Metro Rail News Team interviewed Mr Amit Agarwal during IREE 2023. He is the Senior Vice President of Sidwal Refrigeration Industries Pvt. Ltd. This interview explores the latest innovations and technologies ushered by Sidwal in the Indian mobility sector, with special emphasis on Railways. This interview also unravels the company’s commitment towards sustainability and an environmentally friendly approach to business.
Mr Amit Agarwal, the Senior Vice President of Sidwal Refrigeration Industries Pvt. Ltd., is a dynamic leader steering the company to new heights in air-conditioning solutions. In an exclusive interview, Agarwal highlights Sidwal’s recent successes, securing major projects like RRTS, DMRC RS17 and Chennai Metro Phase II. Here are the edited excerpts:
Q.1 Would you like to tell us about your journey and role as a Senior VP in Sidwal Refrigeration Industries?
With great pleasure, we report our successful participation in the IREE Exhibition, where we showcased our capabilities and new product line, including Gangways and Doors. Our recent TOT with our European collaborators, a global organisation, has enabled us to expand our offerings beyond HVAC. We are proud to announce that we have secured our first contract for Gangways from Alstom for Chennai Metro phase two, a significant accomplishment that marks the beginning of an exciting journey towards many more opportunities for our new product line.
We are expanding our business and product line, including setting up a new plant in Faridabad, where we will establish the manufacturing base for Gangways and Doors. We understand that our growing list of projects requires us to scale up our production. We will establish state-of-the-art HVAC, Gangway, and Door manufacturing facilities.
Q2: Today, Sidwal is a trusted name for turnkey air-conditioning solutions for various industries. What are the major orders on the book and projects undertaken? Kindly highlight the most significant achievements of the company.
Sidwal has been successful in acquiring new projects. The order book is going well, and we are ahead of the competition in all the recent projects. We have been selected for DMRC RS17 and Chennai Metro Phase II by Alstom and the Siemens WAG-10 Loco mega project. We also successfully secured the first order of Gangways for the Chennai Metro Phase II Project. Moreover, the company is looking for new business opportunities for Vande Bharat Trains with TMH and Titagarh, i.e. for 200 EMU Rakes. The company is determined to continue the journey of success and achieve new heights.
Q3: What major innovations and tailored solutions for the mobility sector make you a one-stop solution provider for various operational requirements of modern-day transport options?
We aim to increase the company’s wallet size for sub-systems in railways. Being present in the rolling stock industry, the company is currently involved in the manufacturing of HVAC, Pantry equipment, Gangways, and Doors and is also exploring opportunities to provide interior solutions for rolling stock
Q4: In what ways would you like to introduce and better explain the company’s growth journey? Although having reached a recognizable milestone, which developmental phase of the company inspires you the most and keeps you motivated?
The promoters of Amber Group are quite dynamic and are expanding their business both organically and inorganically. The Managing Director of Sidwal is also pushing hard and making efforts for the organisation’s growth. Since Amber acquired Sidwal, the business has been growing at a very high rate, and Sidwal is also collaborating with partners outside and expanding its wings. The recent announcement with Ultimate is just the beginning, as there are many more opportunities to come, although we won’t make any announcements until they are finalised. We’re quite confident that we will be able to contribute significantly to the railway industry in the near future.
Q5: What are your efforts towards carbon mitigation? Kindly share the waste management and CSR policy of the company.
The company has implemented a corporate policy to address carbon footprint reduction and energy conservation. This policy is being implemented across all the subsidiaries of Amber Group. The group is committed to making all its plants solar-efficient within the next two years. To this end, the company has upgraded all manufacturing sites to become solar-efficient. The group is closely monitoring the progress of this initiative at all its manufacturing sites.
Regarding CSR, the group company is a listed organisation and operates under government policies and regulations. The group has various CSR initiatives, such as
- Promoting education, including special education and employment, enhancing vocation skills
especially among children, women, the elderly and the differently abled and livelihood enhancement projects;
- Eradicating hunger, poverty and malnutrition, promoting health care, including preventive health care’’ and sanitation, including contribution to the Swachh Bharat Kosh set up by the Central Government to promote sanitation and make safe drinking water available.
Q6: What are your views about the Metro Rail News magazine and any message for our readers?
My heartfelt appreciation to you and your team. You people have recently organised a symposium that featured notable speakers and provided essential insights into industry developments. Your commitment to informing us through magazines and timely updates on business tenders and industry progress is highly commendable. Your efforts have proven invaluable in helping us make informed decisions and stay connected in the railway fraternity.
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