Aparna Group Undertakes COVID Vaccination Drive for 4000 Employees & 6000 Frontline Labourers

Aparna Group, a conglomerate focused on building materials manufacturing and real estate today announced that they have initiated the vaccination drive for their employees and their frontline staff across their brands Aparna Enterprises Limited and Aparna Constructions and Estates Private Limited. The vaccination drive, which will be sponsored by Aparna Group, will be covering close to 4000 employees and 6000 frontline labourers across the markets that the Group operates in.

With this voluntary vaccination drive for interested employees and workers, Aparna Group has reaffirmed their belief in the collective well-being of the community. So far, 360 employees have taken the vaccine and more are expected to complete the process soon. Apart from this, the company is also taking all possible measures to ensure employee safety, maintain morale and assist employees with their requirements even beyond the realm of day to day work.

Having started on 02 April, the voluntary vaccination drive opened for employees above the age of 45 and has progressed seamlessly across Aparna’s Group’s Corporate Offices, Manufacturing Units and Construction Sites. Now with the government opening vaccination for everyone above the age of 18, Aparna Group will also be extending the drive to provide all employees and workers suitable opportunity to get themselves vaccinated.

Aparna Group’s ethos has always been that for the “overall well-being of the society, the fruits of development must flow to the underprivileged.” With this vision the company has undertaken numerous society focused initiatives through ‘Aparna Novel Society for Welfare and Research’ (ANSWER), the company’s non-government organization which has founded in 2007. ANSWER primarily works in the areas of housing, water, sanitation, health services, employment and education.

The company was also one of the first few who had come forward and extended monetary support towards the Prime Minister Relief Fund and the Chief Ministers Relief Fund in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during the onset of the pandemic. The Group had donated INR 5 crores towards COVID welfare initiatives.

How Covid-19 brought a paradigm shift in employer sentiment in the building materials industry

Employers are still on the learning curve and the industry has shown strong signs of agility and adaptability. One cannot call this industry traditional in its approach anymore.

What is the first thought that comes to anyone’s mind when one speaks about the building materials industry? Often, people associate this sector with traditional practices, both from an operational perspective as well as from an employment perspective. However, this is fast changing as technology is taking a front row in the operation of this business. Not only this, employers are also realigning their people policies and hiring strategies to adapt with the rapidly changing times. Much of this was also fuelled by the Covid-19 lockdown, which completely altered the dynamics of the sector. Let’s take a closer look at the five key aspects that employers had to re-look at:

1. Incorporation of Work from Home: Remote working was completely nil in this sector, as it predominantly involved manufacturing of products and on-the site discussions. But this was not an option when the pandemic compelled everyone to return to the safety of their homes. Employers understood the situation and took the most appropriate action. They had to take additional measures to provide necessary infrastructure (like computers, laptops etc) to employees. More than the structural challenge, the complexity was to align teams together, sync individual tasks and ensure productivity. The industry had successfully managed, in fact, the industry bounced back with the pre-Covid level revenues and production figures within a short span of time.

2. A shift towards niche skills: For any industry, the employability of its workforce is the most important aspect. In fact, the pandemic made companies realise the value of skills like never before and today employers are more inclined toward hiring people with niche skills. Building material sector was also not far away from this and companies have now started to look for talent who have a 360-degree grasp of their roles. For example, in a building materials industry, while hiring people for production roles, employers expect them to have domain knowledge, technological capabilities, crisis management skills, people management skills amongst others. One of the other crucial aspects in this industry is hiring for design and product conceptualization requirements. In this regard, employers are hiring people who have a holistic view of designing – they know all modern design techniques and approaches, they are equipped to manage technologies like Autocad, Revit, to name a few, they understand aesthetics and contemporary requirements, among other aspects.

3. Re-looking at how one manages the migrant workforce: As we are aware, this sector has a good portion of blue-collar migrant workers. During the lockdown, worker morale was largely affected as factories and logistics were at a standstill. This made employers realize the need to have a natured and evolved contingency strategy. In times like this, personalized connect works wonders for employers and employees – staying in constant touch, updating the workforce regularly and keeping their morale high is crucial. Now, even though the ecosystem has eased, employers will have to continue to invest in developing strategies so that organisations are prepared for the unexpected adversities like these that may or may not arise in the future. Focusing on long-term vision, instead of a short one, helps the manpower in aligning their efforts for a bigger goal. A resilient attitude keeps the workforce motivated and helps in bracing themselves for the unforeseen situations that future might bring.

