Board Of Directors
Mr. M M Murugappan
Chairman
He holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, USA. He has held the
position of Managing Director of CUMI in the past. Besides serving as the Chairman of CUMI,
Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited, Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Limited and
Murugappa Water Technology and Solutions Private Limited, he is on the Boards of several companies
including IIT Madras Research Park, Cyient Limited and Ambadi Investments Limited. Mr. Murugappan was
elected as a fellow of the Indian Ceramic Society and is also a member of the American Institute of
Chemical Engineers, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Plastics & Rubber Institute. He is a trustee
of the Murugappa Group’s CSR arm – AMM Foundation. Mr. Murugappan has played a pivotal role in
transforming CUMI into an international company. His strategic approach towards business partnerships
with global leaders has been one of the key factors contributing to CUMI’s consistent growth,
internationally.
Mr. Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu
Non-Executive Independent Director
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Philadelphia University, USA. Currently, he is
serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of Lakshmi Machine Works Limited and as the Chairman of
Super Sales India Limited. He is also on the Boards of several companies viz., The Lakshmi Mills Company
Limited, Lakshmi Electrical Control Systems Limited, Lakshmi Cargo Company Limited, Lakshmi Technology
and Engineering Industries Limited etc.
Mr Aroon Raman
Non-Executive Independent Director
He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and a MBA from
Wharton School, USA. He was the Managing Director of Raman Boards and Raman Fibre Science Private
Limited. He was also on the Board of Sundaram Finance Limited. Besides this, he has served as the
Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry, Karnataka and is currently on the Boards of various
companies including Lakshmi Machine Works Limited, Telos Investments & Technologies Private Limited,
Wheels India Limited, Brigade Enterprises Limited, TVS Automobile Solutions Private Limited, Trichur
Sundaram Santhanam & family Private Limited and EduTech NTTF Private Limited.
Mrs. Soundara Kumar
Non-Executive Independent Director
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Science (Mathematics) from the University of Madras and is a Certified
Associate of the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (CAIIB). She joined State Bank of India as a
Direct Recruit Officer and served for more than 39 years both in India and overseas including as the
Managing Director of State Bank of Indore from 2008 to 2010. She retired as Deputy Managing Director,
Stressed Asset Management Group of State Bank of India. She is currently on the Boards of Ramco Systems
Limited, Sundaram Trustee Company Limited, Tamil Nadu Newsprint & Papers Limited, Rajapalayam Mills
Limited, Shanti Gears Limited and Bank of Baroda.
Mr. P S Raghavan
Non-Executive Independent Director
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from St. Stephen’s college, Delhi as well as in Electronics &
Communications Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He joined the Indian Foreign
Service in 1979 and has held various diplomatic assignments in Moscow, Warsaw (Poland), London (UK), Ho
Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and Pretoria (South Africa). He has also held several esteemed positions such as
the Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office dealing with Foreign Affairs, Nuclear Energy, Space,
Defence and National Security; Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and as the Indian
Ambassador to countries like Russia, Ireland and Czech Republic etc. He is the Convenor of the National
Security Advisory Board of India of the National Security Council Secretariat of the Government of
India. He is now a Distinguished Fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation.
Mr. Sujjain S Talwar
Non-Executive Independent Director
He is a qualified solicitor in India and England & Wales. He has over 25 years of experience as a
corporate and infrastructure solicitor in India and abroad. He is the founding partner of Economics Law
Practice, a law firm that has consistently been ranked as a top 10 law firm, with over 150 lawyers and
offices in 6 cities. Mr. Talwar has in the past worked with reputed law firms such as Crawford Bayley,
Pinsent Masons etc. He has been named as a leading individual for his ‘depth of knowledge’ ‘innovative
approach’ and ‘timely deliverables’ by the Legal 500.
Mr. Sridharan Rangarajan
Managing Director
He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, a graduate member of the Institute of
Cost Accountants of India and holds Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Madurai University. He has about
30 years of overall experience in various fields like banking, manufacturing, contracting, service and
distribution businesses. He is associated with the Murugappa Group since June 2011 as the Chief
Financial Officer of CUMI till January 2018 after which he took over as the President and Group CFO of
the Murugappa Group. He is currently on the Boards of Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Limited,
Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited, Cholamandalam MS Risk Services Limited, E.I.D Parry
(India) Limited, Parry Agro Industries Limited, PLUSS Advanced Technologies Private Limited and Net
Access India Limited. He has also served on the Board of Timken India Limited.
Management Committee
Mr. Sridharan Rangarajan
Managing Director
He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, a graduate member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and holds Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Madurai University. He has about 30 years of overall experience in various fields like banking, manufacturing, contracting, service and distribution businesses.
Ninad Gadgil
Business Head – Abrasives
A Graduate in Electronics, Mr. Ninad with over 25 years of experience in Strategy, Sales & Marketing, Business Leadership across diverse sectors such as Packaging, Graphic Arts & Signage, Architecture and Building materials, Automotive OEM, Aftermarkets and Health care.
MV Sivakumaran
Business Head – Electrominerals
Mr. MV Sivakumaran is an MTech in Ceramic Technology from Anna University and a Masters in Material Science. He started his career with CUMI in 1996 and has helped grow the Ceramics business globally, co-creating solutions with customers. He has also championed brownfield expansions in the Abrasives business.
Prathap Kumar
Business Head – Industrial Ceramics
A Mechanical Engineer from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Surathkal, Prathap started his career as Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET) in 2000. He has also completed the Fulbright Fellowship in Leadership & Management from the Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, USA. He has been instrumental in developing & growing the technology intensive businesses of CUMI like Specialty Fine Powders, Metallized Ceramics and Engineered Ceramics to a Global scale.
Raghavendra Pai
Business Head – Super Refractories
Raghavendra Pai is an M Tech in Chemical Engineering from NIT Suratkal. He started his career in 1996 as an Application Engineer in the Super Refractories Division at CUMI. In 2001, Pai joined Schunk Carbon Technology India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Schunk Germany. In 2005, he returned to CUMI and became responsible for the Sales and Marketing of Industrial Ceramics and Super Refractories. In this role, he has been instrumental in establishing wear, engineered and metallised ceramics in the global markets. Pai was also a research associate (1994-96) with the TATA Energy Institute carrying out Industrial Energy audits in process industries. He has also trained for a year in the Composites laboratory of the National Aeronautical Laboratory.
Bhaskharan Kannun
Head – Human Resource
Mr. Bhaskharan Kannun holds a Bachelor’s degree in Botany from St. Joseph’s College, Trichy and a Master’s degree in Personnel Management from Bishop Heber College. Mr. Bhaskharan has had a wide experience in HR across Manufacturing and Services sector organisations such as Sterling Holidays, Perfetti Van Melle, Ramco Systems and Rajshree Sugars. In his earlier stint, he was in-charge of IR, Admin and CSR activities for Tube Investments of India Limited.
P Padmanabhan
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. P Padmanabhan is a Chartered Accountant and a Cost Accountant and a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Management. He has more than three decades of experience in the finance and accounts function. He has been associated with the Company since 1994.
Rekha Surendhiran
Company Secretary
Ms. Rekha Surendhiran holds a Master’s degree in Commerce and is an Associate member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. She also holds a Master’s degree in Business Laws from National Law School, Bengaluru and a Post graduate diploma in financial management. She has over 20 years of rich experience in legal, corporate secretarial, compliance and general management.