RPG Group

The Rama Prasad Goenka Group, commonly known as RPG Group, is an Indian industrial and services conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai.[2] The roots of the RPG Group can be traced back to the enterprise of Ramdutt Goenka in 1820.[3] RPG Enterprises was established in 1979 by Rama Prasad Goenka and initially comprised the Phillips Carbon Black, Asian Cables, Agarpara Jute, and Murphy India companies. R. P. Goenka held the title of Chairman Emeritus until his death in 2013. The present chairman is Harsh Goenka, R. P. Goenka's eldest son.[4]

The RPG Group currently consists of more than fifteen companies, mainly infrastructure, tires, and life sciences.[5] Some of the companies it holds are CEAT Tyres, information technology firm Zensar Technologies, infrastructure company KEC International, pharmaceutical company RPG Life Sciences, a 50/50 joint-venture with TE Connectivity for Raychem RPG, plantation company Harrisons Malayalam, and e-commerce company Seniority.

Group companies

The conglomerate's major companies, subsidiaries and affiliates are divided among the following 4 sectors.[6]

Tyres

CEAT

CEAT is the flagship company of RPG Enterprises, with an annual turnover of inr in the financial year 2020-21.[7][8] It is the largest exporter of tyres in India,[9] exporting to over 100 countries.[10] The company is headquartered in Mumbai. It has manufacturing plants in Bhandup and Ambernath in Mumbai, Nashik, and Halol (near Baroda).

CEAT Sri Lanka

Entering the Sri Lankan market in 1992, CEAT India formed a joint venture with AMW, and subsequently a three-way venture with Kelani Tyres in 1999, to manufacture and market CEAT tyres in Sri Lanka. This venture resulted in the creation of CEAT Kelani Associated Holdings, formerly Kelani Tyres, which is today the largest domestic tyre manufacturer in Sri Lanka. The exit of AMW in 2009, resulted in a joint venture between CEAT Kelani Holdings and CEAT India. Commencing operations with one plant in Kalutara, the company today has three plants, including a radial plant constructed in 2006.[11] CEAT Kelani is the single largest brand in the radial tyre segment in Sri Lanka, with a 33 percent market share.[11]

CEAT Bangladesh

In 2017, the conglomerate entered into a joint-venture with Bangladeshi group, A K Khan & Company, to set up a plant in Bhaluka, Mymensingh with an initial investment of US$67 million.[12] CEAT obtained a 70% stake in this joint-venture.[13]

CEAT

CEAT is the flagship company of RPG Enterprises, with an annual turnover of inr in the financial year 2020-21.[7][8] It is the largest exporter of tyres in India,[9] exporting to over 100 countries.[10] The company is headquartered in Mumbai. It has manufacturing plants in Bhandup and Ambernath in Mumbai, Nashik, and Halol (near Baroda).

CEAT Sri Lanka

Entering the Sri Lankan market in 1992, CEAT India formed a joint venture with AMW, and subsequently a three-way venture with Kelani Tyres in 1999, to manufacture and market CEAT tyres in Sri Lanka. This venture resulted in the creation of CEAT Kelani Associated Holdings, formerly Kelani Tyres, which is today the largest domestic tyre manufacturer in Sri Lanka. The exit of AMW in 2009, resulted in a joint venture between CEAT Kelani Holdings and CEAT India. Commencing operations with one plant in Kalutara, the company today has three plants, including a radial plant constructed in 2006.[11] CEAT Kelani is the single largest brand in the radial tyre segment in Sri Lanka, with a 33 percent market share.[11]

CEAT Bangladesh

In 2017, the conglomerate entered into a joint-venture with Bangladeshi group, A K Khan & Company, to set up a plant in Bhaluka, Mymensingh with an initial investment of US$67 million.[12] CEAT obtained a 70% stake in this joint-venture.[13]

Infrastructure

KEC International

KEC is a power transmission engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) companies in the world,[14] recording a turnover of inr in the financial year 2020–21.[15] The company has developed power infrastructure in over 70 countries across South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Africa, Central Asia, and the Americas. While power transmission is its largest vertical, the company also has a presence in railways, civil, urban infrastructure, solar infrastructure, and oil and gas cross-country pipelines.[16]

SAE Towers

In April 2010, KEC International set up the world's largest tower testing station at Butibori, in Nagpur. The new test station will facilitate validation of the Extra-High Voltage (EHV) energy network.[17] In September 2010, KEC International acquired Houston-based SAE Towers, a group of operating companies incorporated in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, consolidated through SAE Towers Holdings, LLC. This acquisition created the second largest steel-lattice tower manufacturer in the world with approximately 1,02,000 MT of annual production capacity. The company also executes EPC works for several transmission lines in the region.