4. Upskilling more crucial than ever: The lockdown was sudden and so was the shift to remote working and this clearly called out that one cannot be negligent about skilling the workforce. You can’t have employees say that they don’t know how to work with a certain software or they don’t know how to address a function/requirement. Companies now are increasingly focused on continuous upskilling of the workforce. In the future, upskilling will not just focus on domain knowledge and technology, but also on emotional intelligence, people management, crisis management, behavioural skills, mental health awareness etc.

5. Working in the post-pandemic world: Just because the economy has started to open up, can we call it the post-pandemic world? Not really! Covid still continues to be a health concern and organisations, as well as individuals, are learning to function around the pandemic. After the lockdown, when employees returned to work, HR teams had a mountainous task to ensure proper sanitisation measures were taken, temperature check was made mandatory for everyone, social distancing norms were set and sanitizers were installed at the workstations in offices and factories. In fact, training sessions were also conducted to increase self-awareness and enable self-management. These measures will still have to be followed at a different degree to avoid any disruption and casualties.

Employers are still on the learning curve and the industry has shown strong signs of agility and adaptability. One cannot call this industry traditional in its approach anymore. Everyone is and will be looking at new best practices and better workplace strategies and building materials industry will not shy away from adopting it. In fact, the industry has the power and hence may even set a few best practices that other industries can adopt.

The author, Aparna Reddy, is Executive Director at Aparna Enterprises.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETHRWorld does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETHRWorld will not be responsible for any damage caused to any person or organisation directly or indirectly.

Women Entrepreneurs: More strength to corporate India

The stories we’ve heard and the facts that we know of earlier India regarding women paints a very horrible picture in our mind, and the inhumane practices towards women silence our thoughts and are still prominent today in many regions. In a nation where sending girls to school wasn’t a widespread practice, some women fought through this system and rose to become entrepreneurs in that era, breaking all the stereotypes becoming an example for many aspiring women.

Views on Women Entrepreneurs by Ms. Aparna Reddy, Executive Director, Aparna Enterprises.

What are the most common challenges faced by women when they start a business?
Starting and managing a business is another name of facing different challenges every now and then. The usual challenges which everyone faces are to keep a clear vision, define long- and short-term goals, hire right talent and manage finances effectively.

Apart from these challenges women entrepreneurs also have to work hard to gain respect and acceptance from their fellow workers. Often in organizations, winning the trust of internal and external stakeholders becomes a mountainous task for women leaders. While the ecosystem is becoming more progressive, however there is still a long way to go.

Is there a change in societal perspective as more and more women are rising up to be entrepreneurs?
Today we have many leading women entrepreneurs who have reached high in their careers and earned respect in the business world and society. Not only this, but women leaders have also created a strong foothold for themselves in industries that were otherwise male dominated. This visibility is changing the social perspective for women leaders and encouraging women to aim high and give their best in achieving their goals.

Most Promising women leader 2021

Passion & dedication always gets rewarded & recognized. Ms. Aparna Reddy dedicated the award to her colleagues and the employees of Aparna Enterprises Ltd., for the ongoing, elucidate and eventful journey of the company over the years. She also shared that Aparna Enterprises Limited company commitment to provide its customers with sustainable building material products and solutions that enable smarter living in today’s increasingly environmentally conscious world.

Women’s Day: Defining objectives is critical to succeed in the real estate sector

Women are creating difference and delivering value across industries, including real estate, shares; Aparna Reddy, Executive Director, Aparna Enterprises, in an exclusive interaction with 99acres.com on the occasion of Women’s Day.

1) The year gone by has been a challenging year. What strategies did you adopt to tide over the crisis, and how has the year been for your company?
The past year had been a challenging one and brought a tough time to everyone on this earth. At AEL, we believe that human power is the most critical resource for a business. It is crucial to hire the right people for the right jobs and help them develop competencies. We kept this belief intact even during the time of crisis and held onto our manpower. We neither let any employee leave nor reduced their remuneration. In return, the motivated team worked hard to get the organisation back on its feet once the pandemic’s impact subsided and businesses reopened.

