MISHRA DHATU NIGAM LIMITED

Dr.R.V.Tamhankar
Founder and Visionary
Chairman: 13.05.1974 – 31.07.1975
Chairman & Managing Director: 01.08.1975 – 15.07.1979

 Dr R.V. Tamhankar, who had returned to India from France at the invitation of the Government, was the Founder-Director of Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL). The proposal for setting up a ‘Superalloys Plant’ was mooted by Dr. Tamhankar and his team of scientists who had worked on Superalloys, Titanium, Refractory metals and Special Steels at DMRL.

 As a visionary science administrator, he was the instrumental in setting up MIDHANI and became the Founder Chairman & Managing Director of the Company on July, 1975. He successfully managed the project implementation of the production facilities during his tenure which was extended beyond the normal age of superannuation.

The clash of cultures at MIDHANI – R&D mind-set with realities of commercial production, created strain in the organization with the appointment of Shri P. K. Sandell. Demand estimates (ASCI Report -1975) based on which the Plant production capacity was decided and product-mix was drawn up, proved to be 50% higher than later estimates (ASCI Report -1980). MIDHANI was yet to establish its presence in the market and credibility with diffident customers.

 Foundation was, therefore, laid for concentrating on relatively low technology steels with a larger demand (compared to superalloys, titanium alloys etc) in the product mix, to utilize idle plant capacities and generate desperately needed sales. Low alloy steels, commercial stainless steels etc with stringent specifications which only MIDHANI could meet, backed by know-how and sophisticated equipment, were thus targeted for order booking. While this evoked considerable hostility and opposition at that point of time, MIDHANI did benefit from this initiatives of Shri Sandell for bulk orders for High Strength Low (HSLA) Alloy, special Stainless Steels, Nuclear Grade steels etc during later years.

Dr S K Gupta
Managing Director: 22.01.1982 – 25.01.1984
Focus on: Harmonium environment for team beam building

 With his profound philosophy of basic trust in human beings and his rich and varied experience in teaching, research and development and management in the field of metallurgy, Dr. Saibal Kanti Gupta steered the company to the great success. With the support of Government, Dr. S. K. Gupta focused on creating a harmonious environment conducive for team-building.

 At the initiative of Dr Gupta, a Co-ordination Committee of the then chiefs of the five Defence establishments including Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, DRDL,  Dr  P.  Rama  Rao,  DMRL,  Dr  E.  Bhageerath  Rao,  DLRL, Shri Z.P.  Marshal, BDL was formed to tackle issues of  common interest. This led to the setting up of     an exclusive Police Station for the Defence units (Kanchanbagh), MIDHANI bus stand, multi-speciality hospital (Apollo-DRDO), improvements of roads and other infrastructure.

 The first major order – Rs 14.55 crore for supply of Maraging Steel 250 was placed on the Company against stiff global competition during his tenure. He is endowed with excellent leadership qualities, a large measure of self-confidence and an ability to think and concentrate on the core issues. These qualities have stood him in good stead all through his career and were responsible for his success at MIDHANI.

Shri K K Sinha
Managing Director: 05.03.1984 – 18.04.1990
Chairman & Managing Director: 19.04.1990-31.03.1994
Focus on: Thrift & Economy

 A simple, unassuming and strikingly pragmatic technocrat, Shri Krishna Kumar Sinha is known for his uncanny ability of spotting the weak link in a chain and mending it then and there. Born on December 4, 1937, Shri Sinha is a true Sagittarian (the archer), a man of few words who is very straight forward in his talk and dealings, aiming straight at the bull’s eye.

 Pragmatic policies adopted by Sri K.K. Sinha as MD / C&MD led to steady improvement in order booking and sales which sustained the Company through a decade marked by teething problems – technological (failure of MDN 250) and financial (huge losses). ‘A protagonist of austerity’ he strongly advocated a conscious effort to keep the wasteful expenditure at the lowest possible level. Focus on thrift and economy, and the strategy of placing free cash reserves in long-term fixed deposits (FDs), helped maintain financial order and declare a maiden profit. During the first decade of sales, MIDHANI survived lack of patronage of the strategic sector, barring ISRO, by making a foray into special low-alloy high strength steels for armament and atomic energy sectors.

