Jagadish Bhat Managing Director & CEO AJAX Group “We believe collaboration is the most important factor to achieve the desired results. We encourage teams to work together seamlessly as one unit.” — Jagadish Bhat Focus on innovation and indigenisation is a way of life at AJAX Group. Environmental Renewables Being an environmentally conscious company since its inception, the AJAX brand has, apart from its quality management system (QMS) ISO 9001:2015, also been certified for its environmental management system (EMS) ISO 14001:2015. From an energy conservation point of view, rooftop solar PV installations are implemented at its corporate office, which saves up to 100,00 units of electricity every year. The brand has implemented the same in the manufacturing units as well. Environmental care programmes Lake Nagara in Doddaballapur was the source of water for thousands of residents. Over time, the lake was ruined by urbanisation and the dumping of sewage. AJAX Charitable Trust worked on the rejuvenation of the Nagarkere Lake. This initiative has helped in improving groundwater levels in and around Doddaballapur. Tree plantation programmes AJAX has organised tree plantation in two phases. In the first phase, 300 saplings were planted at the catchment area of Arehalli Guddadahalli Village Lake at Obadenahalli Industrial area in Doddaballapur. This initiative aimed at protecting the environment, preventing soil erosion and providing shelter to various species of birds in the area. In the second phase of the Vanamahotsava, 250 saplings were planted by the employees and the locals at the catchment area. Social We believe collaboration is the most important factor to achieve the desired results. We encourage teams to work together seamlessly as one unit. There are multiple cross-functional meetings at regular intervals to ensure collaborative working is in practice. We have a systematic process of running projects through a Product Data Specification (PDS). This helps facilitate discussions with cross-functional teams about knowledge sharing and effective collaboration to complete projects efficiently. While forming a project team within the organisation, we look at diversity, varied age groups and skill-sets to bring innovative concepts. We have a dedicated training department for our employees and for the dealer manpower. Apart from this, AJAX Engineering is taking up a 'Vocational Skill Development Training Programme' for the skill enhancement of rural, semi-urban and urban youths for employability. Through this training programme, we have been entrusted with the responsibility to empower the youth by providing them with the required skill-sets. Commitment to education In 2019, Ajax Charitable Trust, decided to adopt the government higher primary school at Bashettihalli. The project involved building a brand-new school. The aim was to provide the best facilities and infrastructure to the students. We have built a high-tech school with 24 spacious classrooms, modern toilets and purified drinking water, and CCTV coverage on the entire premise. The school is well equipped to work for the holistic development of children. It has a computer and science lab, art and craft room, an AV room, a library, a child counselling room, a modern kitchen, and a dining hall-cum-auditorium with a capacity to accommodate 300 people. The school also has a larger playground and good sports facilities; it has more than 800 students. The company has over 24,000 units of equipment working satisfactorily across the country in various sectors catering to 13,000 customers; most of whom are existing customers or through referrals. This data is a testament of our relationship of more than three decades with our customers. Governance AJAX's engineering domain has always geared up to meet the challenges of the infrastructure sectors with a competitive advantage and a product differentiation strategy. It has established itself as a high-efficiency, quality-centric and product-focused engineering company in the infrastructure segment. The company is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, for all qualified persons, without regard to religion, race, colour, ancestry, sex, and marital status. Our support network is spread across the length and breadth of the country, ensuring timely service with more than 35 dealers along with over 100 touch points catering to the sales and after-sales support to its customers. The full-fledged team of skilled engineers are trained to handle both preventive and reactive maintenance on-site during emergencies. To ensure round-the-clock service support, customers can reach our 24 x 7 customer care for all their queries and requests. AJAX offers the above service options to ensure the optimum availability of machines and enhance customer satisfaction. About the author Jagadish Bhat, Managing Director and CEO, AJAX Group, has held key positions in the automotive, material handling and concreting equipment industry. With hands-on experience in designing and developing equipment for various applications, he has been a mastermind for developing equipment for some of the major infrastructure projects in the country.