Shreekant Somany?s tile manufacturing company Somany Ceramics Ltd has become the first Indian tile company to receive a patent under the Indian Patent Act for its ?high abrasion resistant glaze composition?, known as VeilCraft (VC) Shield. The patent authorises Somany exclusive rights for production and commercialisation of VC tiles in India.
On receiving the patent, Shreekant Somany, chairman & managing director, Somany Ceramics said, ?I am overwhelmed to receive this patent for the company as it recognises the endeavors of our research and development (R&D) department towards offering quality products to customers and industry.? Somany was the first company in 1998 to be awarded ISO 9002 certification for its research and development.
The intellectual property rights for this technology is expected to provide an edge to Somany over other industry players, as it has outperformed PEI Grade V tiles, which itself is a worldwide benchmark for high abrasion.
?With this patent, we have established unmatched quality standards for the Indian ceramic tile industry,? he added.
PEI stands for Porcelain Enamel Institute test for abrasion resistance. The PEI Rating of I (lowest) – V (highest) defines the wear and durability of a tile?s glazed surface. The patented VC glaze formulation is a complex matrix of various materials rendering hardness to a tile surface along with a silky matt finish. The impervious VC covering makes the tile abrasion resistant, stain free and protects the colour and design of the tile, which is detained between two unique glaze layers. This application offers flexibility in terms of designing and usage. VC tiles are ideal for use in high traffic areas such as shopping malls, airports, hospitals and offices among others.
Somany achieved government recognition for its R&D department in 1996 and was the first tile company to be awarded ISO 9002 certification in 1998.
Bejar to head Wipro Tech?s global sales
Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited, has announced the appointment of Martha Bejar as president of global sales and operations. In her new role, Bejar will focus on the global ?Go to Market? strategy, drive revenue growth and leverage on Wipro?s strength in innovation, technology, process insight and globalisation to enhance the company?s position as a business transformation catalyst.
Prior to this, Martha has served as corporate vice- president for communications at Microsoft Corp and as president of Nortel?s Caribbean and Latin America regions.
Commenting on her new role, Bejar said, ?I am excited about this opportunity to be part of Wipro, a phenomenal growth organisation. Wipro?s ability to provide services that transform clients? business is clearly a result of the huge talent and capabilities that lie within.
My focus areas will be to strengthen our relationships with our alliance partners and our customers.?
Bejar holds a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering from the University of Miami and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is also a graduate of the advanced management programme at Harvard University Business School.
New role for Nanda at Bharti Axa
Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Limited, the private life insurance joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and AXA Group, recently promoted Sandeep Nanda as chief investment officer. Nanda was earlier with Bharti AXA Investment Managers as head of investment research.
A graduate from IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, Nanda brings experience of over 18 years across various public, private equity and debt markets. He has been previously associated with organisations like Soci?t? G?n?rale, Natwest Markets, Il&FS, and Sharekhan. He has also worked with Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein as its vice-president and research coordinator for India.
His new job, says Nanda, is challenging but he is looking forward to it keenly. ?Since I?ve worked in equity market, investments and dealt more with mutual funds, it will be interesting to get into a new role. Since this market is more systematic and less volatile than mutual funds, it will be interesting to learn about new products and learn how it works,? Nanda says.
Ask him what he brings to the job and he says honestly, ?I have a good experience in debt equity and research. So my understanding of investment process and analysing companies are my strong points.?