Mr. Ashok Kumar Chechani This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. AKC Synthetics

   www.ourindia.com/akc.htm - [Cached]

   Published on: 10/30/1999   Last Visited: 4/12/2003

   Mr. Ashok Kumar Chechani, aged 44, is one of the very few enterprising and qualified textile entrepreneurs of Ahmedabad who have taken firm initiatives in acquiring and establishing latest technology to run their manufacturing units. Mr. Chechani holds bachelor's degree with physics and maths from Birla Institute of Technology & Management besides diploma in textile management. After an work experience of two years in the textile field, he proceeded to USA and obtained an MBA degree in 1985. He came back to India the same year and started the AKC synthetics Ltd. in 1985 itself at the young age of 32. Read on the success story of Mr. Chechani as told to Jigna Bhatt.
   
   AKC Synthetics Ltd. was established in 1985 for manufacturing of grey fabrics at Sanand, about 25 Kms. from Ahmedabad. AKC was the pioneer in setting up of a modern weaving plant in the Ahmedabad region by installing 50 air-jet looms for the first time in the decentralised sector. Highlighting the advantages of the Air-jet weaving technology, Mr. Chechani says "Airjet looms save our time, increase productivity and save on labour costs. In ordinary conversion looms, shuttles are used to take the weft yarn from one end to the other end, and the loom has to be stopped when the yarn cone is exhausted. On the other hand, Mr. Chechani says, in air jet looms, it is the air that takes yarn from one end to the other end by using it's force and the loom can be run for much longer periods since it is possible to connect the end of one weft cone to the other cone without stopping the loom.
   
   The extent of labour saving may be gauged from the fact that one operative is required to handle and supervise 10 air jet looms against 2 to 4 ordinary looms.
   
   AKC Synthetics manufactures grey fabrics only and sells it in the local market to cloth traders, exporters and processors. The company is not carrying out any direct exports. Sometimes, the company entertains buyers from Delhi and Mumbai as well.
   
   ...
   According to Mr. Chechani, the capacity of the STIL is 120 tons per month whereas that of KFFL it is 250 tons per month. The company is manufacturing specialised intermingled yarn which has become quite popular among Ahmedabad users.
   
   The Sanand Textile Industries Ltd. is an export oriented unit which undertakes export of yarn to various countries. The yarn from this unit is also sold to other EOUs as well as to local processors.
   
   The annual turnover of the AKC group is around Rs.
   ...
   Mr. Chechani, who looks after the overall management of all these units, feels that the need for some foreign collaboration will arise only when the company decides to go in for consumer products and marketing them directly.
   
   According to Mr. Chechani, the textile industry is passing through a tough period. The erratic government policies with regard to the excise structure have adverse impact on the growth of the textile industry. The government introduced MODVAT scheme on grey fabric but this has created more difficulties for the industry. The yarn manufacturer, who has to pay the excise duty, is not directly related to the grey fabric manufacturing or its sale. "We are not going to get the MODVAT credit", Mr. Chechani adds. Further, the amount is not fixed. It is levied at the processing stage. Grey fabric manufacturers are not under the purview of MODVAT. So, the situation has not changed much. All the malpractices that were being practiced by unscrupulous people earlier are continuing even now.