2) How has been your professional journey so far, and what delights you the most about your career?
When you are running a business, no two days are the same. You face a new challenge every day, ranging from the simple ones to more complex ones. The farsightedness I inherited from my father helps me handle the work issues and develop business acumen. My professional journey has been very insightful. What delights me the most is I never took advantage of being the chairman’s daughter. I rather worked hard to earn the respect and confidence of our clients, employees, and partners.

3) What do you think is the general perception of women in your industry?
The real estate industry is predominantly male-dominated. However, as women are creating difference and delivering value, their acceptance is gradually increasing.

4) How do you maintain a work-life balance?
I ensure multitasking to finish my work during office hours and give a decent share of time to family and kids. It is always crucial to have a work-life balance.

5) What are the challenges you have faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry?
The biggest task I had to manage was gaining our partners’ confidence when I joined this business. Some of our partners were initially apprehensive about dealing with me. However, as they witnessed my passion for the business, they became confident. Today they judge by what I bring to the discussion table and not by my gender.

6) Any tips for women venturing into this sector?
Women come across several challenges irrespective of the sector they are working in or the position they are into. There are roles to suit women from different educational and career backgrounds. Like any other business, the building material industry is also a complex one. Thus, clarity in thought and defined objectives are primary requirements to succeed. This is not easy, but once this is worked out, the forthcoming path gets clearly visible. Defining the objectives usually means challenging yourself to do things that you have never done before. While this may sound like a herculean task, it is not. We already do this. For instance, we set our mind to manage a baby and home with equal dexterity. We surely are capable of finding a way to accomplish anything, even handling the pressures that come with managing a business.

Times 40 Under 40: Celebrating the game changers

There are leaders, and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.

It’s been a year of monumental challenges and change. And as the dust settles after many months of facing various uncertainties due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, there was finally a reason to cheer. For the first time, The Times of India Group created a unique platform to identify, encourage and provide recognition to professionals and businesses who have believed in innovation behind progress and success.

Times 40 Under 40 honoured and applauded 40 of the brightest corporate leaders, emerging entrepreneurs, artists, sportspersons, musicians and business professionals across south India under 40. These young people have taken the challenges of a relentless year head-on. They represent the opportunity for growth in South India and our country as a whole. The list is very dynamic and includes people from all walks of life, who have created something new and different, or redefined the way things are done.

Talent and people skills were some of the major change agents we got to see in 2020, and these Indian entrepreneurs sought opportunities when all else seemed doomed. These exemplary individuals recognised by Times 40 Under 40 have been new rays of hope, helping us see beyond the gloom, as they defy all odds to build new enterprises and succeed in their respective fields. They are true proof that ambition and innovation cannot be locked down. This list of Times 40 Under 40 highlights the young and visionary leaders who have the will to do what it takes and go the extra mile to reinvent business and society.

Miss Aparna Reddy, Executive Director, Aparna Enterprises Ltd., has been included in this exclusive club, and appreciated for her contribution towards the stellar growth of the company.

This event gave deserving youngsters a chance to share their success story and showcase their achievements, to inspire many more and pave the way for a better tomorrow. The success of the winners of Times 40 Under 40 goes beyond their excellence in business. The young achievers who made the cut have made distinctive contributions to the people they serve. They have demonstrated extraordinary commitment, innovation, zeal and compassion in delivering service to the community, which has led them to excel.

Innovation is progress, and innovative business models are generated by people who think differently. Identifying and encouraging those people requires sharp people processes that lead to such outcomes. The elite platform of Times 40 Under 40 identifies and honours the professionals who have envisioned and executed outstanding achievements.

Times 40 Under 40 was truly a celebration of success, recognising achievements and highlighting innovative young people across south India, who have pushed all possible boundaries, and continuously sought out ways to do and make things better. These young achievers who have grown and carved their mark are an inspiration to us all. The winners of Times 40 Under 40 unanimously felt that recognition of this sort would go a long way in encouraging many more young leaders in the making. Their determination, perseverance and zeal are sure to motivate many others to achieve greater heights.

