an Inter-College Meet and Debate on “Swami Vivekananda - A Herald for Sustainable
Tourism" on 9th January 2024 at Scottish Church College with the focus of Sustainable Tourism and
Youth Empowerment.
Mr. Adika Ratna Sekhar, Chairman & Managing Director was invited as the Guest of Honour at the 27th
Nirma International Conference on Management (NICOM 2024) organised from 4th to 6th January 2024
by the Institute of Management, Nirma University. The central theme of the conference was “Business
in Uncertain Times: Strategies and Capabilities to Manage Disruption and Growth”. C&MD addressed
the students during the inaugural ceremony which was presided by Dr. Karsanbhai K Patel, President,
Nirma University.

5. Travel, Delhi successfully handled the ticketing requirements of the Indian Shooting Team for
participating in the Asian Rifle / Pistol Championship 2024, which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia from
5th to 18th January 2024.
The renovated City Office at Chennai and the Stores & Despatch unit at Chemicals, Manali – Chennai
were inaugurated by Mr. Adika Ratna Sekhar, Chairman & Managing Director in the presence of Mr. R M
Uthayaraja, Director [Manufacturing Businesses] and Mr. Saurav Dutta, Director [Finance] in January
2024. A puja was performed at the city office and trees were planted by C&MD and Directors in the
factory premises.

6. Mr. Phairat (Joe) Phoonsiri, Packaging Engineering from Chevron (Thailand) Ltd. visited the IP plant at
Taloja, Navi Mumbai for the purpose of inspection and audit on 23rd January 2024. During his visit, Joe
went around the plant, including the shop floor, observed the manufacturing operations, inspected QA
systems and interacted with the Executives of the Company. He appreciated the plant infrastructure,
QA systems and the Green Belt developed and maintained around the periphery of the plant. Chevron
is one of most important and esteemed customers of SBU: IP.
The Corporate Director (Global Packaging Engineering Adhesives), Packaging Lead for Industrial
Packaging along with Packaging and Purchase Manager from Henkel Adhesives visited our Industrial
Packaging (IP) plant at Taloja, Navi Mumbai for inspection and audit on 18th January 2024. During their
visit, the Henkel Team went around the plant, including the shop floor, observed the manufacturing
operations and interacted with the Executives of the Company. They appreciated the plant
infrastructure, systems & facilities, and the Green Belt which IP, Navi Mumbai has developed &
maintained around the periphery of the plant. Henkel is one of the most important and esteemed
customers of SBU: IP.

7. A Capability Building Program for developing competencies for Executives in Grade E0 – E1 was rolled
out on 9th January 2024. In Balmer Lawrie, this is the first of its kind custom designed program, where
the learning journey is designed to help the Executives hone their competencies aligned to the
Performance Management System in place. The program comprises a mix of online and offline delivery
modes which will be spread over a period of seven weeks. Balmer Lawrie has partnered with
FocusU (https://focusu.com/) for the design and delivery of this learning journey. The inaugural
session of this learning journey witnessed the Leaders’ Connect session with the Top Management,
where C&MD and Functional Directors joined to encourage the initiative and set the context for the
participants. The Leadership highlighted the vision of Balmer Lawrie, its values, key financial metrics,
growth plans, opportunities and challenges.
Mr. Sushil Dugar, Head [Logistics
Services], was conferred with the
prestigious "Dynamic Logistics
Professional of the Year" award at the
Eastern Star Awards 2024. The award
ceremony was organised on 10th January
2024 at NICCO Parks & Resorts Ltd.,
Kolkata. The Eastern Star Awards, a
renowned event in the shipping industry,
witnessed active participation from
distinguished members of the shipping
fraternity and trade bodies. Mr. Dugar
was recognised for his remarkable
leadership, exceptional achievements,
and unwavering commitment to
advancing Logistics Services in the
Company.

8. A training session on Customer Service Excellence was organised at Ballard Estate, Mumbai on 20th
January 2024 for the ticketing staff of Travel, Mumbai. A total of 18 participants attended the training
program. Mr. Sanket Potdar was the trainer for the program.
A training session on Customer Service Excellence was organised at the Northern Region Office in
Okhla on 06th January 2024 for the ticketing staff of Travel, Delhi. A total of 32 participants attended
the training program. Mr. Sanket Potdar was the trainer for the program.
Balmer Lawrie sponsored the IRS Cricket Tournament 2024 along with other PSUs. The tournament is a
very popular event and was a good platform for showcasing the Balmer Lawrie brand.