KEC International

KEC is a power transmission engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) companies in the world,[14] recording a turnover of inr in the financial year 2020–21.[15] The company has developed power infrastructure in over 70 countries across South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Africa, Central Asia, and the Americas. While power transmission is its largest vertical, the company also has a presence in railways, civil, urban infrastructure, solar infrastructure, and oil and gas cross-country pipelines.[16]

SAE Towers

In April 2010, KEC International set up the world's largest tower testing station at Butibori, in Nagpur. The new test station will facilitate validation of the Extra-High Voltage (EHV) energy network.[17] In September 2010, KEC International acquired Houston-based SAE Towers, a group of operating companies incorporated in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, consolidated through SAE Towers Holdings, LLC. This acquisition created the second largest steel-lattice tower manufacturer in the world with approximately 1,02,000 MT of annual production capacity. The company also executes EPC works for several transmission lines in the region.

Information technology

Zensar Technologies

Zensar Technologies is an information technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Pune, India. It offers information technology (IT) and BPO products and services to Fortune 500 clients. Zensar has a marketing presence in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, and South Africa.[18] The company has software development centers at Pune, Hyderabad, and Bangalore in India; Gdańsk, Poland; and the Middle East.

Zensar service areas include application support and development, application portfolio management, testing, enterprise collaboration and content management, enterprise application integration, business intelligence and data warehousing. Zensar's core competency is application modernization, using Zensar's SBP framework. Zensar is a CMMI Level 5 Company with activity that spans utilities, retail and distribution, banking, financial services and insurance, manufacturing, and telecommunications.

Zensar Technologies

Zensar Technologies is an information technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Pune, India. It offers information technology (IT) and BPO products and services to Fortune 500 clients. Zensar has a marketing presence in the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, and South Africa.[18] The company has software development centers at Pune, Hyderabad, and Bangalore in India; Gdańsk, Poland; and the Middle East.

Zensar service areas include application support and development, application portfolio management, testing, enterprise collaboration and content management, enterprise application integration, business intelligence and data warehousing. Zensar's core competency is application modernization, using Zensar's SBP framework. Zensar is a CMMI Level 5 Company with activity that spans utilities, retail and distribution, banking, financial services and insurance, manufacturing, and telecommunications.

Specialty

Raychem RPG

Raychem RPG Limited is a 50:50 joint venture between RPG and US group TE Connectivity (formerly Tyco Electronics). It is involved in engineering products and services to power, telecommunications, hydrocarbon, oil and gas, and water industries. It manufactures cable accessories up to 245 kV, and connector systems, viz. shear bolt, low power-loss wedge connectors, insulation piercing, deep step indentation, and bolted, up to 1200kV. Raychem Zero-Halogen Heat-shrink technology is widely used in Metro underground applications. Raychem has an innovation centre in Halol, Gujarat, wherein research on polymers for electrical applications, connection technologies, and power electronics, take place. The thrust is on solutions to the power sector, to lower the Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses (AT & C). Raychem RPG has introduced Delta-transformer technology, which has lower No-load losses, as compared to conventional transformers.[19]

RPG Life Sciences

RPG Life Sciences (RPGLS) is an Indian pharmaceutical company, formerly known as Searle (India) Ltd. Its three major sources of business are manufacturing and marketing of bulk drugs, also known as API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), pharmaceutical formulation and fermentation & biotechnology. It has global partnership for dossiers/DMF in Europe and Canada, artificial sugar in UK, NSAID in Europe, and formulations in Asia, Canada and Europe.

RPGLS offers services like marketing partnership, NDDS development, development of non-infringing process technologies, and P2P and/or contract manufacturing to its global partners. In 2012, it was named as one of India's best places to work by the Great Places to Work institute.[20]

Harrisons Malayalam

Harrisons Malayalam is an agricultural business corporation. It cultivates between 14'000 ha – 26'000 ha (information varies) of its own land and processes products from other farmlands in its neighbourhood.[21] In addition to banana, cardamom, cocoa, coffee, coconut, pepper, and vanilla, its primary products are rubber, tea, and pineapple. Harrisons Malayalam is the largest producer of pineapples in India,[22] and the largest producer of tea in South India.[23] It employs around 13,000 people in rural Kerala.[23]

Raychem RPG

Raychem RPG Limited is a 50:50 joint venture between RPG and US group TE Connectivity (formerly Tyco Electronics). It is involved in engineering products and services to power, telecommunications, hydrocarbon, oil and gas, and water industries. It manufactures cable accessories up to 245 kV, and connector systems, viz. shear bolt, low power-loss wedge connectors, insulation piercing, deep step indentation, and bolted, up to 1200kV. Raychem Zero-Halogen Heat-shrink technology is widely used in Metro underground applications. Raychem has an innovation centre in Halol, Gujarat, wherein research on polymers for electrical applications, connection technologies, and power electronics, take place. The thrust is on solutions to the power sector, to lower the Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses (AT & C). Raychem RPG has introduced Delta-transformer technology, which has lower No-load losses, as compared to conventional transformers.[19]

RPG Life Sciences

RPG Life Sciences (RPGLS) is an Indian pharmaceutical company, formerly known as Searle (India) Ltd. Its three major sources of business are manufacturing and marketing of bulk drugs, also known as API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), pharmaceutical formulation and fermentation & biotechnology. It has global partnership for dossiers/DMF in Europe and Canada, artificial sugar in UK, NSAID in Europe, and formulations in Asia, Canada and Europe.

