Dalmia Seven: Bringing Together Conventional & Innovativeness To Provide Best Possible Service To The Indian Market
Giuliano Copetti, Chief - Product & Technology
Sanat Ganguli, Business Head
What was the idea behind the inception of Dalmia Seven? What is it that inspired you on this entrepreneurial journey?
Sanat: The idea was simple. There was a big gap in the market in terms of availability of modern and advanced monolithic refractory technology which was sweeping evolved markets such as Europe. All we needed to do is put our heads together to figure out how to plug this demand gap. And who better than us to do this? With a refractory history and legacy spanning 65+ years, deep penetration into Indian refractory user businesses thanks to a wide range of refractory portfolio, multiple mines and manufacturing locations, a reputation for customer service and consistent product performance Dalmia-OCL was in a great position to launch into startup space.
In Seven Refractories we found an excellent partner, the owner of just the technology Indian refractory users were hungry for, to be served in a made-in-India format along with all the associated advantages of a locally made product. Thus, was born Dalmia Seven, the startup we are celebrating today. It is interesting to call it a startup since our success is heavily dependent on technology, digitisation, and product performance. This enables us to be disruptive enough for early business gains.
Dalmia Seven specialises in production and application of monolithic refractory. This market is estimated to be around Rs 2,500 Cr in India. Until 2019, before our production facility went online, this market was dominated by just one player and imports. Customers and users were hungry for choice, and that is exactly where we came in.
What has been remarkable and inspirational are the initial experiences like how easy it was for us to find acceptance and secure trial orders It was quick vindication of our assumptions that users were ready for newer choices and solutions. Early on, we broke some operational records and benchmarks too through our product performance and service delivery. For instance, at one of India’s largest steelmakers, we repaired a steel ladle using gunning and shotcreting technology to deliver a high campaign life of 177 heats. Mind you, this was the first time ever shotcreting was used for ladle repairs in India.
Then there was the case of another big Indian steelmaker, where we carried out Blast Furnace hearth repairs no other company in India but us have this capability in the middle of a raging Covid-19 pandemic. We have made decent inroads into the cement making industry as well. In FY 2020-21, when the country was
witnessing lockdowns and shutdowns, we more than doubled our business to ₹50 Cr in just second year of our operation.
Giuliano: I have been looking after refractory production, sales and marketing, application and customer support for monolithic refractories for several years now. As Seven, we had been trying independently too to set up business in India but struggled because of lack of manufacturing, and operational constraints in our ability to offer service levels international customers expected of us. With Dalmia-OCL as partner, we realised nearly all our operational bottlenecks would go away. Not only that, we also realised Dalmia-OCL is deeply integrated with Indian Iron & Steel and Cement businesses, commands a lot of respect, offers a wide range of solutions and services. All these would prove to be valuable assets in launching a successful business and our experience of the past 12 months has been no less.
What were the initial challenges that taught you the basic lessons of managing diversified functions of the organizations?
Sanat: In our case most of the challenges were about cultural and operational integration. On one hand we have Seven, with very much a European way of doing business, and on the other, us, completely Indian. While goals and objectives are common, practices differ. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how quickly we were able to dovetail competencies and strengths into achievable action plans. Both Dalmia and Seven are strong brands, and that provided an advantage in terms of gaining entry into the customer side. Europe is known for its Industrial Revolution, is considered the cradle for the science of metallurgy and learnings and practices from there are easily accepted by customers not only in India, but across the globe.
Giuliano: Not many challenges you see. If there were some to begin with, it was to do with talent and training and building up of a local support team. But then, Dalmia-OCL’s strong experience and legacy helped roll over such challenges easily. Today, we are equipped to produce and supply cutting edge monolithic refractories literally at the flick of a button, with well-trained application teams available to ensure quick and immediate installation. Our recent wins at some of the leading Indian steel making facilities are proof of that, where in some cases our products have been produced, shipped and applied at client locations within 2 weeks. That is not common I can assure you; it is a big accomplishment.
Kindly throw some light on the various services that you offer. Also, explain the unique benefits that your customers can avail of by using these services?