Building materials sector to expand and thrive in 2021

A number of ancillary industries of real estate are treading the path of recovery, while the construction and building materials sector is past this stage and posting growth numbers. The year 2021 is going to be a calendar year for the sector in terms of expansion and innovation driving new trends.

With the Coronavirus weighing heavily on economic activities and consumer sentiment in India, 2020 had been a year like never before. But the economy seems to be bouncing back. According to several forecasts with a lower base and lower labour costs, the construction industry is expected to post a sharp rebound and grow by at least 11.6 percent in 2022. This is especially highlighted by the Asian Development Bank, which states that India will make a strong rebound in the fiscal year 2021-22 with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) surging by more than eight percent as mobility and business activities resume widely.

Subsequently, India’s ready-mix concrete market is expected to register a CAGR of more than eight percent during the forecast period. The major factors driving the growth include an increase in the investments and development activities in the construction sector and the growing consciousness to be more responsible for the environment. The use of ready-mix concrete in modern constructions is an environment-friendly choice. It provides building owners with energy-efficient buildings by combining isolation with high thermal mass and low air infiltration. In addition to these factors, the growth in the ready mix concrete is aided by the fact that India is expected to see a rise in Foreign Direct Investments, leading to an increase in construction activity and acting as an opportunity for the market the future.

Similarly, tiling is another building component that is expected to see some positive momentum this year. The need for increased construction and renovation of homes is driving the need for tiles. A considerable amount of growth in the floor and wall tiles market is due to the shift in the consumer preference towards vitrified tiles. The government’s push to housing for all by 2022 is also enabling a positive drive in the Indian tile market, alongside the boost from the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

In today’s times, convenience is the most important norm. Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (uPVC) doors and windows are fast becoming the sought after purchase decision when it comes to building construction. These doors and windows do not require any repainting and extensive maintenance. In fact, the Indian uPVC window and door market was estimated at USD 1,071 million in 2018 and is predicted to reach around USD 1,810 million by the end of 2025, growing at a compound growth rate of 7.84 percent during 2019-2025.

While the above factors give a perspective on the industry’s potential, the industry and the companies in the sector to leverage the opportunities will require more strategic efforts at the organisational level. And hence one of the notable shift in 2021 will be internal. 2021 will witness organisations going all out to maintain positive sentiment amongst employees. Companies will have anot just to adopt new ways of work, they will have to be equally agile to what the future awaits. The pandemic has taught many traditional industries like manufacturing, and building materials to be accustomed to innovative and flexible ways of working and this learning is paving the way for the future of work.

This article is contributed by Mr. Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, Aparna Enterprises Limited, for 99 acres.

Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, Aparna Enterprises Limited Express His Views on the Current Budget

Resilience: The only recipe for business continuity

The pandemic has taught valuable lessons to us. It has sharpened the bend of mind towards resilience.

2020 will go down in history as a year of change. The year has brought about many changes right from the way we live to the way we study to the way we work and it is not just one set of people or one set of industry that has been impacted with the virus. All sectors and industries witnessed a shift in the way they operate and do business.

One of the sectors that witnessed a dramatic transformation was the building materials industry. However, as adapting to change is not a new phenomenon for the building material industry, it sprung back fast. Today, from a near nil situation the industry is rapidly regaining its lost ground. Not only has production resumed, the sales and revenue are moving fast to the pre-covid levels. The recovery wasn’t easy. It required a conscious shift in approach at all levels. The industry had to accept many changes.

The building materials industry in India was always traditional in its approach to employment and work. The need to work remotely was minimum to nil depending on the place of business as the industry primarily involves manufacturing of goods. However, the pandemic forced everyone to the safety of their homes, which in turn led companies to re-look at the way it functioned. They weighed different models of working to ensure business continuity. Some adopted Work from Home models faster. They tried and provided infrastructure like computers and laptops so that work wherever possible was not halted. With people working across cities and employees unfamiliar with the concept of WFH led to coordination issues in the initial phase. It was a steep learning curve for many but with the history of adaptability that the industry has, people stepped up to the work from home culture.

