MBM stories is back again with a new gripping and an inspirational memoir of one of the most generous and dynamic alumni of our college, whose charisma, perseverance and positive attitude have brought him to the top of his profession. His contribution to the society through the service and philanthropy leaves a mark on the mind of every individual. So as a narrator and your sailor to our today’s story, I will suggest let’s just fix our seat belts and time travel back to 90’s: The Era of privatization and globalization.

India in its 90’s was still on its way to develop and The Government of India was trying to promote the economy by privatizing government institutions and promoting Indian startups and private businesses. Soon many companies and firms began to try their hands at businesses and startups, with the competition growing like fire every day, especially in large and established markets like the cement industry. The competition was growing every day and everyone was thinking of transcribing a good place in the cement industry and everyone was thinking of transcribing a good place in the cement industry. As Roland Wijnen says: “”Innovation requires the right talent and mindset from both leadership and innovators themselves.”

The concept of Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) was very new then and its establishment in the market was still a crux of the matter for many Indian Industries. As someone said “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”, it was the time for The Aditya Birla group to introduce something big to the industry audience. Soon a small team of some experts with  idiosyncratic methods and ideologies, led by a frisky Engineer headed towards the bustling crowd of talented competitors where failure was not a big deal every day and success were stories that ruled the market. This enthusiastic leader with vibrant personality and lots of energy was none other but 1987 batch pass out Civil engineer from MBM Engineering College Er. Ramesh Joshi and the tough grind that the team was going to tackle was “The establishment of the first RMC plant at Hyderabad in 1998″. It was spirit of Er. Joshi and his team that led to the stupendous success of this innovative venture.  Er. Joshi built the Aditya Birla Group’s RMC business from the establishment of very first RMC plant to training and recruiting RMC employees to making over 130 RMC plants across 50 cities in India. With the experience of more than 30 years in Cement Industry, which includes Grey Cement, White Cement and Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) verticals in diverse geographies and versatile roles, Er. Joshi has been spearheading the RMC division of Ultra Tech Cement as Senior Vice President.

Early Life and Schooling:

Er. Ramesh Joshi was born on 07 April 1964 in Jodhpur in a very caring family. He was a much pampered child in the family and his family could not refuse even of his very mischievous wishes.” I used to get birthday gifts from my family even on others’ birthday celebrations and every exam was given with a new stationery set every time.” Er. Joshi remembers some glimpses of his childhood. He also memorizes going to school in tongas in a hurry and then soon elders rushing to the school to tie his shoelaces.

  But as coach Vince Lombardi Saz once said “Leaders are made, they are not born”. It was not the birth that rewarded him the leadership but the situations that made him one of the most successful leaders in his profession. His father’s posting used to change every two to three years, so he had to move constantly to a new city, a new school, and new scenarios over these years. He studied at 10 different schools in his childhood and every new school used to bring new challenges, be it coping up with the syllabus, teachers, or making new friends. But as diamonds are found in the toughest conditions, Mr. Joshi came out to be a highly social person and adaptive for every new challenge, and so forth a leader was made.

College and Higher Education:

“Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again and each flow of it brings a new challenge.”

Benjamin Franklin in an interview said – “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” Every stone of knowledge brings us closer to the goal of achieving success in life. Gathering the right knowledge and surviving in the competitive industries in India was not a walk in the park but a mere dream for Er. Joshi. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in the civil branch from MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur (1987). His interest in Sales and Marketing led him to pursue a Post Graduate Diploma from Bhavans College, Ahmedabad (1992). He also did some short-term courses like leadership skills for the senior management program from the Indian School of Business and the direct marketing course from the Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad. 

Professional Career: Scaling new heights in Cement Industry:

Stories have a great impact on our lives as they have been a source of inspiration from ancient times. But every such chronicle we pore is not a summary of some months or even some years, it is the constant uphill battle against every new hurdle every single day over these years. It is the crux of consistent efforts and an individual’s will to bring a change.  Er. Ramesh Joshi stepped into the industry in 1989 as a marketing expert in the northern region as well as headed south India and Goa for white cement marketing and then in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh from 1994 to 2002, gaining 8 years of experience in grey cement marketing. He also served as a Regional Head of Andhra Pradesh and north Karnataka for a tenure of 6 years

  As new challenges bring a bunch of new responsibilities, after the establishment of the first Ready Mix Concrete Plant at Hyderabad, Er. Joshi was now the Zonal Head of the RMC Business which includes the western and southern region of India handling 75% of the business himself. The RMC business pulled off 42% turnover CAGR between the financial years of 2002 to 2007 up from 48 crores to a massive amount of Rs. 280 crores. The enterprise was growing rapidly, the scope and challenges being much bigger and the teams’ new focus was on business development through land acquisition, the feasible study of new cities, and implementing a dedicated plant model across the country expanding it to the fullest. Soon 51 new RMC plants were added during the period 2007-09 which contributed for 45% of industry expansion and that catapulted UltraTech to the no. 1 position in the industry ahead of L&T/ Lafarge and ACC. He explored and implemented zero CAPEX models in dedicated plants which was a profitable segment for the company and also had the additional responsibility of O&M from 2010 and WCM from 2011 onwards which added a new dimension to the growth of the business. He and his team was later awarded by the chairman WCM Bronze Award in the business category for the same.

Er. Joshi’s contribution as a core member of the team which has formulated Strategy, analyzed, and monitored the performance of RMC business and has helped in achieving the highest volume , highest PBDIT (2x)and ever highest ROCE (3x) in 2019 is massive. He is the present President of Ready Mix Concrete Manufacturer’s Association (RMCMA) of India from 2016 onwards and has implemented many reforms like QCI certification, Green Pro Certification, sharing of equipment, Training of customer /Government Employees and introduction of Variable performance model. RMC business which crossed 101 plants earlier in 2012 has now reached over 130+ in number. Even more than 40 plants were established in the adverse situation of Covid when competitors were closing the plants in his position as Head Business development and New projects.

