Innovation by young engineers is something we celebrate across our group companies. The recent recognition of a project at Tuticorin Alkali Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited, is one such example. A leading manufacturer of Soda Ash in India, it continues to encourage innovation and engineering R&D among young students through hands-on projects that address real-world challenges. One such project is the Agni Rover, developed recently by an engineering student during his time as an EMS Electrical Intern at TFL.

Real-World Innovation

The student, Kajenthira S, developed the Agni Rover as a fire-fighting robot. It won the First Prize at TFL’s 55th National Safety Day celebrations, a month-long series of safety awareness initiatives, competitions, and demonstrations organised for employees, contract workmen, and their families. The award was presented by Mr. E. Rajeshkumar, Whole-Time Director of TFL, at the Valedictory Function that concluded the celebrations.

Designed to enhance safety in industrial environments, the rover integrates remote operation, real-time video monitoring, and controlled fire suppression mechanisms. With this integration, it helps eliminate direct human exposure, enhances situational awareness, and enables rapid and precise responses.

What makes this significant is the quality of thinking behind the project. The rover was designed to tackle a challenge which industrial environments face on a regular basis, that of enabling speedy and effective response without placing personnel in harm’s way.

Reducing Human Risk

Fire incidents in high-risk settings demand fast and precise interventions. The Agni Rover addresses exactly this, enabling initial response without placing personnel in the line of danger. Remote operation means the robot can access critical areas that are unsafe for human entry. Real-time video monitoring ensures that those managing the response have the situational awareness they need to make sound decisions quickly. Controlled suppression mechanisms allow for targeted action rather than broad, reactive measures.

With these features, the rover is a meaningful step forward in our efforts to improve health, safety, and hygiene, and mark them as operational priorities.

The Values Behind

The Agni Rover is a practical demonstration of the values of TFL, and of those we uphold across our group companies: innovation, continuous improvement, and efficiency. It is also a reflection of how TFL approaches mentorship. By giving young engineers access to experienced professionals like Mr. Chinnadurai, Senior Electrical Engineer, it helps them translate ideas into solutions that are technically sound and operationally relevant.

Investing in Future-Ready Talent

India’s industrial sector is growing, both in scale and complexity. The challenges it will face, whether in safety, efficiency, or sustainability, will require engineers who are trained to think beyond textbooks. Initiatives like the Agni Rover project ensure that the next generation arrives prepared, with practical experience and a problem-solving orientation.

At AM International, we are proud to play a role in that preparation and hope this project will inspire young engineers across the country to build solutions that make industry safer for everyone.

Recently, our group company Manali Petrochemicals Limited, achieved yet another milestone. It received the FSSC 22000 certification for both its plants, awarded for the manufacture of Propylene Glycol (PG) used in the food industry.

This places MPL among the over 41,000 organisations globally that have received this certification, meeting one of the most rigorous food safety standards in the world.

A Measure of Quality

PG enters food and medicinal products directly, a fact that makes the stakes for quality and safety exceptionally high and positions food safety certifications as key benchmarks. FSSC 22000 is issued by the Foundation for Food Safety Certification and is recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). It certifies that a manufacturer’s food safety management system meets the highest international standards across the entire production process.

MPL’s PG already complies with FSSAI and Halal certifications, alongside international pharmacopoeia standards. This comprehensive compliance framework shows the seriousness with which we approach the question of quality, one shaped and reinforced by us at the group level.

The new certification is a further vindication of MPL’s product, one that strengthens customer confidence at a foundational level.

High Standards

At AM International, two of the most important pillars that guide operations across our group are sustainability and compliance. Both pave the way for responsible manufacturing. For the food and pharmaceutical space that PG serves, this entails accountability to consumers, sustainable practices, and regard for stakeholders. MPL’s alignment with FSSC 22000 demonstrates that operational excellence and sustainable practices are in fact complementary priorities.

The company’s credentials in sustainability are further illustrated by its recent ISCC+ certification for PG, a globally recognised sustainability certification that covers the responsible sourcing and processing of bio-based and circular materials. This achievement has strengthened MPL’s ESG positioning and enhanced the value of its product portfolio from both environmental and market perspectives.

These twin successes are the result of a philosophy that places importance on sustainability and accountability to all stakeholders, from investors and partners to wider communities.

The Big Picture

Food-grade PG performs various roles in a wide range of food and pharmaceutical applications, from flavour carriers and humectants to topical formulations and pharmaceutical solvents.

This makes its quality a public health concern as much as a commercial one. This presents both an opportunity and an obligation to countries like India. As a significant producer and consumer of chemical intermediates, it must prioritise investment in R&D and establish rigorous quality assurance.

