Rahul Mittal : Driving The Steel & Textile Industry With Utmost Passion & Grit
Rahul Mittal
Managing Director
Rahul is an alumnus of Sri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi where he obtained his B.Com degree before pursuing a post graduate degree in Management from the Nottingham University Business School. With nearly two decades of experience in the Steel & Textile industry, he has spearheaded numerous interconnected initiatives dedicated to shaping a more prosperous and dignified future for all. Serving as a guiding force, he has played a pivotal role in elevating industry standards and making efforts to empower the industry and the nation’s growth. In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Rahul shared insights into the company's operations, his early foray into the industry, and other significant aspects with us.
Could you elaborate on the unique experiences provided by Shri Ram College of Commerce and how your time on campus went beyond academic learning?
Certainly! Both Sriram College of Commerce and Nottingham University Business School both helped me develop an entrepreneurial mindset. At Sriram College, a commerce college, I learned about business, accountancy, taxation, and various aspects of business, which provided practical knowledge applicable to my business. Additionally, college helped me expand my network and I am still in touch with my alumni friends. Furthermore, being part of various societies in college and school taught me valuable skills such as managing people and working as a team to achieve common goals.
While the exposure at Nottingham helped me learn about different cultures, and global events, and potentially adopt new ideas. It wasn't just about tangible things, but it broadened my perspective. I also gained insights about global companies like Arcelormittal Nippon Steel India and Tata Steel (formerly Corus Group). Learning about their operations
and comparing them to Indian practices was very informative.
Tell us about Janki Corp. Also, as the Managing Director, what are the factors you take into account when developing effective corporate growth strategies?
Janki Corp (JCL) formerly Janki Processors (JPL) is a multi-divisional processing house business with a Textile Division in Bhilwara, Rajasthan and a Steel Division in Bellary, Karnataka.
Well, first of all, we create an overall vision for the company respective of the next two to five years. Based on this vision, we set short-term goals & plans and delegate them to department heads for execution. We ensure that everything works together to achieve our common objectives. When forming our initial vision, we prioritize a favorable risk-reward balance and are somewhat conservative in taking risks. We also consider the sustainability of any new initiatives in terms of profitability, economics, environment, and local impact.
Communication is essential in our organization. We openly discuss challenges, gather ideas from everyone, and find solutions together. Not every idea is fully formed initially, but through discussion, we make progress and handle situations while thinking prudently and taking the right actions. Regarding risk management, we understand that every company has its own strengths and weaknesses. We assess our capabilities first, for example, by tripling our power capacity in response to a power shortage in the country. We also evaluate our current EBITDA levels to ensure that our projects are financially sustainable, even in worst-case scenarios, and thus we focus on our core activities without diversifying excessively.
Tell us about your leadership approach.
In this regard, two main things are important to me. First is excellence. I strongly believe in the saying, ‘the devil is in the details’. The second is open communication which is key, team members at any level should feel comfortable sharing their ideas. This leads to a culture of excellence and pride among all team members.
As a business leader, how do you leverage the latest technologies in your daily functions?
Tell us about Janki Corp. Also, as the Managing Director, what are the factors you take into account when developing effective corporate growth strategies?
Janki Corp (JCL) formerly Janki Processors (JPL) is a multi-divisional processing house business with a Textile Division in Bhilwara, Rajasthan and a Steel Division in Bellary, Karnataka.
Well, first of all, we create an overall vision for the company respective of the next two to five years. Based on this vision, we set short-term goals & plans and delegate them to department heads for execution. We ensure that everything works together to achieve our common objectives. When forming our initial vision, we prioritize a favorable risk-reward balance and are somewhat conservative in taking risks. We also consider the sustainability of any new initiatives in terms of profitability, economics, environment, and local impact.
