An Interview with Mr. Durgesh Sanjivrao Chandavarkar By Raj Shah and Mary Moon April 26, 2019 pounds! Karnataka and Goa are historic places with many ancient churches and temples. My experience growing up there is the reason that I still love nature and water. NLGI: What was your first position at Standard Greases? How did your career develop? Mr. Durgesh Sanjivrao Chandavarkar is Chairman & Managing Director of Standard Greases & Specialities Pvt Ltd (SGSPL), one of the largest lubricating grease manufacturers in Asia, with headquarters located in Mumbai, India. Mr. Chandavarkar has served as an officer & a leader of the India Chapter of NLGI since its founding in 1997. He graciously shared his time & views with NLGI about his career, his Company, the Grease Industry, & (of course) his favourite food & companions for ‘a dinner to dream about’.
DSC: I am basically a marketing man. In 1992, I was asked to lead Standard Greases based on my marketing experience and leadership qualities. Since I joined the Company, I have worked closely with Mr. Vinod Vyas, who founded Standard Greases in 1983. The graph of the Company’s results has continued to grow upwards. Standard Greases today is the largest private label grease manufacturer in India. Under my leadership, the Company has diversified in many ways. We decided to pursue
backward integration. In 1995, we set up a plant, Royal Castor Products Ltd, to manufacture hydrogenated Castor Oil (HCO), 12-Hydroxy Stearic Acid (12HSA), and other Castor Oil Derivatives. HCO and 12-HSA are major raw materials needed for grease manufacturing. Our Plant, co-owned with a Japanese equity partner, is located at Sidhpur in the Indian state of Gujarat, which is a hub of castor oil production. At present, Standard Greases has three grease manufacturing plants with a total capacity of 42,000 MTs and two oil blending plants with total capacity of 120,000 KL. All of these plants are certified ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 18001:2007, and TS 16949:2009. Over 10% of our products are exported to various countries. We have our own ‘SG Transport’ with a fleet of more than 60 tankers for liquid transportation.
NLGI: Please tell us a little bit about where you grew up. DSC: I was brought up in one of the most beautiful places on the southwest coast of India. I grew up near the city of Karwar in the state of Karnataka, and the neighbouring state of Goa. This place is full of serene beaches and lush green gardens with many coconut, mango, and jackfruit trees. The jackfruit is the largest fruit that grows on trees; one fruit can weigh as much as 55 kg or over 100
Standard Greases & Specialities Pvt Ltd is one of the largest lubricating grease manufacturers in Asia. - 46 VOLUME 83, NUMBER 2