While the industry managed to set its house in order, it had to face the challenge at the customer’s end. Building material industry heavily relies on the construction industry which itself was going through a manpower crisis after the lockdown was lifted. Adding to this was the logistics nightmare. It affected the sales and revenues badly. It even led to an increase in inventory affecting the work at the factories and affecting the morale of the people involved in the industry. The sector had to face the most difficult challenge that it never had experienced before – to keep the morale of the employees positive. Most of the companies in the sector stayed in touch with their employees continuously and assured positivity to the workforce. Companies adopted different formal or informal measures to constantly update their talent. With the gradual release of the lockdown, the factories began production in stages. As the organisations took required measures to ensure both liquidation of existing stocks and safety & security of workers, in no time the business and production started coming back to normal.

While lock down had presented a new set of challenges, unlock also was not a smooth sail. With the pandemic still in force, the confidence of the employees to return to work was still low. In fact, unlock was far more challenging for the management and HR teams. Apart from following the safety protocols many companies invested in improving the morale of the employees. They tried and ensured all safety protocols. In a nutshell, it made HR teams get deep into employee engagement and communication.

The pandemic has taught valuable lessons to us. It has sharpened the bend of mind towards resilience. It has further opened the doors to technological advances and hybrid mode of operation, but what stands out was the way the industry and its stakeholders stood for each other during these testing times and sailed forward successfully.

This article is contributed by Ms. Aparna Reddy, Executive Director, Aparna Enterprises Limited, for People Matters.

2021 Outlook for the building materials industry: Ashwin Reddy, Aparna Enterprises Ltd

Greater investment and fastening the infrastructure developments can bring the building materials industry back on the growth path states Mr. Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director Aparna Enterprises Ltd

Over the last decade, there have been many events that have impacted the global economy and industries at large, however, COVID 19 has been different. It has caused a spiral effect on all industries, especially the manufacturing segment. The outbreak of the pandemic and the resultant lockdown had paralysed the non-essential manufacturing segments like building materials also. In the building materials segment, companies faced numerous challenges like, disruption in the manufacturing process, manpower shortage due to reverse migration, growing gap between the demand and supply chain and logistical constraints.

However as economies are now opening, the sector has been on a revival path, recovering faster than expected. Despite the current challenges, the sector is poised to witness 5% to 10% growth in 2021 owing to planned infrastructural developments. However, for this positive optimism to convert, the need of the hour will be to assist the sector with financial impetus and regulatory reforms.

One of the major bottleneck that the industry has been facing is the complex policy structure. Government should introduce policies like single window clearance, uniform taxation, structured interest rates, quick implementation of schemes announced under “Atmanirbhar Bharat” programme, to make the regulatory system to be more proactive, time bound resolution of sectorial issues etc. to aid the revival of the sector. All of this will improve the overall ease of doing business in the segment and open new avenues of opportunities and cross-brand collaborations. Additionally, we must also ensure that all previously introduced reforms are implemented quickly and effectively.

Another crucial area that will need attention in 2021 is financial aid. Government should look at opening new financing channels both from regular banking routes, NBFCs and private equity. Financing alternatives should be made available for all tenures – short, medium and long term. Not just this, we need to ensure that the disbursement of Central and State government aids should be done within the stipulated timeline as then only it can be beneficial for all stakeholders.

From an immediate action point of view, the next government should take strong efforts in the upcoming budget. Considering the COVID19 Pandemic, Improving the health care infrastructure, Migrant Labour reforms, Logistics and supply chain, digitisation etc. should be taken into consideration. It should invest and fasten the infrastructure development projects. Additionally, reduction in income tax rates will increase consumer spending potential and this in turn can improve the growth prospectus of the industry.

While these reforms will help the sectors to revive faster than expected, for organisations, more strategic efforts are required to maintain positive sentiment amongst employees during the current times. Companies will have to not just adapt the new ways of work, they will have to be equally agile to what the future awaits. Pandemic has taught many traditional industries like manufacturing, specifically Building Materials to be accustom to innovative and flexible ways of working and these learning are paving the way for the future of work.

This article is contributed by Mr. Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, Aparna Enterprises Limited.