Sitting at one of the tables of the self-service canteen of Abhishek Industries in Ludhiana's Kitchlu Nagar, Rajinder Gupta doesn't stand out. He blends into the crowd as he gets up for a second helping of rice or some water.
But RG, as he is popularly addressed, is the founder of the Rs 1,500 crore Trident group of which Abhishek Industries, with sales of Rs 800 crore, is the flagship. He hasn't acquired the airs or the accent some first-generation rags-to-riches entrepreneurs put on, especially those who deal mostly with foreign clients.
He is absolutely at ease while talking about his modest beginning. The family, which was once in the business of grain trading, took its first leap in entrepreneurship in 1985 by getting into the business of chemicals and fertilisers with an investment of Rs 6.5 crore.
In the 1990s, it diversified into yarn, paper and terry towels. With an annual compounded growth of 35 per cent in sales over the last 10 years, the Trident group has also adopted quite a few modern and eco-friendly practices.
For instance, for its paper business it uses only agro residue so there is no felling of trees - and it co-generates power as a by-product, which, along with steam, is diverted to the terry towel plant. This helps the group save substantial money that is incurred on power besides being self-reliant.
"Today, we are one of the lowest-cost producers of paper in the mid-segment. Having established ourselves in this segment, we are increasingly looking at geting into the value-added segment," says Gupta. The paper and chemicals division also produce sulphuric acid and co-generates soda recovery.
However, what has won him laurels are his initiatives in the terry towel business. His clients include Walmart,
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