Interview with Kairus S. Dadachanji | Managing Director | Schott kaisha Pvt. Ltd

I am a bachelor of commerce and have been associated with the packaging industry since the last 25 years.
 

My key activity at work is to grow the business and continuous innovation and upgradation of technology to produce the highest quality. The most rewarding part of my work is customer recognition and appreciation, acknowledging the work we are doing and supporting the same.

The most prestigious awards that I have received was from the Indian Institute of Economic Studies, and the best vendor award from OPPI (organization of pharmaceutical producers from India). The award that has meant most to me is the first award that I have ever received, and that was from the multinational company ‘Merck’ as the best vendor award in the category of primary packaging.

My key achievements are that I completely changed the concept of ampoule and vial manufacturing in India, such bringing respectability and credibility to a business dealing in containerizing life saving medicine. Other key achievements have been introducing camera inspection technology in India and successfully starting up and commercializing a state of the art production for sterile glass prefillable syringes in India, thus being the only manufacturer of the complete range of primary tubular glass packaging comprising of ampoules, vials, cartridges for pen and auto injectors and sterile prefillable glass syringes.

When I first imported my automatic lines from Europe the costs for these lines was prohibitive and then the infrastructure to house and run these lines was a challenging and trying time. The headaches have been in trying to market a new concept to the industry and appraising them of the quality and value differentiation between us and others.

The one thing about the industry that I wish to change is to ensure that the pharmaceutical fraternity gets value for money and to defend our brand from being mixed with inferior glass which not only endangers the medicine and reputation of the company but also endangers human life.

I see the primary packaging industry growing, getting more and more demanding and innovating with the latest products being made available.

My key plan for the future is to set up a state of the art Greenfield operation for the manufacture of ampoules and vials in India. Huge investments, high end robotics and complete automation are what the Pharma Industry will see from our new facility. Our clear plan is to go the long term and to be a reliable partner to our customers thus ensuring high quality, timely and stable supplies.

My biggest challenge has been to ensure that the people who are with us are happy and well looked after. From the very inception stage our people at all levels played an important role in the running and growth of the company. I believed that if a man was at peace he would put his best concentration and efforts at the work place. I thus did everything to ensure that we did everything possible to touch the lives of the people who worked for me, thus significantly changing their quality of life. This is endorsed in the fact that the people with who I began still work in the company till date.

1. The new project needs to be of a much higher standard than the last one. 

2. The best available technology needs to be applied.

3. The project should be such that we are looking at least 10 years ahead.
 

To build in India a facility that not only compares to the best in the world but literally supersedes them.

I believe that you must put in to get out. We need to look at the type of business we are in and to see how we can make a differential line between us and the competition.