Long-term leadership

Few people know Sentini Group as intimately as Managing Director Jaya Kommaraju, especially given she’s been there since day one.

“When we started, there were very few people, so I had to do quite a lot of different things,” she tells The CEO Magazine. “Everything from the statutory requirements to the minor details of purchase and sales. I had to wear multiple hats wherever it was required.”

While Kommaraju readily admits that those early years following the company’s inception in 1996 were undoubtedly complex, she is ultimately grateful for the baptism of fire.

“I do remember struggling a lot during those days, especially identifying the right manpower, then bringing them into play, setting the right processes in place and getting a great team for purchases and sales,” she says.

“Setting up the organization was a challenge, but now having had that kind of experience, it has become much easier for me to be a guiding entity – an inspiration for employees while also leading them with the vision we have set for the group.”

Founder’s legacy

Today, Sentini Group has evolved into a hugely diverse conglomerate operating in multiple markets, including Indian-made foreign liquor, ethanol, ceramic tiles, PVC pipes and fittings, heavy vehicle manufacturing and infrastructure and real-estate development, with plans to continue expanding its portfolio.

“This has been a three-decade-long story, so you can imagine the kinds of challenges we have faced, as any entrepreneurial business does,” she says. “But we have been able to sustain the growth, move into new verticals, and now there’s also a good amount of synergy within the group itself with the diversification that we have.”

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The original aim of Sentini Group’s founders is alive today, underlying every business decision and the direction the company takes.

“It was to support and develop the local community and the farmers,” Kommaraju says. “We wanted to give them a good quality product, which has always been our focus. The plan was to create employment in the rural areas, so that’s how we actually got into manufacturing.”

With such an emphasis on community development, it’s key that Sentini Group also fosters mutually beneficial, cohesive partnerships with a range of quality local businesses, such as specialist yeast and enzyme importer and supplier Dev Inc, distilling and brewing biotech solutions provider Catalysts Bio-Technologies and lactrol distributor Harshwardhan Industrial Suppliers.

“We have a very transparent and fair mechanism to work with suppliers,” Kommaraju explains. “It’s all a systematic approach of building trust. The reason why we already have long-term relationships with all of our suppliers is because of our commitment and the continuity.”

Premium goals

Going forward, Sentini Group is looking to concentrate on the alcohol and ethanol businesses, with plans to expand into the premium liquor segment.

“As far as the market is concerned, looking at the alcoholic beverage industry, it has been evolving more toward premiumization, with people also shifting toward those brands,” Kommaraju explains.

“So we’re looking at the market conditions and what kind of product is well accepted so that we can change in line with the market requirements. And on the ethanol side of things, there has been a government initiative to promote ethanol blending, so there’s a plant, which we want to have in Telangana.”

As far as branching into the premium segment is concerned, Kommaraju says the biggest obstacles are the unique demands and differences between each state.

“The excise policies are all different, and there could be a shift in their excise policy as things progress,” Kommaraju says. “And then the entry barriers always have to be overcome.”

While the company already has a strong presence within the South Asian market, they are also hoping to grow the PVC and fittings business by setting up new plants in the north and east of India.

“Obviously, there will be challenges, but we have a road map as to how to go about it,” Kommaraju says. “So we are evaluating and redoing those documents, looking at the go-to-market strategy there and how to set up in those areas.”

The long game

A company dedicated to longevity over quick wins, Sentini Group has ensured a culture that sees the attraction of talent suited to the company’s ideologies.

“Right from the beginning, we have always been thinking of a long-term strategy, rather than looking at short-term gains,” Kommaraju enthuses.

“We prioritize our sustainable growth and values over immediate profits and always prioritize a people-first approach with an inclusive, supportive work environment that values its employees.

“We have very open communication and collaborate with mutual respect on any kind of work that is being carried out.”

Now, having already invested heavily in talent acquisition, Sentini Group can rest assured that it has a solid, stable team of staff all working toward the same goals, which opens up the possibilities for where management should focus next.

“I think we now have a great leadership team in place,” Kommaraju says. “So from here, we would only like to improve on the standard operating procedures, which we feel we have to change from time to time, depending on the market situations.”

And as for how Kommaraju approaches her own leadership?

“You need to have dedication and consistency in whatever you are doing and work continuously until you really achieve it,” she concludes.