CEE Oct-Dec 2012

• ( I Rising higher The company has initiated aggressive expansion plans in Rajasthan and other northern & eastern states. A grinding unit with five lakh MT capacity was set up at Kalal in Gujarat in 2009. Another grinding unit in Haryana has become operational in a record time of 15 months. Located at 'Jharli in Jhajjar district, it has augmented the existing production capacity by six lakh MT per annum, bringing the total production capacity of the company to 53 lakh MT per annum. The work at J K Lakshmi Cement's Greenfield plant at Durg, in Chhattisgarh is progressing swiftly; and it is expected to commence production by the end of FY 2013 - 2014, there by adding another 27 lakh MT per annum to the total production capacity which will increase its total capacity considerably. The company plans to set up more J K Lakshmi Power Mix stations in addition to its 11 operational plants to extend its footprint in the RMC industry. There are also plans of coming up with innovative value-added products in the field of construction like Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Blocks (AAC Blocks). People - The real strength J K Lakshmi Cement Limited strongly believes that 'Happy Employees' lead to 'Happy Customers'. This thought has led to its developing a work culture and an environment that fosters growth by providing challenging opportunities and encouraging participation of each team member. 'Thought Leadership' led to initiating numerous innovative HR programmes and employee-engagement activities. As a result, J K Lakshmi Cement Ltd. was ranked second in "Business Leadership Development" category and a strong fifth in category of "Manufacturing & Production" in a study of Top 50 companies in "India's best companies to work for" instituted by a renowned global consulting and rating firm, Great Place to Work Institute and The Economic Times. The company ensures that mazbooti is delivered with a dash of happiness. Responsible corporate citizen The company is at the forefront of fostering a socially responsible corporate climate and has taken various initiatives to improve the living standards of the people residing around the Jaykaypuram Plant at Sirohi in Rajasthan. Some of these activities are Naya Savera, a basic health– care facility and Akshaya Kaleva, a food distribution programme, for the benefit of people living below the poverty line in the area . The contributions of the company has been recognized time and again. Also, the plant at Sirohi has been recognized as one of the most environment-friendly plants in the entire country by The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Excellence recognized The company, through its relentless efforts, has bagged a number of prestigious awards at national as well as international level, such as Productivity Excellence Award 2012' by Rajasthan State Productivity Council at Jaipur for the fourth time in a row; the CIDCO Vishwakarma Award for being the Best Professionally Managed Company Having Turnover More Than 500 Crore; National Award for Second Best Environment Excellence in Lime-, stone Mines, instituted by National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB), Ballabgarh; Leaders Award in large category for Green Manufacturing Excellence Award instituted by Frost & Sullivan; the prestigious Golden Peacock Award in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility, and many more. The other prestigious honours recently bestowed upon the company have been National Award for Excellence in Energy Management 2012 by Cll Hyderabad under the categories 'Excellent Energy Efficient Unit' and 'I nnovative Project; NIPM National Award for Best HR Practices 2012 'Gold Category' by National Institute of Personnel Management Kolkata; Star News HR & Leadership Award 2012 for 'Learning & Talent lnititative Excellence' instituted by Star News; Greentech HR Awards 2012 for 'Innovation in Employee Retention Strategies' by Greentech Foundation, New Delhi; Aaj Tak Care Award for Corporate Social Responsibility 2012 instituted by Aaj Tak and Greentech Safety Award 2012 by Greentech foundation, New Delhi. These achievements and recognitions have encouraged the company to set new goals and strive to achieve them in its endeavour to build stronger and happier homes and a mazboot India. Courtesy: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 08.09. 2012. INDIA RANKED 111TH IN ECONOMIC FREEDOM LIST India ranks very low at 111 th position in terms of economic freedom, behind countries like China, Nepal and Bangladesh, a global study has claimed in a worldwide index of 144 nations. 49