 Thousands of tonnes of nuclear grade steels were supplied to DAE to help cope with the withdrawal of Canadian support to Tarapur project. Armed with a meager order for gun barrels for T-72 Battle Tank, MIDHANI developed technology which was not covered by the agreement with the Russians for licenced indigenous production.

Shri R. K. Mahapatra
Chairman & Managing Director: 31.03.1994 – 31.03. 1997
Focus on: Technology & Project

 Sri Mahapatra helped to revive the focus on technology development which was lost in the struggle for survival. Transfer Of Technology (TOT) from DMRL for producing Rare Earth Magnets for strategic applications was effected. Some of the recommendations of the Apex Committee (October 1993) were implemented. An Export Cell / Division was created and fair degree of success achieved. Laudable objectives of gaining approval of aeronautical giants like GE Aircraft Engines, Boeing Aircraft Company & Airbus were pursued

Shri A K Taneja
Chairman & Managing Director: 12.12.1997 – 26.03.2003
Focus on: Commercialization & Value Added Product

 Aggressive marketing and intense lobbying marked the tenure of Sri A. K. Taneja to tide order a meager order book possition. The challenging assignment of producing 304L –NAG grade Stainless Steel, worth about Rs 40 crore, which can withstand the rigorous of boiling nitric acid was bagged from DAE. The most critical part of the order calling for corrosion of not more than 4 mils per annum was executed by MIDHANI. The rest of the order, involving supply of large plates was outsourced for contract manufacture to the overseas company.

 With the sole object of increasing its sales turnover MIDHANI also grabbed the opportunity of supplying special materials required for the naval programme. Bulk quantities of materials like non-magnetic U2 castings, cupro-nickel tubes etc, not covered in the Company’s product-mix, were supplied.

 The initiative of setting up strategic business units (SBUs) led to maturing of the Biomedical Division which resulted commercial production of Titanium Biomedical Implants. This was instrumental in opening up the field of specialized fasteners for exploitation, presently being pursued by the Company with setting up of an exclusive Fastener Plant.

Shri Devasis Chowdhury
Chairman & Managing Director: 25.04.2003 – 30.06.2006
Focus on: Consensus & System approach

 It was the post-2003 era when major bulk orders started literally ‘walking in’. This was on account of ambitious Space Programme planned by ISRO and dependence on MDN 250 as the workhorse material and maturing of orders based on development of KAPP by DMRL much earlier. The Company became choosy, clamping down on ‘retail’ order booking and advocating ‘rationalisation of product mix’ as a ‘strategy’.

 This approach can be considered to be pragmatic given the state of ‘un-readiness’ of the Company as a whole in terms of planning, systems, procedures and labyrinthine decision-making. Another conscious decision taken was to roll back the sales already reported for the earlier year i.e., 2002-03. There was a jarring dip in sales at Rs 91.37 from Rs 104.23 during the previous year (2001-02).

Shri M. Narayana Rao
Chairman & Managing Director: 27.07.2006 – 31.08.2015
Focus on: Value addition, rapid growth & in-house fabrication of critical equipment

 Shri Rao is an astute technocrat-scientist. Under his tenure MIDHANI could register exceptional growth and spectacular turn- around almost in all fronts. Sales have been increased more than 4-folds, exceeding Rs 600 crore in 2014-15. MIDHANI has been declared as one of best performing companies among the Defence PSUs. Under his guidance the company could successfully complete its ambitious modernization and expansion plan by setting up 6.5 T Vacuum Induction Melting Furnace, 6000 T Forge Press, Ring Rolling Mill, Electron Beam Melting Furnace and other equipment.  Shri Rao has given a new dimension to the R&D by making taking initatiive   to fabricate key equipment; building ESR furnace in-house is his crowing success. He foresees MIDHANI to play much bigger role in the coming days and is taking the company to the realm of material science by entering into the production of carbon fiber with the help of CSIR – NAL.