9. Flag hoisting and pledge ceremony on the occasion of 158th Foundation Day
The 158th Foundation Day of the Company was celebrated on 1st February 2024. To mark this occasion
Mr. Adika Ratna Sekhar, C&MD hoisted the Company Flag and addressed the employees at the
Corporate Office in Kolkata. In other locations besides flag hoisting and administering of the pledge,
C&MD’s message was read out. On this day, long service awards were also given away to the
employees in select regions. Foundation Day was celebrated in all the regions across the country.
Below are glimpses from some locations:
An early morning beach cleaning drive, ‘Jallosh 10’ was conducted by Western Region employees in
association with Project Mumbai on 20th January 2024 at Mumbai.
Corporate Office, Kolkata

10. REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATED
Republic day was celebrated with the hoisting of the national flag on 26th January 2024 in some units
and locations.
Manali, Chennai
Ballard Estate, Mumbai
IP, Navi Mumbai
Manali, Chennai
IP, Navi Mumbai
IP, Silvassa
Chennai

11. Balmer Lawrie was recognised with an award for effective implementation of official language and
significant contribution in the field of Hindi during the meeting the Town Official Language
Implementation Committee (TOLIC) on 31st January 2024. The award was received by Mr. Abhijit
Ghosh, Director [HR & CA] and members of the Official Language team from C&MD, Hindustan Copper
Ltd. and Director [Personnel], Coal India Ltd.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE [OL] UPDATE
A ladder safety training program was conducted in Cold Chain - Bhubaneswar by the HSE team on 5th
January 2024.
HSE [HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT] UPDATE

12. A ladder safety training program was conducted Cold Chain - Hyderabad on 10th January 2024.
On 6th January 2024 a ‘night time’ mock drill session was organised in CFS – Chennai.
A mock drill during the night was conducted in CFS – Mumbai on 07th January 2024.

13. Transfer
▪ Mr. Ravinder Singh Makan, Head [Chemicals], Chemicals - Chennai has been transferred to
Greases & Lubricants - Delhi as Vice President [Sales - Railway & Defence].
▪ Mr. Ashish Kumar Chandra, Associate Vice President [Marketing]-E, Chemicals - Kolkata has been
transferred to Vigilance - Kolkata as Associate Vice President [Vigilance] & SA to CVO.
▪ Mr. Sanket Lalitrao Gundawar, Manager [Institutional Sales, OEM & TS]-NR, Greases & Lubricants
- Pune has been transferred to Greases & Lubricants - Delhi as Manager [Institutional Sales, OEM &
TS]-NR.
Wish you all the best in your new role!
Re-designation
▪ Mr. Jayanta Chaudhuri, Vice President [Marketing]-LC, Chemicals - Chennai has been
redesignated as Head [Chemicals], Chemicals - Chennai.
▪ Mr. Kannappan S, Manager [Manufacturing], Industrial Packaging - Chennai has been redesignated
as Manager [Manufacturing & Stores], Industrial Packaging - Chennai.
▪ Mr. Ilamurugu R, Asst. Manager [Purchase], Industrial Packaging - Chennai has been redesignated
as Asst. Manager [Purchase & Stores], Industrial Packaging - Chennai.
Wish you all the best in your new role!
Farewell
▪ Mr. Jayanta Kumar Basu, Vice President [Vigilance] & SA to CVO, Leather Chemicals - Manali,
Chennai superannuated on 31st January 2024 after successfully completing 35 years of service.
▪ Mr. Swapan Kumar Das, Asst. Manager [Accounts & Finance], Greases & Lubricants - Kolkata
superannuated on 31st January 2024 after successfully completing 37 years of service.
▪ Mr. Partha Sarathi Roy, Asst. Manager [Accounts & Finance], Logistics Services - Kolkata
superannuated on 31st January 2024 after successfully completing 27 & 1/2 years of service.
▪ Mr. P Nagaraj, Executive [Production], Leather Chemicals - Manali - Chennai superannuated on 31st
January 2024 after successfully completing 37 years of service.
We wish you all the best in your future life!
New Member (Note: Write-up on new members is as per inputs received from them.)
Personnel Information – January 2024
Mr. Satishkumar Laxmanrao Andegaonkar joined Logistics Infrastructure -
Mumbai as Manager [HR] on 02nd January 2024.
Satishkumar Laxmanrao Andegaonkar's friends and parents call him Satish. He has
a small family including his better half Ms. Ashwini, their 4-year-old daughter
Sama, and his parents. He hails from Nanded, a district in the state of Maharashtra
which is also known as the 'District of Sanskrit Poet'. He completed his schooling
from his village. He is an Arts Graduate and did his Masters in Social Work (MSW)
specialising in Labour Studies and Industrial Relations from SRTM University
Campus, Nanded. He also completed his Postgraduate Diploma in HRM and Labour
Laws from Symbiosis School of Law, Pune. He is a seasoned HR & IR professional
with work experience of more than a decade. During his service tenure with public
and private limited companies, he got the opportunity to work on employee /
industrial relations, managing disciplinary actions, HR - compliance, contract labour
management and HR generalist roles. He previously worked with companies
including Godfrey Phillips India Ltd., Parle Biscuits Pvt. Ltd., Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Ltd. (Defence PSU), Bajaj Electricals Ltd., and recently worked with
Infiniti Retail Limited (a Tata Enterprise) as Manager - HR & IR (Corporate). During
his free time, he loves to watch movies, cook and go for swimming.

