Ajay S. Shriram
President, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) &
Chairman & Senior Managing Director, DCM Shriram Limited

When the family business was split about 25 years ago, nobody would have expected him to be successful as he is today. In fact, he has built the biggest empire when compared to the other beneficiaries at that time.

His entrepreneurial acumen and leadership skills have seen him grow the company's turnover exponentially since the split. Today DCM Shriram is a leading business conglomerate having a group turnover in excess of Rs6,400 crore and with significant presence in diverse fields like fertilisers, sugar, cement, building systems and PVC.

Ajay Shriram passionately follows the principles established by the founding father of the business. "Our Company has always believed in doing business which will ensure accountability and transparency in all its activities. Hence, it has always been focused on maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance," he says.

He continues to chart a new growth course for his business; that is reason enough to include him in this feature. But it is his stint as the CII President that fully seals his presence in this elite list. In this role, he has continuously strived for the growth and progress of the manufacturing sector at all industry forums and through his interaction with the government.

"Bringing the economy back on growth path requires that the Government urgently addresses the pressing policy and implementation issues, brings about systemic reforms and create a market-friendly environment to promote investments, business and entrepreneurship," he not only says this but also has been at the forefront in effectively taking the message to the government.

A strong supporter of the Make in India campaign, Shriram is impressed by the idea that India is ideally placed to Look East and Link West. "This will help products manufactured in India to enter the global value chain." While his tenure as CII President may come to end in 2015, his efforts and endeavours while in office will continue to have a much longer impact.
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