Awards & Accolades:

” Going far beyond the call of duty, doing more than others expect. This is what excellence is all about. It comes from striving, maintaining the highest standards, looking after the smallest detail, and going extra mile. Excellence means doing your best, In everything, In every way .

Jack Johnson

  Er. Joshi  is a man of integrity, dedication, and commitment and has been awarded many times in his lifetime for his enormous contribution to the industry. He has also received many other awards and citations pertaining to his professional achievements and social services in different fields. Years of exertion and dedication have made him an inspiration for many and have helped him earn the praises from not only the Aditya Birla Industry but also from many prestigious organizations in India and abroad. Let us have a look into his illustrious career and the awards and citations that he has earned and received. 

Busines Awards :

• National Award for Effective Utilization of Blended Cement in Construction by Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India) in 2004. 
• Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2018 for RMC Business of UltraTech Cement Ltd. From the Institute of Directors.  
• CII Award for customer obsession 2019 for a key role in RMC and active customer engagement category.  
•  IMC Ramakrishna Bajaj certification of merit Award in 2018 for RMC Business and then later the same for the Best Practice in manufacturing (2019) for making a Zero discharge plant.
• Green Pro Certification for RMC Plants from CII IGBC – IFC 2019      
•  The Economic Times Award for Innovation in the sustainable category 2019.                                                                                                                                                    

Aditya Birla Group honors and achievements:

• Qualified among top 3 teams on Key Account Management at Aditya Birla Awards, 2004.
• Received Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2005 in the Cement Business.
• Received Aditya Birla Group Chairman Individual Award for Distinguished Achiever in 2006 and was also shortlisted for Aditya Birla Group Awards in Value Leaders Category (2007).
• Shortlisted among top 2 for Aditya Birla Group Awards in Value Role Model Category in 2014 and then in top 5 in the Undefeated Category (2015).
• RMC Business got Aditya Birla Group Bronze Award for Business Excellence in SBU Category 2017 and was also later nominated for the Platinum Award, Aditya Birla Group in 2018 for Operational Efficiency.

Accomplishments :

Apart from Er. Ramesh Joshi’s contribution to his profession, his workings go beyond the doors of his profession and if we have a look into his timeline we can see that he has made great efforts to bring positive impact and change to his society. His articles, speeches, and presence at various seminars and conferences were and still are a great source of inspiration to many. He has also addressed many conferences as a panel speaker on different subjects be it “an Economic Times AceTech initiative” at Ace Alpha Awards 2017 or on “appropriate technologies for affordable housing” at UBM Concrete Show 2018, BIS headquarters on Rmc etc. He has also been an active member of the Editorial Advisory Board of National Magazine – New Building Materials Construction World from 2002-06 and of the GCCA subcommittee on concrete guidelines (2019).

Life at MBM :

    ” I have been part of  many exceptional discussions of the world but believe me the discussions at Pappumal ki Thadi with a tea and friends are still the best discussions I have been through”,  tells Er. Joshi sarcastically.

“College days were days of fun and lots of masti. Every eye was full of desires with an enthusiastic mindset and every day was amusing. College time spent with teachers and friends has always been so memorable. Hostel ke dosto ke saath ek hi bistar pe bethke ek dusre ka khaana khaana aur movie release hone par black mein ticket khareed ke 1st day 1st show dekhna were the most enjoyable memories of MBM days. During my college days I have also served as secretary of the Civil engineering student association and simultaneously working as a President of the entire University for literary and cultural activity from 1984-1986 and have represented university teams in many debates, drama, poetry, and theatre.  I have had interests in Sports, Poetry, and reading from my UG days. I had also participated in many cultural fests including the All India Cultural fest and also won a National Award in poetry for the university”. Er. Joshi reminisces the nostalgic days. 

Giving Back to alma mater

Er. Ramesh Joshi has been invariably supporting M.B.M for years as alumni and an admirer of the college. He has helped and supported the college campus by his contribution of a room in the girls’ hostel by 1987 Batch and also sponsored the education of a girl child through personal contributions.

Er. Joshi is also one of the core member of the initiative named “Brilliant Brains” which aims in uplifting the education necessities of needy students { 62} preparing Engineering and Medical studies by sponsoring their educational penuries. He is also associated with various other NGOs for social causes, especially, related to women empowerment and learning.

Wisdom words for youngsters:

  Er. Ramesh Joshi always encourages the youths to utilize their imagination, to prepare themselves for the heyday, and believe that they can do anything. He strongly affirms that youth is the most potent part of our society which will shape the future.

In his own words “It does not matter from which part of the society you’re from, If you have willpower and dreams and the killing strength to follow them you can achieve beyond your expectations. Working in the choice of your field with value systems is more important than chasing the packages. You have to work hard with a team approach, openness, and caring for others. This will lead you to greater success. When you earn more you should raise your standard of giving to society and be more humble. True leaders listen, motivate, encourage and empower people and provide climate for performance around them and create happy faces.”

This is such an inspiring and motivational journey of Er. Ramesh Joshi. We wish him best wishes for his future and hope he continues to enlighten millions of lives across the planet with his great work.

About Author : Harshvardhan Singh, currently an undergraduate 1st year student of Information Technology, persuing his B.E degree from M.B.M Engineering College, is a Young Tech Enthusiast whose vision is to bring significant changes across the globe through Tech Creations. He is a beginner in programming and development domain. He has his curiosity in reading and writing poems and is also keenly interested towards books and music.