The DCM Shriram Chemicals manufacturing site at Jhagadia in
Bharuch District, Gujarat, part of DCM Shriram Ltd, has been recognised by the
World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network (GLN) with Distinction in
Productivity. It is one of only 16 industrial sites globally selected for the
network in 2026.
The Global Lighthouse Network is a World Economic Forum
initiative that identifies manufacturing facilities and value chains leading
the adoption and scaling of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to
deliver measurable impact in productivity, sustainability, agility and operational
excellence. With this recognition, the Jhagadia site joins a community of 238
leading manufacturing facilities worldwide that are setting new benchmarks for
industrial transformation.
The Distinction in Productivity recognition is awarded to
manufacturing sites that have delivered exceptional cost and quality
performance through technology-enabled transformation, improved asset
utilisation, workforce enablement and resource optimisation.
As India’s largest caustic soda plant site, Jhagadia
operates in an energy-intensive industry where power costs form a significant
share of operating expenses. Through the deployment of 45 advanced digital and
analytics solutions, including AI-enabled process control and a GenAI-enabled
maintenance manager, the site achieved an 11-percentage-point improvement in
EBITDA, reduced power costs by 32 per cent, lowered material costs by 15 per
cent and reduced CO? emissions by 14 per cent.
Speaking on the recognition, Ajay S Shriram, Chairman &
Senior Managing Director, DCM Shriram Ltd., and Vikram S Shriram, Vice Chairman
& Managing Director, DCM Shriram Ltd, said, "We are honoured to
receive this recognition from the World Economic Forum. It reflects DCM
Shriram’s long-standing commitment to building world-class manufacturing
businesses driven by technology, innovation and operational excellence. The
recognition of our Jhagadia Chemicals site demonstrates how focused investments
in digital transformation, combined with the dedication of our people, can
deliver significant improvements in productivity, competitiveness and
sustainability."
They added, "At DCM Shriram, we believe technology is a
key enabler of responsible and future-ready growth. This achievement reinforces
our approach of combining advanced digital capabilities with strong operational
discipline to create lasting value for our customers, employees, shareholders
and communities. We are proud that our Chemicals business has joined a select
group of global manufacturing leaders recognised by the Global Lighthouse
Network."
The recognition is the outcome of Project BLESSED, Becoming
a Lighthouse through Exemplary Safety Systems & Excellence in
Digitalization, a strategic transformation programme launched in July 2024. The
initiative was designed to accelerate digitalisation, strengthen safety systems
and enhance operational excellence through advanced technologies, data-driven
decision-making and workforce enablement.
The recognition reinforces DCM Shriram’s commitment to
technology-led manufacturing and strengthens India’s position as a global hub
for industrial innovation, operational excellence and sustainable industrial
growth.