Business Across Borders 2021

22 Experts’ Views Business Across Borders 2021 Ion Exchange (India) Limited Rajesh Sharma Chairman & Managing Director Ion Exchange is considered a pioneer in the Indian Water Treatment Industry. What are some of your key milestones &path-breaking technology initiatives? Ion Exchange is a pioneer of water treatment in India with a legacy spanning over five decades and is today considered a leader in water and waste water management with sales, production and service footprints across the world. Ion Exchange has been in the forefront of bringing the latest technology into the country to provide best solutions to its customers and wherever we see a need, we bridge this gap with international JV’s and technical collaborations. With seven manufacturing facilities in India and an assembly centre in Sharjah, UAE, a chemical blending unit in Bahrain and a warehouse and assembly centre in Indonesia, we serve all sectors - industries, institutions, homes and communities - both rural and urban. Our comprehensive solutions extend from influent water through potable and process water; process separation, purification and catalysis; effluent treatment, water reuse and zero discharge and waste to energy solutions. All this is backed by an extensive service infrastructure, which provides comprehensive services 24x7. Formed in 1964, Ion Exchange is renowned for its world class ion exchange resins for applications across industries. We introduced the Reverse Osmosis (RO) concept into the country way back in 1976 and were the first in India to manufacture RO membrane elements at Gujarat. We now manufacture High Performance UF, NF, RO and MBR Membranes (HYDRAMEM Membranes) at our state-of-the-art integrated membrane manufacturing facility in Goa. We were the first company to recognize that industry, because of the limited availability of fresh water, would have to use alternate sources of water, one of which is sea water. Thus, way back in 1997, we commissioned the then-largest Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) plant for sea water desalination. Ion Exchange has significantly expanded its geographical foot print. Could you give us an overview of your global operations? Ion Exchange realized that being one of the few companies world-wide with such a diverse range of technologies and products, we should extend our offerings to developing countries in South East Asia, Middle East and Africa, who face similar challenges. Today, in addition to India, we run operations across the globe in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Sharjah, Oman, Bahrain, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, USA, Canada, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to name a few. About 40% of our revenues now come from exports and more than 50% of resin produced by us is exported across the world. What are some of the major strengths and differentiators of Ion Exchange? In addition to our unique capability to provide 360 0 solutions for water &waste water treatment, our greatest strength is our large pool of knowledgeable, trained and experienced manpower who provide right and customized solutions for every customer’s needs. Our strong suit is our unique ability to treat any quality of water and make it suitable for any application. I see Ion Exchange playing a dominant role particularly in bringing cost-effective, user-friendly and sustainable solutions for waste water treatment and reuse, introducing innovative technologies that require less energy & less use of chemicals. Our R&D department is already working towards the same. Finally, we believe that sustainable business in sync with the environment is the cornerstone of every successful trade. By the verynatureof our business, and for over fifty-five years, we have delivered products and technologies that have made us the single largest provider of sustainable solutions in the water and environment sector. We are proud to positively impact all the markets we serve - both domestic and international and continue to be guided by our profound vision - to be the leader in our business which is so vital to people’s lives and the environment. Dun & Bradstr et