Board Of Directors
Mr. M M Murugappan
Chairman
He holds a Master Of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, USA. Besides serving as the Chairman of Carborundum Universal Ltd, Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited, Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Limited, Cyient Ltd, Murugappa Water Technology and Solutions Private Limited and Chairman of the Board of Governors of The Indian Institute of Management Indore, he is on the Boards of Carsons Cumberbatch Srilanka, Ambadi Investments Limited and The IIT Madras Research Park. Mr.Murugappan is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Plastics & Rubber Institute, and a fellow of the Indian Ceramic Society. 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. 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. After joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1979, he held various diplomatic assignments in Moscow, Warsaw (Poland), London (UK), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and Pretoria (South Africa). He has also served as India’s Ambassador to Russia, Czechia and Ireland. In the Government of India, he has been Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office dealing with Foreign Affairs, Nuclear Energy, Space, Defence & National Security and Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, overseeing (inter alia) India’s external economic relations. He is the Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board of India. He is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Vivekananda International Foundation. Besides CUMI, he is an Independent Director on the board of Indian Terrain Fashions Limited.
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.
Sriram Viji
Non-Executive Independent Director
Mr. Sriram Viji is the Managing Director of Brakes India and a Board member of the TSF group of companies. With a legacy spanning over a century, the TSF group focuses on the automotive and financial services sectors. Before joining Brakes India, Mr. Sriram spent a decade in the US, gaining diverse industry experience. He worked at McKinsey & Company in New York, serving clients in the banking, media, and pharmaceutical industries. Prior to that, he was a Program Manager at Microsoft Corporation. Mr. Sriram holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan, and also a Master’s degree in Computer Science and Aeronautics from the Stanford University. He is a Bachelor of Technology in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
Usha Rajeev
Non-Executive Independent Director
Ms. Usha Rajeev has over 30 years of experience in Audit/Assurance across various sectors, including Telecom, Entertainment & Media, and Technology. She served as a Partner with PwC India for over 19 years before taking early retirement in 2018. Mrs. Usha’s significant leadership roles included Risk & Quality Leader for the India network member firms, Assurance Leader for North & East India practices, Telecom Sector Leader and Global Relationship Partner for one of India’s largest Telecom companies. Mrs. Usha is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, a Bachelor of Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, and a member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.
Muthiah Murugappan
Non-Executive Non- Independent Director
Mr. Muthiah Murugappa (known as Mr. Muthu Murugappan) is a fifth-generation member of the Murugappa Family. Mr Muthiah is currently the Chief Executive Officer of EID Parry (India) Limited. Mr. Muthiah started his career in August 2004 with CavinKare Pvt Ltd, an Indian FMCG major. Initially as an Area Sales Manager his portfolio included Western and Southern regions covering Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Muthiah subsequently became a Product Manager handling Brand Management for the International Business Unit covering the GCC and ASEAN regions. In July 2007, Mr. Muthiah joined CUMI’s exports function. He then moved to the US to handle the trading operations in North America. Mr. Muthiah returned to India and headed the Wear Ceramics business between 2010 and 2013. In 2013, he took a sabbatical to pursue an MBA at the London Business School. He returned to The Murugappa Group in September 2015 to head the Nutraceuticals Business of EID Parry India Ltd. In November 2018, he took charge as Head of Strategy for EID Parry Ltd, in addition to his role as the Head of the Nutraceuticals Business. He was appointed CEO of EID Parry in May 2022. He is currently on the Board of various companies including Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre, member of the Board of the Governor etc.
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 over 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, Wendt (India) Limited, Murugappa Morgan Thermal Ceramics Limited, Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited, E.I.D Parry (India) Limited, Parry Agro Industries Limited, PLUSS Advanced Technologies Limited, Net Access India Limited and Sterling Abrasives 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. 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, Wendt (India) Limited, Murugappa Morgan Thermal Ceramics Limited, Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited, E.I.D Parry (India) Limited, Parry Agro Industries Limited, PLUSS Advanced Technologies Limited, Net Access India Limited and Sterling Abrasives Limited. He has also served on the Board of Timken India Limited.
C Srikanth
Business Head- Abrasives
Mr. C Srikanth holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration in marketing. He has more than three decades of experience in sales and marketing in precision abrasives business. He was earlier associated with the Company heading the Sales and Marketing function of the Abrasives business before moving to Wendt (India) Limited. He is currently on the Boards of CUMI Abrasives and Ceramics Company Limited and Wendt Grinding Technologies Limited.
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.
Mr. Shyam C Raman
President & Chief Human Resources Officer
Mr. Shyam C Raman, aged 61 years holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PGDM from IIM Calcutta. Mr. Shyam has served in various capacities for over twenty-five years in Murugappa Group companies since July 1998. After stints as Chief Marketing Officer of Cholamandalam Cazenove AMC and as Business Head of Cholamandalam Securities, he took over as HR Head of Cholamandalam Financial Services Group in 2002. In 2007, he was transferred to Group Corporate as Head of Group HR, a role that he has held since then. He has been anchoring the careers and development of leadership talent in the Group. He has also been the driving force behind several PAN-Group initiatives across the spectrum of HR – including performance management, employee engagement, compensation and benefits, etc., Since 2020, he has also led the Group Corporate Communications function.
P Padmanabhan
Chief Risk Officer & Head – Global Taxation
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.
Sushil Bendale
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Sushil Bendale is a Mechanical engineer also holding a masters in business administration in Finance & Supply Chain Management from the university of Tennessee , USA. He is also a Certified Management Accountant from USA and has 24 years of experience spanning Financial planning & analysis, strategic planning & pricing, manufacturing, operations, supply chain etc. After a short stint with Mahindra & Mahindra, Sushil served the next twenty-one years of his career in various roles in Cummins including at their North American operations, and, in India, in Tata Cummins, Cummins India, Cummins Power Systems and other businesses. He also served on the Board of Cummins Generator Technologies India Pvt Limited.
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 20years of rich experience in legal, corporate secretarial, compliance and general management.
Ajit Kolhe
Information Technology
Mr. Ajit Kolhe has 24 years of experience and has worked with companies like D’decor Exports, Greaves Cotton Ltd, IBM India, SIEMENS Information Systems Ltd, Godrej Agrovet, & Ashok Leyland. He has also served as the Head IT of VIP Industries Ltd. Mr. Ajit completed an Executive Program for Business Managers in General Management from IIM, Bangalore in 2007, and holds a master’s degree in technology specializing in Industrial Engineering and operations Research from IIT, Bombay in 2000.He also holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Govt. College of Engineering,Amravati (1995).
Mr. Rammohan
Head – EHS
Mr. R Rammohan aged 56 years holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Mechanical engineering and is a certified safety professional from USA besides holding a diploma in environmental and pollution. He has 26 years of experience and has worked with reputed companies like MRF, Renault Nissan Automotive India (P) Ltd, TVS Motors, Hindustan Lever Limited etc.