In Talk with Sunil K Nuthakki, the Persona Spearheading Sai Deepa to Provide Sustainable Solutions
Once, Steve Jobs said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” Emerging business leaders and CEOs have the vision to find what people are suffering from; how to resolve their problems. Mr. Sunil Kumar Nuthakki, an enthusiastic entrepreneur, a business leader, and the CEO of Sai Deepa Rock Drills Pvt. Ltd. comes from this school of thought. He brings with him profound expertise spanning seven years in the IT field as an Integration Specialist and has been the Chief Executive of Sai Deepa since 2013. He joined Sai Deepa Group in 2010 and prior to that, he was an integration consultant for various IT companies in USA & Canada.
Sunil has an Engineering degree in computer sciences Sai Deepa is setting new benchmarks as a global leader in the design, manufacture, and services of DTH hammers, DTH bits, Top Hammer tools, HDD, Rotatory, and Exploration drilling tools. With its extensive range, the firm has become the ultimate source for your ROCK DRILLING solutions. Sunil Nuthakki is the man of the hour, leading this innovative solution with his father Rangarao Nuthakki, Chairman, Sai Deepa.
“In the words of a leader who has impacted Sai Deepa in many roles and grown with the brand, “We export our products and purchase raw materials from various countries to attain the best quality products. Our industries are into supplying Drilling tools for Mining, Water Well Drilling, Construction, and Oil Well“ Drilling. Our goal is to go more global and expand into various countries including 3rd world countries”
The journey to ‘Top 10 Leading CEOs to Watch in 2022’ is filled with milestones Mr. Sunil and his venture reached through like; Sai Deepa has been certified for 4 ISO standards i.e., 9001:2015, 14001:2015, 45001:2018, and 27001:2013. They are among very few companies across the world that has all the 4 standards and they are in line with their core values
1. Safety
2. Customer Success
3. Team Play
4. Environment Protection and
5. Information Security
Also, Mr. Sunil has been honoured with the Best Entrepreneur award by Telangana State in the year 2017. In a recent interview with Innovative Zone Magazine, Mr. Sunil Nuthakki, the CEO of Sai Deepa Rock Drills speaks about the key aspects concerning his leadership and the company’s growth. Here are some excerpts…
INNOVATIVE ZONE: WHAT WAS THE INNER MOTIVATION THAT DROVE YOU TO BECOME A LEADER IN YOUR DOMAIN?
Mr. Sunil: My father, Mr. Ranga Rao, Current MD/Chairman of the Sai Deepa Group was my motivation behind my joining the company. A lot of effort was put in before the inception of Sai Deepa Rock Drills. From 1996 to 2001, I witnessed the effort put in by our chairman to build a strong organization. This inspired me to become part of team Sai Deepa.
Back then it was a 150 people company which got incorporated in 2001. We also had about 200 indirect employees. Today we have more than 1000 employees in the group & another 1000 indirect employment created in our extended family of vendors. We have set up 5 offices in the international markets and have our footprint across the globe.
My journey began with a decision to travel beyond the borders and bring back my learnings from the international arena. A 2002 graduate, I worked for 8 years in various sectors as an Integration Analyst. Mostly worked on B2B and A2A integrations. I had the opportunity to work with companies like Mettler Toledo, Freddie Mac, Alticor, Amtrak, Bayer, etc., which vary in different industries.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: KINDLY GIVE US A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE INCEPTION STORY OF THE COMPANY.
Mr. Sunil: In 1996, Deepa Rock Drills started as a small Heat Treatment Facility. We were vendors to the Drill Bit manufacturers. Our Chairman, a Metallurgist & very passionate on R&D conjured a great unit which started producing good results. The market was very happy with the company’s services. This was our beginning & we eventually became the manufacturers of Drill Bits used in the water well sector.
When you deliver one good product, customers will surely want more. It is a good sign. In the next four years, we started making the next product, DTH Hammers. Decisions were taken to match the demand. Operations were streamlined, outsourcing began, and we started growing and in the year 2001, we started Sai Deepa Rock Drills Pvt. Ltd. To start with, Forging which was a very critical operation to our products was very cumbersome and was inconsistent with quality and material.
