Growing from good to great

It’s a rallying cry that the leadership team and broader workforce at agriculture solutions business ADAMA India have grown accustomed to. From management conference calls and town hall gatherings to board meetings and one-on-one conversations, CEO Sahin Ozkan’s powerful words have struck a chord with the workforce.

“After every meeting, Sahin always encourages us with the words ‘from good to great.’ It’s his motto,” the firm’s Corporate Communications Manager Shivangi Sharma reveals. “He’s been such a help to us all.”

Ozkan, now into his fourth year at ADAMA India, acknowledges that it is a motto he has adopted since relocating from ADAMA Turkey to head up the Hyderabad-based Indian operation in January 2022.

“Things are good here,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “The question is, how can we go from good to great? We are always asking this question.”

The evidence would suggest the business is getting there. Under his leadership, the crop protection market, which distributes herbicides, insecticides and fungicides throughout India, has been galvanized. Profits have been on the rise, and a disconnect identified by Ozkan between its teams on the ground and senior leadership has been fixed.

“I created a new culture. I wanted and encouraged people to talk openly,” he recalls.

“We now have a transparent culture, and there has been a big improvement in engagement between the leadership and the rest of the team, where previously there was a gap.”

Thinking big

Another of his aims has been to impress that ADAMA India is not just a local business but part of something bigger, something global – which staff appeared unable to grasp previously. Its parent, Agricultural Solutions, is a worldwide enterprise, he says, with a presence in more than 100 countries and is a global leader in its field.

“Our people are now aware of that, which has been another achievement,” Ozkan says.

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Scale is one of ADAMA India’s competitive advantages, coupled with the consistent quality of its products, Ozkan insists. With 40 warehouses scattered across the country, its ability to deliver products to customers in a fast and efficient manner may be unrivaled. It has a commitment to deliver products to all corners of India within 48 hours.

“Our logistics operation is very strong, as it is the portfolio of products and, of course, the quality. If there is one thing we don’t compromise on, it’s quality,” he says.

“We have the same recipe in our products for all countries. That means the products farmers are spraying in Germany is the same as we deliver to farmers in India.”

A bright future

Nevertheless, the outlook is bright. With India surpassing China, becoming what Ozkan calls the ‘starting point’ of the agrochemical industry globally, there is much to do and plenty of ambitions to realize.

“Every year we are launching new products and providing new solutions for farmers by working with international and local suppliers,” he explains.

“My vision is to increase the efficiency, professionalism and productivity of the team, which will increase the overall quality of the business.

“At the end of the day, we want to be a value innovation powerhouse. That is our main aspiration and to have innovative partnerships in the crop projection market with our farmers, dealers, wholesalers and distributors.

Another aspiration is to increase the number of women at the company and improve diversity more generally. Again, progress is being made as it aims for 20 percent of its roles to be filled by women.

“Diversity brings new ideas,” he says.

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Ozkan’s success at ADAMA India has been aided, perhaps, by his fondness for the country itself. His admiration is heartfelt and genuine.

“We’re very happy to be here. There are similarities between India and Türkiye, but India is very unique, very special. The respect people have for each other I feel is very important,” he says.

However, there is one small problem.

“I must admit I am suffering just a little because of the spicy food!” Ozkan says with a laugh.