14. Mr. Prathamesh Jagannath Mane joined Corporate HR - Kolkata as Asst.
Manager [HR] on 08th January 2024.
Prathamesh is a professional with a rich background in Human Resources and a
strong commitment to organisational development. He brings forth a blend of
excellent communication skills, HR management expertise and a passion for
problem solving. In his previous company, his role was that of a Workday
Administrator-HCM. He was actively involved in configuring and maintaining HCM
process modules within Workday. With a total work experience of 4.5 years, he has
honed his skills in areas such as HRIS, SAP and organisational development. His
experience in his previous companies has equipped him with in-depth knowledge of
Workday, HR shared services and recruitment processes on a global scale. Beyond
the professional realm, he finds joy in listening to music and engaging in strategic
battles on the chessboard. Proficient in English, Hindi and Marathi, he believes
effective communication is the cornerstone of successful collaboration. He belongs
to Mumbai. He holds an MBA in Human Resources from Rohidas Patil Institute of
Management Studies (2021) and has pursued PGDFM (Finance) and M. Com
(Accountancy) from Mumbai University. His academic journey reflects a consistent
dedication to learning and growth. He is eagerly looking forward to contributing and
being an integral part of the Balmer Lawrie family.
Ms. Supriya Kumari joined Regional HR - South, Manali - Chennai as Asst.
Manager [Rajbhasha & Administration] on 18th January 2024.
Supriya has 5+ years of experience as a Hindi Translator in EIL. She joined EIL in
2018 at its regional office in Vadodara, Gujarat and was transferred to Head Office,
Delhi in April 2022. She holds a Master’s degree in Hindi Literature from University
of Delhi and a Bachelor's degree from Miranda House, University of Delhi. She
qualified UGC-NET in Hindi Literature twice. She also has a Post-Graduate Diploma
in Translation. Currently, she is pursuing MBA with specialization in Human
Resources. She is from Bihar and her family lives there. Her father is a businessman
and her mother is a homemaker. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies and
reading novels. She also likes to explore new places, so, whenever she plans a trip,
she prefers off-beat places, where she gets the chance to closely explore different
cultures and food. In her life, she wants to develop an attitude like her mother, who
remains positive in every situation, and to be selflessly helpful and grateful to God
like her father.
Mr. Satyendra joined Corporate IT - Kolkata as Deputy Manager [SAP-ABAP] on 08th
January 2024.
Satyendra has always been passionate about learning and personal growth. He completed his
schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Lucknow with a strong focus on Mathematics and
Science, which led him to pursue a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. He
then pursued his Masters in Nano-optoelectronics. During his college years, he gained
valuable experience through internships. After post-graduation, he joined HCL Technologies
as a Software Engineer, where he contributed to several successful projects and later joined
TCS as IT Analyst. With 6+ years of experience, his last association was with Accenture India
as a Technical Team Lead. He also learned the importance of teamwork and effective
communication in a professional setting. He is excited about the opportunity to bring his
technical skills and passion for innovation to Balmer Lawrie and contribute to the success of
his team. His family has played a significant role in shaping his values and work ethics. He
comes from a close-knit family that values education and hard work. His parents have always
emphasised on the importance of continuous learning and perseverance. His father is an
Indian Air Force veteran, his mother is a homemaker, his sister is a Financial professional and
his spouse is working as an IT professional in HCL Technologies. They have been a source of
inspiration for him, instilling in him the importance of dedication and a strong sense of
responsibility. His family's support and encouragement have been instrumental in his
personal and professional development. They have taught him the value of integrity,
commitment and resilience. These values have guided him in his life and have positively
influenced his approach to work and relationships. He is extremely passionate about playing
cricket. Cricket has honed his teamworking skills, discipline and perseverance.