Giuliano: World over, look at any major industry, you will find the focus is always on sustainability and environment. Producers want to try out alternative fuels, reduce their cost of energy and ensure environmental impact is minimal. That’s where we come in. Our products and technology not only help save energy but also because of their simpler nature compared to refractory bricks, are quick to deploy. All this converts into savings for our customers. E.g., Seven
Giuliano: I have been looking after refractory production, sales and marketing, application and customer support for monolithic refractories for several years now. As Seven, we had been trying independently too to set up business in India but struggled because of lack of manufacturing, and operational constraints in our ability to offer service levels international customers expected of us. With Dalmia-OCL as partner, we realised nearly all our operational bottlenecks would go away. Not only that, we also realised Dalmia-OCL is deeply integrated with Indian Iron & Steel and Cement businesses, commands a lot of respect, offers a wide range of solutions and services. All these would prove to be valuable assets in launching a successful business and our experience of the past 12 months has been no less.
Dalmia Seven is using innovation and speed to make a big impression on Indian steelmakers. It combines the best of two very different worlds markets in India and technology & solutions from Europe to deliver cutting-edge made-in-Indiamonolithic refractories to users in India. On the back of Govt of India’s push towards ‘Atmanirbharta’, Dalmia Seven is in a unique position to succeed in an environment which is hungry for new choices and alternatives
What were the initial challenges that taught you the basic lessons of managing diversified functions of the organizations?
Sanat: In our case most of the challenges were about cultural and operational integration. On one hand we have Seven, with very much a European way of doing business, and on the other, us, completely Indian. While goals and objectives are common, practices differ. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how quickly we were able to dovetail competencies and strengths into achievable action plans. Both Dalmia and Seven are strong brands, and that provided an advantage in terms of gaining entry into the customer side. Europe is known for its Industrial Revolution, is considered the cradle for the science of metallurgy and learnings and practices from there are easily accepted by customers not only in India, but across the globe.
Giuliano: Not many challenges you see. If there were some to begin with, it was to do with talent and training and building up of a local support team. But then, Dalmia-OCL’s strong experience and legacy helped roll over such challenges easily. Today, we are equipped to produce and supply cutting edge monolithic refractories literally at the flick of a button, with well-trained application teams available to ensure quick and immediate installation. Our recent wins at some of the leading Indian steel making facilities are proof of that, where in some cases our products have been produced, shipped and applied at client locations within 2 weeks. That is not common I can assure you; it is a big accomplishment.
Kindly throw some light on the various services that you offer. Also, explain the unique benefits that your customers can avail of by using these services?
Giuliano: World over, look at any major industry, you will find the focus is always on sustainability and environment. Producers want to try out alternative fuels, reduce their cost of energy and ensure environmental impact is minimal. That’s where we come in. Our products and technology not only help save energy but also because of their simpler nature compared to refractory bricks, are quick to deploy. All this converts into savings for our customers. E.g., Seven
Refractories is one of the few monolithic producers globally which actively promotes the environment-friendly green tap hole clays. We are constantly innovating on the product front to ensure our customers are richer from our efforts with reduced shutdowns for maintenance and repairs.
Sanat:Dalmia Seven’s expertise extends well beyond just refractory supplies, into areas such as application, maintenance, turnkey projects and TRM (Total Refractory Management). The fact that Dalmia-OCL is doing TRM at more than 30 sites across India, it is easy for us to run trials for our new technology and product developments. Take the example of XL-Life, our Torpedo Ladle and Steel Ladle shot crete solution. It improves productivity by enhancing the lifetime of vessels and reducing downtime. We successfully implemented this. Our overall portfolio includes a wide range of products that maximise furnace performance by extending campaign life in Turnkey solutions for Pellet Plant, Sinter Plant, DRI and Iron making areas, Blast Furnace repairs, Blast Furnace Cast House, Blast Furnace Tap Hole Clay, Torpedo & Steel ladle shotcrete, Solution High-performance Reheat Furnaces,Solution High-productivity Cement kilns, Fluidized bed combustion chambers in power plants, High-efficiency CFBC boilers, Kilns of rotary type incinerators, Combustion chambers of flue gas incinerators, and Critical equipment in Fertilizer & Petrochem industries.
In terms of unique benefits, I’d summarise by saying that Indian steelmakers today, after a long time, have a solid choice in terms of availability of India-made advanced monolithics. They don’t need to depend on imports. What we are producing here at our state-of-the-art manufacturing line in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, are the same top quality castables that are being used by the world’s leading customers based in Europe and across the world. That too with the assurance of quick supply, swift application and unmatched local technical support.
As the business head of Dalmia Seven, what are the strategies/methods you put forward to align your organization with your vision and mission and how do you generate great value to your organization?
Sanat: Ultimately value delivered to the organization is a function of how well you meet your business goals and objectives. Our overall strategy is built on what we internally refer to as PIPES: People, Innovation, Partnerships, Expansion & Service. PIPES has worked for us so far and I see no reason why it will not lead us to success in the long term.