There was a higher risk of material mix-up as well. This is when Sai Deepa planned Forgings for captive consumption and later made it a business vertical. Later, the majority of the operations were developed in-house to have better control on quality and to meet strict timelines.
Establishing these 2 product lines only in one sector (Water Well) had its own disadvantages. It was a seasonal product & had limited scope. Going forward, Sai Deepa diversified into a lot of different product lines related to the Rock Drilling Industry. We have become a solution provider rather than a tool manufacturer. This made us work closely with our end-users. It opened endless opportunities to grow horizontally and vertically in different product lines and applications.
Currently, Sai Deepa products cater to Water Well, Mining (Open Cast and Underground), Construction, and Oil & Gas. Tools relating to Down the Hole (DTH), Top Hammer(TH), Rock Breaker Tools, Anchoring Systems, Reaming Systems, Tri-Cone/Rotary bits, and Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) tools for related applications are currently being manufactured in the group along with the Forgings for captive consumption and also to various sectors including Equipment manufacturing and we will be stepping into Automobile industry soon.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: PLEASE PROVIDE A BRIEF OUTLINE OF YOUR BUSINESS PORTFOLIO. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENTIATING FACTORS OF YOUR COMPANY?
Mr. Sunil: We are a Rock Drilling tool manufacturer based out of Hyderabad, India. We work with some of the top corporations in the Mining and Construction Industries. Some of our prestigious Indian clients include Vedanta Group, Reliance, Wipro, Navayuga, L&T, MEIL, SMS, etc., working for UCIL, HZL, HCL, and many more Tunneling projects and Irrigation Projects.
We work closely with equipment manufacturers like Tata Hitachi, Hyundai, DAEMO, etc., We also work with many Global mining companies with our products available in around 50+ countries.
Our tooling range, its availability, its quality, and the Overall Cost per meter are the differentiating factors of our company. Our offices in France, South Africa, Brazil, and the USA were started strategically, to make sure our entire range of products are available to different parts of the world. This makes our Motto Just Drill! Apt for our End Users.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: HOW DO YOU MAKE DECISIONS AMID UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES? DO YOU PERFORM A SWOT ANALYSIS FOR THE SAME?
Mr. Sunil: Yes, we do a SWOT analysis, and try to understand the challenges beforehand and make sure we are ready for any challenge. The recent COVID 19 situation was an example of our preparedness to face Unprecedented Challenges. We have taken all the precautionary measures with our top-line managers in the forefront. And, we had ZERO Fatalities against the last wave of infection (Delta Variant) in Sai Deepa due to COVID.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST SATISFYING ASPECT OF BEING A LEADER?
Mr. Sunil: The most satisfying aspect of being a leader is to face and resolve challenges. There is a new puzzle at every corner. Being a leader is all about making the decision in time and understanding the importance of making everyone around you a leader by making them responsible for their actions.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: HOW DOES R&D PLAY AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN YOUR COMPANY? PLEASE MENTION SOME MAJOR DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR R&D PRACTICE, IF ANY.
Mr. Sunil: R&D is very vital to our growth. Since the inception of Sai Deepa, R&D is the main process that has kept us on the edge and helped us reach this destination. Our investments in R&D helped us to compete in the global market along with the world’s top brands.
One of our recent challenges was in Finland, where our products have to go head-on to a compressor with 500 PSI, which is very high compared to the regular compressors at 300 PSI. Such high pressures can tend to break the product. Our R&D team headed by our chairman has found a solution specific to the application.
Our Director in France along with our distributor in Sweden has put in a lot of effort. They worked continuously on the field making developments & communicating back with the R&D team till the product escalated in performance. We have achieved great success so far and have gained a good market share. Similar successes have been achieved across the globe with various different applications.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE TECHNOLOGY?
Mr. Sunil: We do perceive technology as one of our key areas of focus & use some of the latest cutting-edge technologies in our product development process. Mr. Sunil: We do perceive technology as one of our key areas of focus & use some of the latest cutting-edge technologies in our product development process.