15. Welcome you to the Balmer Lawrie family and wish you all the best.
Mr. Vinod Kumar joined Travel & Vacations - Delhi as Officer [Travel] on 03rd
January 2024.
Vinod is working in the Travel industry since the last 3 years. He completed his
schooling from Delhi and his Graduation from Delhi University in 2018. His professor
at college had advised him to do a course in Travel and Tourism and hence, he joined
the Travel & Tourism course in his college. During his course, he realised and learnt
that the travel industry is very vast. After completing his course, he got his first job
as Travel Consultant in TBO.com in Gurgaon. After that, before joining Balmer
Lawrie, he worked in IRCTC in the Corporate Travel Department. He loves to travel
and go on journeys. He visited 52 cities in India and Bhutan. He is a person who is
positive about every aspect of life. There are many things he likes to do, see and
experience. He likes to read, write, think, dream, talk and listen.
Ms. Deepthi T V joined Travel & Vacations - Chennai as Asst. Manager
[Operations] on 09th January 2024.
Deepthi was born and brought up in Chennai. In 2009, post schooling she joined
Ethiraj College for women for pursuing BA Tourism and Travel Management. Along
with college studies, she excelled in Diploma in IATA with distinction. She started her
career with Thomas Cook in 2012 in the Visa Division; later she was transferred to
Leisure Travel Department and worked there till July 2016. Further she continued her
career with TourFox (Erstwhile Swisstours), a European consolidator, as the Branch
Manager of Chennai handling Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh and Kerala markets. She
joined Balmer Lawrie with 12 years of experience. She is an adventure lover and
nurtures a hobby of listening to melody music.
Mr. Nilutpal Sarania joined Travel & Vacations - Kolkata as Officer [Travel &
KAM] on 08th January 2024.
Nilutpal is a dynamic professional hailing from the vibrant land of Assam. With a
Postgraduate degree in Tourism and Travel Management from PTU, he has over 5
years of experience in the domain. Beyond his career, he is a sports enthusiast on the
ground for football and kabaddi. His passion for exploration extends to culinary
delights. He is an avid traveler with a taste for diverse cuisines. He is excited to
embark on the journey with Balmer Lawrie and is looking forward to cultivating
innovative ideas and nurturing his professional aspirations within the organisation.
Ms. Nida Laeeque Sayed joined Travel & Vacations - Mumbai as Junior Officer
[Travel] on 01st January 2024.
Nida is interested in learning new languages and skills daily and trying new cuisines.
Besides learning new languages, her hobbies include travelling and meeting new
people. Her nuclear family consists of her mother and her. She is eager to work, learn
and grow with Balmer Lawrie. As a person she is polite and positive. She firmly
believes that when she is positive, it not only makes her better, but also makes those
around her better. She strongly believes that a healthy work environment is not a
derivative of luck, rather it's a product of conscious effort, dedication, creativity,
productivity, satisfaction and respect for team's wellbeing. She is glad to be a Balmer
Lawrien, eager to work and add value and skills to the organisation.
Mr. Manoj Kumar Ramraj Vishwakarma joined Logistics Services - Mumbai as
Junior Officer [A&F] on 02nd January 2024.
Manoj is a dedicated professional specialising in Accounts and Finance. He has honed
his skills in navigating the areas of Accounts and Taxation in the firms that he had
worked in prior to joining Balmer Lawrie. He has deep-seated love for movies and
series, finding joy in the storytelling and creativity that they bring to life. Beyond
that, his passion for exploration extends to reading books and travelling to discover
new cultures and embracing the diversity the world has to offer. He looks forward to
value adding with his expertise to Balmer Lawrie and contributing to the success of
our Company and its global ventures.