Active businesses shouldn’t let this opportunity pass: Mahesh Agarwal

Agarwal Toughened MD Speaks To GB On Lockdown, Need To Adapt To Changing Times

As India eases the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, the glass industry, like many others, attempts to get back on its feet. Jaipur-based Agarwal Toughened Glass India speaks to GB on steps it took to get the better out of the situation.

The glass industry is passing through a very critical time, Mahesh Agarwal, managing director, Agarwal Toughened Glass India Pvt Ltd, asserted while speaking to Glass Bulletin on the present crisis facing the country and the industry. “But we have to convert this crisis into an opportunity. Because only a positive mindset can get us out of the current situation,” he said. “Our country has been under a lockdown since March 25. And people who have prepared themselves for the future after the lockdown is lifted are the only ones who are sensible,” Agarwal said, discussing measures he had taken himself which he wanted to share with to help the industry at this hour of crisis. He said there were challenges he had to face while restarting production at his factory but his preparations beforehand helped the company face those without much difficulty. “I had approached RIICO (Rajasthan State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation Limited) for permission before resuming operations at my factory. I started maintenance works and made arrangements according to government norms like thermal screening and sanitisation among others,” Agarwal said, adding that the company had also arranged lodging facilities for its workers. However, officers of the corporation refused him permission to resume operations, saying glass did not fall under the purview of essential commodities. “Without losing hope, I approached RIICO again on April 20. This time, I apprised it of the measures I had taken at my facility like those to maintain social distancing, hygiene, sanitisation, etc. RIICO granted me permission to resume operations with 33 per cent of the labourer force present at a time,” he said. Agarwal Toughened was finally able to resume operations on May 4, and has since then been running its plant for eight hours daily. “I began motivating other businesses and asked them to restart operations as well,” Agarwal added. With productions now in progress, the next hurdle before Agarwal was to ship the products to other parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi-NCR. “With the lockdown in effect, my products were stopped at various places but I did not lose hope. I spoke to officers wherever my shipment was stopped and had the issues sorted out with the help of the district administration,” he said. “We have to adapt to the current situation and learn to live with the crisis. This is a time of opportunities for businesses. But not all businessmen will be able to seize the opportunity,” Agarwal further said. Speaking about how this crisis had to be utilised, he further said, “An aware businessman should not let this opportunity pass. We should think about expansion at this time. Due to a global slowdown, prices of machinery and raw materials have seen a sharp fall. It is therefore an ideal time to invest in your business, which in turn will definitely help you in the long run.”

About the company
Agarwal Toughened Glass India Pvt. Ltd is a leading
source for the latest trend insights and design ideas,
providing distinctive styles that complement tinted
glass, float glass, laminated glass, IG unit glass, low
e glass, toughened glass.