INDRANIL DASGUPTA

EDUCATION:

• Schooling at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, Kolkata
• Graduation: Jadavpur University, Kolkata (premier Indian academic institution) - passed Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with a First Class in 1991.

CAREER FOCUS:

32 years work experience in handling start-ups and building businesses as part of large organizations.

Focused on engineering and infrastructure sectors across diverse industries such as EPC, industrial parks and real estate, engineering goods, automotive, metals, etc. across geographies and of different scale.

Adept in handling sensitive issues and different interest groups including Government as well as local opinion leaders, landowners and farmers on one hand and PE investors, NBFCs, Multilateral Institutions and banks on the other.

Skilled in:

1. 1. strategic planning.
   2. business development - ability to network and generate business leads and manage business relationships.
   3.   construction execution and project management.
   4. investment risk appraisal and structuring investments.
   5. ability to lead a team of experienced multi-disciplinary professionals and manage their expectations.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

1. Kanoria Foundation (Jan 2023 onwards) – erstwhile owners of Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited and an infrastructure focused group, with current interests in diverse businesses like real estate, power generation and distribution, rural e-governance, roads, water and waste management, etc.

• As a Strategic Advisor located in Kolkata assisting the group in
• monetization of existing assets
•  devising growth strategies for certain business especially in the roads, power and rural e-governance sectors
•   strategizing and incubating new business in diverse areas such as fintech, healthcare, advisory, airport privatization, etc.
•  dealing with NCLT matters of SREI and interacting with different regulatory entities and legal firms.

2. Doric Infra Private Limited (May 2021 till October 2022) – the infrastructure and EPC division of the Ampersand Group operating 42 schools across India

• As CEO and Director, located in Mumbai, responsible for the top line and bottom line growth of the company and strategizing its growth path
• Currently a Rs 100 cr company, developed the Vision of the company to grow to Rs 1000 cr within 3 years with 10-15% profitability levels.
• Secured EPC contracts worth more than Rs 500 cr and seeded projects worth another Rs 500 cr within 11 months of joining organization and these projects are currently under different stages of implementation
• Worked out sub-contracting strategies to execute projects – managing risks on one hand coupled with least requirement of construction funding on the other. This resulted in minimum working capital requirement for secured projects as well as timely ongoing execution of the same
• Worked out innovative ways of Working Capital financing for smooth execution of secured projects – fund based and non-fund based
• Role involved significant amount of strategic counseling to promoter group and clients, stakeholder management including Government departments and financiers, devising funding strategy, business development, relationship management – both internal and external, managing labour and grooming/retaining talent

3. Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited (October 2008 till March 2021) - India’s premier infrastructure NBFC

• As CEO and Director of Economic Zones Business (Attivo) with full P&L responsibility, strategized the growth path of the economic zones division and built the division from scratch through green-field land purchases and strategic acquisitions.
• Handled projects spread over a land bank of more than 4500 acres spread across Tamilnadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Telengana, West Bengal. Product mix includes Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and Industrial Parks1, Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ)2, Integrated Townships3 and Food Park4. Refer www.attivo.co.in for details (Attivo is the division name). Also handled the development of a green field port in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra spread over 1000 acres and dealing in dry and liquid bulk cargo.
• Achieved financial closure of most projects through debt (banks and NBFCs) and PE funding – current asset base is in excess of Rs 3000 cr. Led discussions with foreign Lenders for ECB and strategic equity investment
• Projects in various phases of construction and monetization – was actively involved in project implementation, marketing and business development and achieved successful land sales of more than 500 acres and 200,000 sqft of RBF/BTS in last two years of association with Group across multiple geographies

Note:

1.  2500 acre SEZ in Tuticorin, 780 acre Industrial Park in Bharuch Gujarat, 250 acre SEZ in Panoli, Gujarat
2. 100 acre FTWZ in Tuticorin
3. 350 acre Integrated Township in Alibag, Mumbai
4.  100 acre Food Park in Mirzapur (under approval stage)

4.India Automotive Technology of Spain Ltd (September 2006-September 2008) – a leading technology provider in the automotive space

• Worked as Managing Director – Indian Operations and set up the business in India.
• Strategised and spearheaded the design and engineering of the prestigious NATRIP (National Automotive Research and Infrastructure Project) – comprising test centers in Chennai, Pune, Manesar (near New Delhi) and an advanced automotive testing track in Indore.
• Secured and oversaw project execution of business worth more than Euro 5 million in two years from marquee clients such as Tata Motors, Mahindra, Nissan, etc. in the fields of testing and vehicle and component homologation
• Conceptualised the set up a design center in Pune comprising more than 200 engineers by identifying an acquisition target, concluding negotiations for the same and starting operations

5. ICRA Limited (January 2001 – August 2006) – a leading Indian credit rating organization and a Moody’s Investor Service, USA company

• Joined as Assistant General Manager in ICRA’s Advisory Division and grew to General Manager and Head - Corporate Advisory
• Vertically focused on engineering and manufacturing sectors and functionally focused on strategy consulting (advising organizations on enhancing competitiveness and in market assessment), risk analysis, feasibility analysis, transaction advisory, organizational development and process consulting and institutional reform.

• Key achievements:

1. Developing the automotive, metals, EPC sector as a focus area of consulting for ICRA Advisory
2. Generating consulting assignments worth Rs 150 million (US$ 2.5 million) over the period 2003 until 2006 based on personal initiatives
3. Successfully executing consulting assignments worth Rs 400 million (US$ 6.5 million) over the period 2001 until I left the organization
4. Executing some marquee assignments for Multilateral Institutions and Indian Government organisations such as a Vision Statement and Growth Strategy for a Northern Indian state, Organisational Restructuring Study for an Indian Government organization, etc., divestment strategies for some Indian public sector units and balancing the diverse expectations of the different stakeholders involved.
5. Worked closely with different manufacturing companies like L&T, M&M, Liberty Shoes, etc. in developing their go-to-market strategies and organizational restructuring efforts

6. M.N.Dastur & Co. Ltd (June 1992 – December 2000) – a leading Indian metal consulting organisation

• Imbibed technical and financial consulting as well as project implementation skills by working on more than 100 projects in the metals and manufacturing sectors related to feasibility assessment, market assessment, valuation and due diligence, project management and engineering. Also interacted closely with multi-lateral institutions like UNIDO and World Bank for and in cases (post 1998) led market surveys and project feasibility studies across multiple geographies like Libya, Morocco, Qatar, and South East Asia.
• Reported directly to the Joint Managing Director from 1998 onwards and left the organization as Senior Engineer.
• Worked across various geographies (including the Americas, the Gulf, South East Asia and Europe) in different consulting assignments.
• In the last three years was involved with the Joint Managing Director in a Business Development Role and secured several marquee clients in Qatar and Thailand.

7. Hindustan Lever Ltd (June 1991 – June 1992) – a FMCG conglomerate – Executive Trainee

      INDUSTRY AFFILIATIONS:  

Actively involved with several Indian industry bodies.

Past member of Managing Committee of Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Regional Committee of CII and Co-Chair of SEZ Council of Assocham