Sajeev Kale: Industry Pioneer Exemplifying In Both - Entrepreneurial & Corporate Leadership Roles
Sajeev Kale
Managing Director
A successful entrepreneur and corporate executive, Sajeev has held a variety of positions in well-known and significant Multinational Corporations(MNCs). Sajeev’s areas of competence include startup expertise, strategic management, acquisitions, new business launch, international business, manufacturing, supply chain, and research.
Below is the excerpt of Sajeev’s exclusive interaction with CEO Insights.
Tell us about your professional background and experiences. What drives you today as an industry leader?
Throughout my 37 years of professional experience, I have held positions of leadership and management at many well-known firms, including Asian Paints and ITW Chemin. Following a long career in the chemical sector, I established my own manufacturing firm in Bangalore called ZChem Specialities.
Furthermore, I am motivated by the desire to elevate Indian brands to global prominence and ensure that they are on par with the world's best. As a result, it is the objective I have set for myself.
Could you talk about the learnings and experiences that you had acquired from IIM Ahmedabad and how you apply them in your current role?
The Middle Management Program at IIM Ahmedabad was a great experience for me since it allowed me to develop a broad under standing of the many facets of business management. To begin with, I learned how to troubleshoot, anticipate problems, manage people and solve issues. Then I moved on to strategic management, which taught me how to think outside the box, put my new abilities into practice, execute my new plan, and motivate my employees. What I learned from this experience is something I've carried through into my business endeavors as well.
Define ZChem Specialities as an organization and where is it positioned in the industry? What are the company’s greatest strengths and unique propositions that it offers to its clients?
ZChem Specialities began off as a small and mediumsized manufacturing company. But as we have grown, we have moved our products outside of India and are now a global brand with a huge consumer base in various Middle Eastern and African nations. As a result, we are currently aiming to enter the United States market. Now that we have established ourselves in the marketplace, we are deemed equal to the world's leading brands in terms of quality. In other words, we are no longer a small player.
We provide world-class products in terms of quality, and we satisfy the standards specified by numerous industries, including aerospace, oil and gas, and automotive engineering. Each market has its own set of requirements and we make sure that our products suits to
I am motivated by the desire to elevate Indian brands to global prominence and ensure that they are on par with the world's best
Could you talk about the learnings and experiences that you had acquired from IIM Ahmedabad and how you apply them in your current role?
The Middle Management Program at IIM Ahmedabad was a great experience for me since it allowed me to develop a broad under standing of the many facets of business management. To begin with, I learned how to troubleshoot, anticipate problems, manage people and solve issues. Then I moved on to strategic management, which taught me how to think outside the box, put my new abilities into practice, execute my new plan, and motivate my employees. What I learned from this experience is something I've carried through into my business endeavors as well.
Define ZChem Specialities as an organization and where is it positioned in the industry? What are the company’s greatest strengths and unique propositions that it offers to its clients?
ZChem Specialities began off as a small and mediumsized manufacturing company. But as we have grown, we have moved our products outside of India and are now a global brand with a huge consumer base in various Middle Eastern and African nations. As a result, we are currently aiming to enter the United States market. Now that we have established ourselves in the marketplace, we are deemed equal to the world's leading brands in terms of quality. In other words, we are no longer a small player.
We provide world-class products in terms of quality, and we satisfy the standards specified by numerous industries, including aerospace, oil and gas, and automotive engineering. Each market has its own set of requirements and we make sure that our products suits to
all. This could perhaps be regarded as a strength and a unique selling proposition of our business.
Reflect on some of the major challenges you have experienced in your journey so far? How did you over come them and what did you learn from them?
You will certainly face numerous challenges in your entrepreneurial journey, but I think that every hurdle is a chance for growth. To succeed, one must have a positive outlook on life and a willingness to take risks. We all face problems in the entrepreneurial journey, and our capacity to overcome them is what sets us apart from the rest of the players. This is precisely what occurred in my case, and significant challenges for me were, Convincing international customers to try and accept novice Indian brand and attracting quality manpower to join a startup.
My mantra for success is our company's value proposition or how we've established our market position. As an entrepreneur, I am committed to carving out a market niche for our firm.
How do you maintain the perfect balance between your personal and professional life? What is your success mantra?
Maintaining a healthy work life balance isn't a difficult task, but it's all up to the individuals. In my opinion, all professionals need to make a deliberate choice or plan for the day that will allow them to maintain a healthy work life balance. Professionals need to divide their work into tasks based on significance, and then devise effective strategies to perform those duties with desired results. This is what I do and as a result I will have sufficient time for my personal life.
Sajeev Kale, MD, ZChem Specialities
Sajeev graduated from IIT Kharagpur with a Masters in Chemical Engineering and IIM Ahmedabad with a Management course. And he has worked for 37 years in a variety of well-known and large MNCs. And in 2013, along with HariPrasad Varda he established a manufacturing company name ZChem Specialities.
Location:Bengaluru
Reflect on some of the major challenges you have experienced in your journey so far? How did you over come them and what did you learn from them?
You will certainly face numerous challenges in your entrepreneurial journey, but I think that every hurdle is a chance for growth. To succeed, one must have a positive outlook on life and a willingness to take risks. We all face problems in the entrepreneurial journey, and our capacity to overcome them is what sets us apart from the rest of the players. This is precisely what occurred in my case, and significant challenges for me were, Convincing international customers to try and accept novice Indian brand and attracting quality manpower to join a startup.
My mantra for success is our company's value proposition or how we've established our market position. As an entrepreneur, I am committed to carving out a market niche for our firm.
How do you maintain the perfect balance between your personal and professional life? What is your success mantra?
Maintaining a healthy work life balance isn't a difficult task, but it's all up to the individuals. In my opinion, all professionals need to make a deliberate choice or plan for the day that will allow them to maintain a healthy work life balance. Professionals need to divide their work into tasks based on significance, and then devise effective strategies to perform those duties with desired results. This is what I do and as a result I will have sufficient time for my personal life.
Sajeev Kale, MD, ZChem Specialities
Sajeev graduated from IIT Kharagpur with a Masters in Chemical Engineering and IIM Ahmedabad with a Management course. And he has worked for 37 years in a variety of well-known and large MNCs. And in 2013, along with HariPrasad Varda he established a manufacturing company name ZChem Specialities.
Location:Bengaluru