'We plan to focus on R&D' – Shantanu, LNJ Bhilwara Group

07 Feb '12

12 min read

He also admires his father – Mr Shekhar Agarwal and grandfather for their ability to think ahead and not get bogged down by the present. “Most of the problems arise from taking decisions in the heat of the moment and not thinking twice before expanding when the going is good. This unfortunately lays the seeds of the next downturn”, he observes.

When Shantanu was in school and college, discussions related to the business did not crop up at the dinner table. But now, since even his mother has joined the business and his sister too, after completing her architectural course from the US, is back in Delhi and working, business discussions do crop up occasionally at the table.

His grandfather and the group's founder, the illustrious and foresighted Mr LN Jhunjhunwala laid the foundation of the group way back in 1961 by establishing a spinning mill in Bhilwara – Rajasthan. Today, the textile division contributes around 60 to 65 percent to the group turnover.

RSWM Ltd, the flagship company of the textile division posted revenues of Rs 20 billion last fiscal, now houses the second highest number of spindles in the country and is the biggest producer and exporter of polyester/viscose yarn. In 2007-08, RSWM set up a 14 million metres per annum denim fabric plant – LNJ Denim and just last year, introduced various functional denim fabrics. RSWM also owns one of the oldest fabric brands in India – 'Mayur Suitings'.

Set up in 1991, the Rs 5.5 billion turnover Maral Overseas Ltd, located in Madhya Pradesh is counted among the largest composite textile unit in India. Maral has two ultra-modern units which produce 1,500 tons of grey yarn, 100 tons of dyed yarn, 400 tons of knitted fabric and 400,000 pieces of garments every month. It is focused more on the export market.

BSL Ltd, another textile company in the fold is a completely vertically integrated company from spinning to fabrics, which notched up a turnover of Rs 2.72 billion last fiscal. It produces over 18 million meters of fabric every year. Its product portfolio encompasses polyester/viscose blends, 100% wool, wool-blended and premium lightweight fabrics, wool/modal, trevira wool and other specialized fabrics blended with lycra, silk, linen, tencel, etc. It too has a fabric brand – 'BSL Suitings'

BMD Private Limited is the technical textiles division of the LNJ Bhilwara Group and was started in 1996, much before the rest of the Indian textile industry caught up with the idea of technical textiles.

It is a leading manufacturer of high performance specialized furnishing fabrics for automotives, decorative furnishing fabrics for homes, contract furnishing, flame retardant fabric & air texturised yarn. BMD is a market leader in automotive fabrics and has a massive 50 percent market share in automotive fabrics in India, with a capacity of six million meters per annum.

Shantanu was mentored mainly by his grandfather – Mr LN Jhunjhunwala, his father – Mr Shekhar Agarwal and the Director of BMD – Mr R S Dugar. His mentoring began at BMD, where he understood the process and nuances of technical textiles at the BMD plant and was groomed in a manner, to take over a senior position in the near future.

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