RPGLS offers services like marketing partnership, NDDS development, development of non-infringing process technologies, and P2P and/or contract manufacturing to its global partners. In 2012, it was named as one of India's best places to work by the Great Places to Work institute.[20]

Harrisons Malayalam

Harrisons Malayalam is an agricultural business corporation. It cultivates between 14'000 ha – 26'000 ha (information varies) of its own land and processes products from other farmlands in its neighbourhood.[21] In addition to banana, cardamom, cocoa, coffee, coconut, pepper, and vanilla, its primary products are rubber, tea, and pineapple. Harrisons Malayalam is the largest producer of pineapples in India,[22] and the largest producer of tea in South India.[23] It employs around 13,000 people in rural Kerala.[23]

Venture capital

RPG Ventures

It is the venture capital arm of the RPG Group, which makes investments in startups in different sectors like health and wellness, technology, automotive, infrastructure, and project management.[24] In October 2016, it invested an undisclosed amount in Bangalore-based bot-mitigation and management startup, ShieldSquare, through a series A funding.[25] In September 2017, it invested US$1 million in Pune-based elderly-care e-commerce platform, Seniority.[26][27] In November 2017, it backed the Pune-based online pharmacy, Medsonway Solutions with US$600,000.[28]

RPG Ventures

It is the venture capital arm of the RPG Group, which makes investments in startups in different sectors like health and wellness, technology, automotive, infrastructure, and project management.[24] In October 2016, it invested an undisclosed amount in Bangalore-based bot-mitigation and management startup, ShieldSquare, through a series A funding.[25] In September 2017, it invested US$1 million in Pune-based elderly-care e-commerce platform, Seniority.[26][27] In November 2017, it backed the Pune-based online pharmacy, Medsonway Solutions with US$600,000.[28]

Further reading

References

  1. The tycoon who kept faith in Bengal The Times of India, 2013-04-15, retrieved 2020-05-14^
  2. RPG Group to spend Rs 160 crore on expansion of specialty retail business | TopNews Topnews.in, 2010-05-07, retrieved 2010-07-27^
  3. The tycoon who kept with in Bengal The Times of India, 2013-04-23, retrieved 2020-05-14^
  4. The Neon Tree. RPG Enterprises - History RPG Group^
  5. Welcome to RPG - Overview retrieved 2015-06-19^
  6. RPG Contact Us Rpggroup.com, retrieved 2010-07-27^
  7. CEAT Annual Report www.ceat.com, retrieved 2021-11-16^
  8. The Neon Tree. RPG Enterprises - Tyres - Infrastructure - Information Technology - Plantations - Energy - Pharmaceuticals - RPG Ventures RPG Group^
  9. Page not found – India Transport Portal indiatransportportal.com, retrieved 22 March 2013^
  10. Ceat sees new markets driving export revenues 50% this fiscal^
  11. CEAT Kelani's Truck Bus Radials enter market lankabusinessonline.com, Lanka Business Online, 2019-06-27^
  12. Ceat Bangladesh project confirmed Tyrepress, 2017-02-17, retrieved 2019-02-03^
  13. Manju Mathew. Ceat Confirms Planned JV for New Factory in Bangladesh Tires & Parts News, retrieved 2019-02-03^
  14. K e C International Ltd Background details about Company Profile - Indiainfoline.com retrieved 22 March 2013^
  15. KEC International Annual Report www.kecrpg.com, retrieved 2021-11-16^
  16. KEC International Limited - About Us - Company Kecrpg.com, retrieved 2018-09-28^
  17. World's largest tower testing station at Nagpur-Projects Info www.projectsinfo.in, retrieved 3 February 2022^
  18. Zensar Technologies divests non-core businesses fortuneindia.com, retrieved 2019-01-28^
  19. Vinay Umarji. Raychem RPG to now sponsor its Halol workers' education Business Standard, 21 March 2013^
  20. Business News Live, Share Market News - Read Latest Finance News, IPO, Mutual Funds News The Economic Times^
  21. Forgery case filed against Harrisons Malayalam staff The Hindu, 2 November 2013^
  22. Welcome to RPG - Harrison Malayalam Ltd retrieved 2015-06-19^
  23. We are Being Victimised, Alleges Harrisons Malayalam Limited^
  24. Swaraj Singh Dhanjal. Seniority looks to raise funding to scale up business livemint, 2018-12-27, retrieved 2019-02-03^
  25. RPG Ventures, Endiya Back Bot Mitigation Startup ShieldSquare Inc42 Media, 2017-10-26, retrieved 2019-02-03^
  26. Old businesses tap startups for new ideas - Times of India The Times of India, retrieved 2019-02-03^
  27. aparnamishra.06. RPG Group Invests $1 Mn in Senior Citizens Ecommerce Portal - Seniority Inc42 Media, 2017-09-07, retrieved 2019-02-03^
  28. RPG Ventures backs e-pharmacy startup Medsonway with $600K VCCircle, 2017-11-06, retrieved 2019-02-03^