Fuelling the change…

Yogesh Gole

He is a second generation entrepreneur but had not ruled out option of taking up a good job. A series of events that happened during his college days made him aware that he had it in him to be a good entrepreneur. Today, Miheer Vaidya, Director, Shree Ganesh Press-n-Coat Pvt Ltd, is ably carrying forward the family legacy.

Q: Please tell us about your entrepreneurial journey.

A: While doing my Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology, I was part of an 18-member team that worked for nearly a year for designing and making a vehicle from the scratch for the Baja competition of the Society of Automobile Engineers. We received the best engineering design prize. This made me feel I could design and develop a product.

The second trigger was while pursuing MS in Sustainable Energy Technology at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands in 2012. A senior faculty told me, in India

150 million tonnes of agro waste, which can be converted into energy, goes waste every year. After research, I decided to develop a pellet making-machine. The idea was to crush the agro waste, form pellets of the size of crayons and use them in place of LPG or diesel. Even marginal farmers could buy my scaled-down version of the costly machines then available in the market. Implementing this academic project in our factory in Aurangabad, I could see closely how the company works. I also commercialised the project giving me the confidence I could make and sell something. After degree, I had got a good offer from Maruti and after MS, I bagged a lucrative job in LG as senior energy analyst. However, urge to do something of own made me join the family business. Working with a startup in Netherlands had given me idea of ground level difficulties which helped.

Q: How has been the journey of your business group?

A: My father began making two and three wheeler parts for Bajaj Auto on a small scale in 1992. Today, we have 5 plants in Aurangabad and one in Ahmednagar. We have three verticals - automobile, electrical control panel and our own products.

Q: What innovation you introduced?

A: MSMEs cannot afford to be standstill, they need to evolve constantly. I focussed on digitalisation, improving work culture, training and increasing output. Today, decade is of five years so I tried to build teams ready for rapid changes.

Pellet making machine and toggle clamps were the new products I introduced.

Q: How do you look at automobile business in the next 10 years?

A: Electric Vehicles (EVs) will rise in number provided charging infrastructure is developed. Hundred per cent EV scenario does not look feasible in India. Research is also taking place on hydrogen-based fuel cell technology, the manufacturing cost of which is very high currently.

Many parts, barring battery, in old vehicles as well as EVs are same. In future, metals will be replaced by strength plastic or aluminium to minimise weight and increase range of EVS. We will have to be ready for this shift.

Q: About your role in CII YI.

A: CII Young Indians, the youth wing of the Confederation of Indian Industry, works for the social cause. I was the founder chairman of the 15-member Aurangabad branch of the YI in 2020-2021. It was satisfying to take up projects like Miyawaki dense forest, signing MoUS with engineering colleges for producing industry-ready workforce and striving to provide second source of income to villagers.

Q: Your opinion on Aurangabad as an industrial destination.

A: Generally, a city is known for only one or two kind of products but Aurangabad is unique in that it has a sound base of automobile, pharma, brewery industries, and many MNCs. Compared to Pune, Mumbai, Nashik brain drain is less here and many second generation entrepreneurs are coming back to Aurangabad indicating a good future. Attracting some big MNCs to Shendra will spur growth.

Q: What changes you made in pattern of energy consumption in your company?

A: We sold our pellet making machines to farmers in the vicinity and bought 100 per cent of their products. We set up pellet-fired hot water generator for our heating needs doing away with LPG. This experiment has been reported in journals in Sweden and Italy.