MPL’s achievements contribute to that larger project, that of Atmanirbhar Bharat. It reflects our commitment to building globally competitive and high-quality manufacturing capabilities in India. It also demonstrates how Indian manufacturers can readily meet the standards that global markets demand.

Built on Process and People

The FSSC 22000 certification is a reflection of our well-curated processes and the continuous efforts to align with globally recognised best practices. It shows a commitment to food safety, quality and operational excellence, all of which sit at the core of how we operate.

At AM International, we continue building these values and remain focused on serving our customers with reliability and responsibility.

Across our manufacturing businesses, our dealer network is one of the most critical enablers, especially in our consumer-facing verticals.

Behind every product that reaches a customer is a network of partners who carry it through the final mile. Understanding what makes that network strong is central to understanding how we grow.

What Dealers Bring

For many of the strongest B2C brands, whether in urban or rural markets, a dealer network is far more than a distribution channel. It is the foundation for consumer outreach, trust-building, and long-term value creation. Dealers are embedded in the communities they serve. They understand local needs, anticipate demand shifts, and translate a company’s promise into a customer’s experience.

That kind of proximity to the market is something no centralised operation can replicate, and it is why the dealers’ relationship deserves to be treated with the same seriousness as any other strategic priority.

A Case in Point

The recent Greenstar-SPIC dealer event was an accurate representation of our partnership. Bringing together 25 dealers from Udumalpet, Tamil Nadu, to the SPIC plant, the visit was an immersive experience that was designed to deepen their understanding of products.

They witnessed the production of flagship SPIC offerings like Bharat Urea, Bharat 20:20:0:13, and Bharat DAP. They were also introduced to many more products from the company’s wider portfolio, namely SPIC Granoz, SPIC Scytoz, SPIC Keerthi, SPIC Triumph, SPIC Empower, SPIC Neemcake and SPIC Zinc Sulphate, as well as the recently launched SPIC Greencharge.

This visit highlighted the rigour and care inherent in our operations and gave dealers a greater understanding of the products they champion every day. It also demonstrated the shared commitment to delivering quality products to farmers across the region.

Our Relationship

At AM International, recognising our dealers and sub-dealers as an extension of our family has been a tradition since our inception five decades ago. This is a philosophy that has shaped how we build and sustain our network.

Our dealers have provided us with real-time insights into product performance, demand patterns, and the expectations consumers have from our products. The network we have created with them across South India, and more recently Western India, has played a central role in our growth.

We have consistently enhanced this network by nurturing relationships meaningfully through consistent engagement. Knowledge sharing, plant visits, sharing of reading materials, and providing opportunities for their families to participate in leisure trips; we have made regular efforts to make our dealers feel valued.

Building Forward

Our initiatives in growing and sustaining our dealer network strengthen a foundation of shared commitment to quality, consumers, and to one another. As we continue to expand our network and enter new markets, our dealer relationships will remain at the heart of how we build, sustain, and scale.

A new fiscal year brings financial considerations. Every division across our companies is deep into budgets and plans; some may have even finalised them. While you create them at work every year, how often do you do the same for yourself?

Very few of us set up a personal budget or annual plan. The start of the fiscal year is the perfect time to set up a personal plan, and to prepare a simple, goal-oriented roadmap for your personal growth.

Budgets and Plans

Budgets help grow market share. They can strengthen profitability, helping companies invest more in customer service, and attract talent. They can also enable the development of more eco-friendly products. All plans and budgets chase one goal: creating long-term value for the company.

The same logic applies to a personal annual plan. It must create value and growth, both in the short and long term. Building such a plan requires clarity, and the right framework to help you create it.

The Roadmap

1. List your priorities

Create a list of all that matters to your personal and professional well-being. Do not focus solely on financial goals.

Include money, relationships, health, travel dreams, and more in a balanced set of priorities. Such a set will help you lay a strong and diverse foundation for your progress.

2. Track and review

Use simple tools to measure your progress. These can include trackers, checklists, and personal dashboards. You can also do a weekly ten-minute self-review, looking at how far you have come and what you need to correct course.

Using these tools and techniques for regular reviews will lower the chances of feeling stuck, saving precious time and effort.

3. Build with consistency

Start with small steps. Use these small steps to build consistent habits. Try not to do everything at once.

Unlike unsustainable plans for ‘perfection’, a consistent approach leads to real improvement and, over time, the biggest transformations.

4. Keep room for change

Adjust your goals to fit with life changes. Adapt to changing work responsibilities and evolving priorities.