Our IT vertical continuously works towards our technology enhancements. Automation in different areas is currently in progress. We are gearing up to have all our processes to be made online. Industry 4.0 is the goal moving forward for the group.
One of our latest incubator projects is on surface coatings by using Laser Cladding Technology for our captive use as well as a new Business Vertical. Our upcoming projects in the pipeline include a Vacuum Heat Treatment Plant and Electron Beam Welding Machine. This being said, we are always on our toes to include the latest technologies into our products or our process, which can benefit our Customers and our Channel Partners.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE IMPACT SCALE OF YOUR BUSINESS VENTURE?
Mr. Sunil: A few things critically impact our business. When there is any major work stoppage on an infrastructure or mining project due to an environmental or any other local issue, excavation comes to a halt. This brings a stoppage to the consumption of Rock Tools. India is a hub to infra projects and we are growing in double digits. Other factors like a steep rise in steel prices take a toll on our purchase. We are continuously trying to mitigate these fluctuations as much as possible.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?
Mr. Sunil: For me, success is in the small steps that we take on a daily basis to achieve positive results. These are done to support the challenges faced by our customers and our channel partners. We strongly believe in Customer Success and team play.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: PLEASE SHARE ANY TOP TWO SKILLS THAT ARE CRUCIAL TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL LEADER.
Mr. Sunil: Patience and Analysis. These are the two top skills I believe are crucial for my success. As a Second-Generation entrepreneur, it was really important that I had enough patience to understand the thought process of every channel partner.
Following our chairman closely to understand the ideology and the intent behind the way we do business was very crucial to my success. Also, the kind of support we receive from him during critical decision-making is also key to the success of this organization.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: PLEASE SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON YOUR WORK CULTURE. WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT TRAITS YOU ENSURE IN YOUR EMPLOYEES?
Mr. Sunil: Work Culture is the key to the successful growth of an organization. At Sai Deepa, there is a lot of freedom for learning. Interested people are encouraged to learn across platforms.
We encourage multitasking, healthy debate, knowledge sharing where required, easy access to top management, respecting the ideas of employees irrespective of their age/qualification are some of the best practices we use, to retain the culture in our organization.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOUR TEAM AGAINST OBSTACLES AND RISKS?
Mr. Sunil: Presently, various kinds of team-building activities are conducted on a regular basis. Many times, there are very high-risk opportunities that come along and we handle them as one team. By supporting our team members by giving them the confidence to move forward on such opportunities and if we fail, we learn our lesson.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: DO YOU PERFORM CSR ACTIVITIES? IF SO, SHARE IN DETAIL.
Mr. Sunil: Yes, we do perform CSR activities. We usually do CSR in the health and education sector. One of our recent initiatives was in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad. Together we have developed a skill development program for people who would like to learn working on CNC Machines, for which Sai Deepa has sponsored a “3-axis Vertical Machining Center” (VMC).
INNOVATIVE ZONE: WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR UPCOMING YEARS? WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS A LEADER IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
Mr. Sunil: We plan to expand our base across the globe and would like to see ourselves as one of the Top 5 Rock Drilling tool manufacturers in the world. We have also planned a forward integration for our products by entering into Equipment manufacturing and also getting into Mining/Construction Contracts.
INNOVATIVE ZONE: KINDLY SHARE A FEW WORDS OF MOTIVATION FOR ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS AND OUR READERS.
Mr. Sunil: As an entrepreneur, it is critical to make decisions at the right time. There is no decision which is right or wrong. It is the effort and time you can put in to succeed. Not all decisions we make give the best results, but it is okay to fail sometimes. Whatever heights you reach, never stop learning. Keep your feet on the ground all the time. Never demand respect, earn it. One more point: not all wars are to be won. Strategic losing is very important to understand.
There is no decision which is right or wrong, make decisions at the right time, followed by lots of effort you can put in to succeed. Not all decisions we make give the best results, but it is okay to fail sometimes.
Continuous learning is very important. Whatever heights you reach, never stop learning. Keep your feet on the ground all the time. Never demand respect, earn it. One more point: not all wars are to be won. Strategic defeats are very important to understand.
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