Are you coming up with innovations or up-gradations to enhance the quality of your existing services? Also, what are the future plans of the company?
Giuliano: Of course, the process of innovation and upgradation never stops. We are constantly working on improving production and application efficiencies through a balanced mix of digitisation and mechanisation. We are acquiring newer and modern equipment to ensure quality and speed of refractory installation is better and faster. We are constantly investing in training and development of our application teams to ensure they stay ahead of competition and to ensure our customer satisfaction levels are always on the higher side.
Sanat: Like Giuliano has said, innovation is not something that can be ignored. Especially for startups like us. If we don’t innovate, why should our customers even notice us, or give us a chance to hear us. Gunning, Shotcreting, Casting and green Tap Hole Clay will be the centre of our product offerings going forward. Dalmia Seven has a bright future ahead. We have the support of Dalmia-OCL, India’s fastest growing refractory business, two years in a row now. Most importantly, we have the startup spirit the hunger for early and hard wins backed by a lean team which is swift to act to ever changing customer needs.
Dalmia Seven is a fresh and exciting joint-venture between Dalmia-OCL, India’s fastest growing refractory business and Seven Refractories, Europe’s fastest growing refractory company which combines innovative technology with multi national experience across a variety of refractory user industries.
Location: New Delhi, India
Sanat:Dalmia Seven’s expertise extends well beyond just refractory supplies, into areas such as application, maintenance, turnkey projects and TRM (Total Refractory Management). The fact that Dalmia-OCL is doing TRM at more than 30 sites across India, it is easy for us to run trials for our new technology and product developments. Take the example of XL-Life, our Torpedo Ladle and Steel Ladle shot crete solution. It improves productivity by enhancing the lifetime of vessels and reducing downtime. We successfully implemented this. Our overall portfolio includes a wide range of products that maximise furnace performance by extending campaign life in Turnkey solutions for Pellet Plant, Sinter Plant, DRI and Iron making areas, Blast Furnace repairs, Blast Furnace Cast House, Blast Furnace Tap Hole Clay, Torpedo & Steel ladle shotcrete, Solution High-performance Reheat Furnaces,Solution High-productivity Cement kilns, Fluidized bed combustion chambers in power plants, High-efficiency CFBC boilers, Kilns of rotary type incinerators, Combustion chambers of flue gas incinerators, and Critical equipment in Fertilizer & Petrochem industries.
In terms of unique benefits, I’d summarise by saying that Indian steelmakers today, after a long time, have a solid choice in terms of availability of India-made advanced monolithics. They don’t need to depend on imports. What we are producing here at our state-of-the-art manufacturing line in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, are the same top quality castables that are being used by the world’s leading customers based in Europe and across the world. That too with the assurance of quick supply, swift application and unmatched local technical support.
As the business head of Dalmia Seven, what are the strategies/methods you put forward to align your organization with your vision and mission and how do you generate great value to your organization?
Sanat: Ultimately value delivered to the organization is a function of how well you meet your business goals and objectives. Our overall strategy is built on what we internally refer to as PIPES: People, Innovation, Partnerships, Expansion & Service. PIPES has worked for us so far and I see no reason why it will not lead us to success in the long term.
Are you coming up with innovations or up-gradations to enhance the quality of your existing services? Also, what are the future plans of the company?
Giuliano: Of course, the process of innovation and upgradation never stops. We are constantly working on improving production and application efficiencies through a balanced mix of digitisation and mechanisation. We are acquiring newer and modern equipment to ensure quality and speed of refractory installation is better and faster. We are constantly investing in training and development of our application teams to ensure they stay ahead of competition and to ensure our customer satisfaction levels are always on the higher side.
Sanat: Like Giuliano has said, innovation is not something that can be ignored. Especially for startups like us. If we don’t innovate, why should our customers even notice us, or give us a chance to hear us. Gunning, Shotcreting, Casting and green Tap Hole Clay will be the centre of our product offerings going forward. Dalmia Seven has a bright future ahead. We have the support of Dalmia-OCL, India’s fastest growing refractory business, two years in a row now. Most importantly, we have the startup spirit the hunger for early and hard wins backed by a lean team which is swift to act to ever changing customer needs.
Dalmia Seven is a fresh and exciting joint-venture between Dalmia-OCL, India’s fastest growing refractory business and Seven Refractories, Europe’s fastest growing refractory company which combines innovative technology with multi national experience across a variety of refractory user industries.
Location: New Delhi, India