Doing so will help you build a realistic roadmap to fuel your growth.

5. Connect your personal goals to your work goals

Personal progress and professional performance go hand in hand. Align the two through skill development, health, time management, or financial discipline.

The stronger the alignment, the bigger your contributions at work will be.

Your Plan, Your Year

A personal annual plan is not supposed to be complicated. It needs to be yours. As teams around you set their directions for the year, make sure to set yours.

Financial discipline is a cornerstone of stability. As an organisation, we regularly review our balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and budget allocations to ensure financial health and safety. However, many of us lack the same discipline when it comes to personal finance.

Financial Health Matters

Health and happiness are important aspects of life. Financial health is linked to both. It determines your financial position: an interplay of income, savings, expenses, and investments, which impacts future plans.

Keeping this in mind, SPIC, one of our group companies, recently conducted a session titled ‘Smart Financial Habits for Busy Professionals’. The session focused on the financial well-being of the staff. It demystified financial planning and provided practical guidance on managing personal finances. It also disproved a long-held misconception that only finance professionals understand financial matters and principles. In fact, every individual can develop a basic understanding of net worth, budgeting, expense tracking, innovative saving practices, emergency fund planning, and common financial traps.

Six Foundational Principles

In today’s fast-paced world, people overlook several foundational principles –

1. Savings, savings, savings

Set aside a small part of your income as savings. Experts usually recommend allocating between 20% to 30% of your earnings to savings. Track your expenses regularly to identify areas where spending can be reduced and resources better utilised.

2. Diversify as per your risk profile

Diversify into professionally regulated options like corporate bonds, mutual funds, equities, etc., as methods like fixed deposits alone may not generate returns that can beat inflation. Evaluate your financial situation to understand the amount of risk you can contend with.

3. Build emergency funds

Maintain sufficient funds for unforeseen emergencies, whether through health and life insurance or even liquid funds that you can access on short notice.

4. Plan for life events

Plan for major milestones based on your age profile. These include retirement funds, children, self-education, marriage, buying property, or even regular but higher expenses like a holiday, a vehicle, or pursuing a hobby.

5. Optimise tax planning

Smart and efficient tax planning is one way in which you can take maximum advantage and ensure optimal outflows and rebates.

6. Seek professional guidance

Refer to registered financial advisors. Available both in person and online, these advisors can provide transparent and professional advice at a reasonable cost.

Building Financial Literacy

Stable finances are not a product of one-time interventions. They are achieved through consistent, disciplined practice of financial principles. By investing in financial literacy, we aim to contribute to your overall well-being and enable you to focus more effectively on personal and professional responsibilities.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be treated as a financial recommendation. Please seek professional guidance tailored to your individual circumstances.

Recently, our group company, MPL, bid farewell to three long-serving colleagues as they reached superannuation.

Each of them dedicated decades to the organisation. They contributed to growth while navigating industry cycles and mentored younger team members along the way. Their commitment has created a lasting imprint on the company’s culture. These careers reflect a people-first philosophy. One that values dedication, nurtures long-term growth and develops future leadership with care and continuity.

Meritocracy and care

At AM International, two principles anchor our organisation – meritocracy and care. Meritocracy entails that individuals are entrusted with responsibility and recognised for performance. Care necessitates people are supported, guided and empowered to grow across different phase of the business cycle. Together, these principles create the foundation for meaningful, multi-decade careers.

We believe, the commitment to meritocracy and care needs to be reinforced by a leadership framework grounded in transparency and engagement. This is why at MPL, initiatives like the Coffee with MD and CEO are aimed at creating a structured forum for direct dialogue between employees and senior leadership. The candid exchange of perspectives, ideas and insights strengthen the organisation from within.

Across our companies, every voice matters. Ideas are judged on merit and strategic relevance. This approach builds professionalism, accountability, collaboration and ownership. These traits strengthen our institution and support sustained growth.

Continuity as a competitive advantage

The strength of an institution is shaped by people. People who build it over time. Across our over five-decade history, long-serving employees have contributed through multiple phases of expansion, transformation and renewal. They have brought deep experience with operational insight. This has preserved continuity and supported steady progress.

As we welcome young talent and invest in their growth, we recognise those who have stood by us through the highs and lows. They have connect our age-old values with new-age ambitions.

Looking back, we understand that culture is indeed built quietly. It is shaped in everyday decisions, shared responsibilities, and moments of trust. Over time, these moments define who we are as an organisation.

