91 / 132
PLUMBING CONNECTION
WINTER 2015 91
which has fallen by the wayside.
In talking to Rajendra about his
plant facilities, I learned that public
companies in India have to put aside
2% of their net profit after tax for
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
activities. In Hindware’s case, they use
this to support their onsite schools
program, medical support services and
prayer temples for employees. There
is a strong bond between employees
and management and you get the
idea that a job at Hindware is a prized
possession.
In his early years Rajendra learnt
to do most of the jobs in the kiln and
pottery casting area of the TYWFORDS
UK factory, so as to appreciate the
various processes. He learnt a saying
that supervision is your profit – but to
supervise you need to fully understand
the tasks.
HSIL is a vertically integrated
business and over the years the
company has developed the skills to
make its own clay mixes, plaster-of-
Paris, setting/compunds processes
and various other materials and skills
that go into china making. As there
were few retail hardware outlets at
the time, Hindware launched its own
bathroom showrooms out of which the
majority of product is sold, though new
sales channels are developing.
I mentioned that India lacked the
usual structures that we are used to,
that is no more evident than in the
fact there are no Indian trained and
certified plumbers but that is about to
change.
It is estimated there are around
800,000 employed in the construction
sector (33 million workers in total) that
do ‘plumbing work’ – but more than
90% have no professional training.
Thus, a number of like-minded people
like Rajendra are now running the
Indian Plumbing Skills Council, of which
he is the chairman.
The aim is to train up 1.2 million
plumbers by 2022 as well as have
12,000 trainers on hand to keep the
industry rolling. That’s some challenge
but with someone like Chairman
Somany heading the organisation, you
can be confident of them reaching
their goals. There might even be an
opportunity for Australian training
organisations to export some of their
expertise in this area – watch this
space.
For me that was the end of a couple
of eye-popping days.
India is gradually gaining its lost
dynamism; and the rest of the world
needs to stand back and take note.
M