Dr Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Science & Technology Govt. of India & Vice President, CSIR had announced the CSIR One Week One Theme (OWOT) Campaign to create a conglomeration of the efforts of all CSIR labs working on similar projects, enabling the showcase of technology packages, indigenous products, processes and devices to enhance public awareness.
The OWOT Campaign for the Chemicals (including Leather) and Petrochemicals (CLP) theme is to be celebrated at CSIR-CLRI on the 16th, 19th and 20th of July 2024. The Grand Inauguration of the campaign was held on 16th July 2024 at the Triple Helix Auditorium of CSIR-CLRI.
The central theme of the Inaugural Session was “Trends in Specialty Chemicals for Leather by 2030” (Tanner-Researcher-Chemical House Interaction Meet). The welcome address was delivered by Dr K J Sreeram, CLP Theme Director and Director, CSIR-CLRI in which he explained about the significance of the OWOT campaign and its role in strengthening the Institute-Industry partnership.
The inaugural address was delivered by Shri P Rajasekaran, Business Head – Finished Leather, Tata International Limited. Shri P Rajasekaran shared his insights on the technological advancements in the value chain of leather processing and threw light on affordable leather chemicals.
The inaugural session was followed by an engaging and informative panel discussion on “Trends on Specialty Chemicals in Leather by 2030”. The Moderator of the panel discussion was Dr KJ Sreeram. The panellists were – Shri Nagarathinam Annamalai, Regional Segment Manager (Asia), Beam House – Stahl India Pvt. Ltd., Dr V Vijayabaskar, Vice-President and Head (R&D), Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., Shri P Gopalakrishnan, Managing Director, Sellam Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., Shri K N Manickham, Regional Manager (South India), Colourtex Industries Pvt. Ltd., Shri S Govardhanan, General Manager, ATC Chemicals India Pvt. Ltd. and Shri Sushanta Kumar Patnaik, Head of Sales – Finishing/ Sales (South), TFL Quinn India Pvt. Ltd.
Dr V Vijayabaskar spoke about the deployment of polycarboxylates for chrome reduction in tanning process and emphasized on the importance of collaboration for tackling challenges. Shri S Govardhanan shared his views on cleaner leather processing and the various eco-friendly options available in this regard. Shri K N Manickham shared the opportunities available for utilizing leather and leather waste and also alternative uses of leather chemicals in different industries. Shri P Gopalakrishnan focussed on possible avenues to address the current environmental challenges faced by the leather industry and also spoke about AI-based interventions for Quality Control and importance of market analysts.
Shri Sushanta Kumar Patnaik explained the role of leather chemicals from the perspective of innovation, sustainability and collaboration. Shri Nagarathinam Annamalai gave insights on process optimization and its impact and accentuated the importance of adopting the new-age technologies. Shri P Rajasekaran brought out the importance of positioning leather products as premium goods integrating right price and right marketing. Dr K J Sreeram summarized the key takeaways from the panel discussion.
The event witnessed the presence of CSIR Directors, CSIR Business Teams, Scientists, Industry representatives, policy makers and students. The event served as Tanner-Researcher-Chemical House Interaction Meet leading to stimulation of powerful insights that would help in shaping the future direction of the leather industry by effective deployment of specialty chemicals.