Longevity creates more than experience. It creates stability. It builds confidence within teams and assurance for partners. When people grow with the institution, the institution grows stronger with them. Shared history builds trust. It creates alignment without constant instruction. Teams move faster when values are understood and lived.

This continuity gives us confidence in the future. It allows us to take bold decisions with steady hands. Because we know the foundation is strong.

Respecting legacy, enabling the future

For the value our colleagues have created and the milestones they have helped us achieve, we are grateful. As they enter the golden years of retirement, we wish them fulfilment, good health and the time to enjoy family and personal pursuits with the same energy they brought to their work.

Building continuity with intent

Professional journeys evolve. And leadership transitions are a natural part of institutional life. We endeavour to approach this with structured succession planning, knowledge transfer and sustained leadership development.

By continuously investing in human capital, we ensure that capability, values, and institutional wisdom carry forward across generations, strengthening our leadership pipeline and reinforcing long-term resilience.

In 2025, we undertook a wide range of initiatives aimed at strengthening leadership capability, technical excellence, safety performance, and employee well-being. These efforts helped guide young talent, foster operational excellence, and set the stage for a year of learning and growth across companies.

A People-Centric Culture

Leadership and people’s development remained a central focus across the group. SPIC and TFL implemented structured interventions like the Action-Centred Leadership (ACL) Module 2, a leadership development programme that helped strengthen execution, team effectiveness, and individual accountability. Participation in the Management Development Programme at IIM Kolkata further strengthened leadership capability, communication, and team effectiveness.

We also focused on inclusion, with initiatives like the Career Women Programme, conducted jointly by SPIC, Greenstar Fertilizers, and TFL, which aimed to encourage and support women professionals through confidence-building, communication, and career development sessions. Employees were given opportunities to learn more about leadership, as MPL’s Coffee with the MD & CEO, Ignite 2.0 and other initiatives facilitated open dialogue and idea sharing for young engineers.

In Pursuit of Excellence

For manufacturing-led organisations, technical excellence and operational discipline are key learning priorities. We ensured these priorities were reinforced through hands-on learning. MPL conducted multiple knowledge-sharing sessions on Energy Management Systems, Pharma Solvent Compliance, and an industrial visit for young engineers to Ultramarine & Pigments Ltd. These sessions provided valuable exposure to best practices beyond the organisation.

Employees at SPIC and TFL participated in a series of technical seminars. They covered a range of topics including Power BI, advanced Excel, vibration analysis, bearings in fertiliser industries, and lubrication and effective lubricant management. Furthermore, the year saw many cross-company initiatives, such as the Catalyst for Plant (CAP) Operations Training Programme and the Engineering Management Service Training Programme for TPL professionals, led by SPIC, which promoted deeper operational understanding and cross-functional capability building.

Safety, HSSE, and Regulatory Compliance

In 2025, we made safety and HSSE training a non-negotiable priority. Such was the case across all group companies. SPIC and TFL used extensive programmes to address Process Safety Management (PSM), Safety Circle concepts and internal firefighting preparedness. They also conducted a Certificate Course in Safety & Health for Hazardous Process Industries, delivered by RLI Chennai, that strengthened employees’ understanding of safety systems, regulatory compliance, and hazardous process management.

Initiatives such as POSH training, heatwave awareness programmes, and International Ozone Day awareness sessions helped MPL reinforce workplace safety, dignity, and environmental responsibility. At the same time, TPL undertook structured programmes for quality, safety, and compliance training, most notably a four-day ISO Internal Auditor Training covering ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001.

Wellness and Well-being

An employee’s performance is closely linked to their well-being. Across the group, we invested significantly in health and wellness initiatives. TPL’s Health is Wealth 2.0 initiative, which included sessions on yoga, nutrition and gut health, encouraged employees to make sustainable lifestyle changes. Their structured weight-loss programme saw enthusiastic participation, and its winners were felicitated by our chairman Ashwin Muthiah.

At MPL, Mental Health Awareness sessions, alongside its SHFT (Session on Health and Fitness) programme, showed employees how they could cope with stress, emphasising both mental and physical fitness.

Throughout the year, SPIC and TFL aimed to reinforce awareness and preventive healthcare with initiatives such as the Women’s Health Matters: Cancer Awareness Programme.

More To Come

In 2025, we demonstrated a clear and consistent commitment to people’s development. This was highlighted by the range and depth of training initiatives undertaken across group companies. In today’s hyper-competitive world, training and career development are critical. Not only for the progress of the organisation, but also to ensure that professionals remain up to date.

Building on this foundation, we will continue to prioritise leadership readiness, HSSE excellence, and future-focused skills as central pillars of growth in 2026.