We aim to maintain low leverage & make deci-sions that provide a favorable risk-reward balance, ensuring that our company can with-stand any downturns in the industry
Communication is essential in our organization. We openly discuss challenges, gather ideas from everyone, and find solutions together. Not every idea is fully formed initially, but through discussion, we make progress and handle situations while thinking prudently and taking the right actions. Regarding risk management, we understand that every company has its own strengths and weaknesses. We assess our capabilities first, for example, by tripling our power capacity in response to a power shortage in the country. We also evaluate our current EBITDA levels to ensure that our projects are financially sustainable, even in worst-case scenarios, and thus we focus on our core activities without diversifying excessively.
Tell us about your leadership approach.
In this regard, two main things are important to me. First is excellence. I strongly believe in the saying, ‘the devil is in the details’. The second is open communication which is key, team members at any level should feel comfortable sharing their ideas. This leads to a culture of excellence and pride among all team members.
As a business leader, how do you leverage the latest technologies in your daily functions?
In the field of technology, we make sure to stay updated on the latest developments specific to our industry. Our priority is to be environmentally friendly by implementing more pollution control measures and being a responsible corporate entity. From a technological standpoint, for example, SAP is a tool widely used by major corporations to streamline all business functions. We utilize SAP and similar technologies to drive consistent technical improvement. Addi- tionally, we regularly attend seminars and conferences to stay informed about new deve-lopments in our industry, focus on peer-to-peer learning, and keep in touch with our competition.
What is your anticipation about the market, going forward? Tell us about your future roadmap.
The demand for steel in the country is growing at a rate of close to 10 percent annually, which is significant given the high base of around 130 million tons per year. Our goal is to become a major player in the steel industry making a significant contribution to steel production in the country. One of our key focuses is the capital-intensive and cyclical nature of the steel industry. We aim to maintain low leverage and make decisions that provide a favorable risk reward balance, ensuring that our company can withstand any down turns in the industry.
In light of your strong professional experience with- in the industry, what would be your advice to budding industry leaders?
Conduct thorough research on their area of interest. Understand that things may not go exactly as planned, but this will make you more efficient and resilient in the face of challenges. Maintain a clear goal and regularly assess whether your initial idea is still relevant in the rapidly changing world. Keep learning and be open to relearning quickly, adapting to the latest developments.
Rahul Mittal, Managing Director, Janki Corp
Having completed a B.Com from Sri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi and a Management postgrad from the Nottingham University Business School, Rahul is an ardent professional with nearly two decades of experience in the Steel & Textile industry.
•Hobbies:I like to watch a lot of live sports, so I follow tennis and cricket. I also love playing poker
•Favorite Cui-sines: First is Indian, and then PAN-Asian
•Travel destinations: Europe
What is your anticipation about the market, going forward? Tell us about your future roadmap.
The demand for steel in the country is growing at a rate of close to 10 percent annually, which is significant given the high base of around 130 million tons per year. Our goal is to become a major player in the steel industry making a significant contribution to steel production in the country. One of our key focuses is the capital-intensive and cyclical nature of the steel industry. We aim to maintain low leverage and make decisions that provide a favorable risk reward balance, ensuring that our company can withstand any down turns in the industry.
In light of your strong professional experience with- in the industry, what would be your advice to budding industry leaders?
Conduct thorough research on their area of interest. Understand that things may not go exactly as planned, but this will make you more efficient and resilient in the face of challenges. Maintain a clear goal and regularly assess whether your initial idea is still relevant in the rapidly changing world. Keep learning and be open to relearning quickly, adapting to the latest developments.
Rahul Mittal, Managing Director, Janki Corp
Having completed a B.Com from Sri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi and a Management postgrad from the Nottingham University Business School, Rahul is an ardent professional with nearly two decades of experience in the Steel & Textile industry.
•Hobbies:I like to watch a lot of live sports, so I follow tennis and cricket. I also love playing poker
•Favorite Cui-sines: First is Indian, and then PAN-Asian
•Travel destinations: Europe