June 23: The DCM Shriram Chemicals manufacturing site at Jhagadia, Bharuch District, Gujarat, part of DCM Shriram Ltd., has been recognised by the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network (GLN) with Distinction in Productivity, becoming one of only 16 industrial sites globally selected for the network in 2026.
The Global Lighthouse Network is a World Economic Forum initiative that identifies manufacturing facilities and value chains that are leading the adoption and scaling of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to drive measurable impact in productivity, sustainability, agility and operational excellence. With this recognition, the Jhagadia site joins a prestigious community of 238 leading manufacturing facilities worldwide that are setting new benchmarks for industrial transformation.
The Distinction in Productivity recognition is awarded to manufacturing sites that have achieved exceptional performance in cost and quality through technology-enabled transformation, improving asset utilisation, workforce enablement and resource optimisation.
As India’s largest caustic soda plant site, Jhagadia operates in an energy-intensive industry where power costs account for a significant share of operating expenses. Through the deployment of 45 advanced digital and analytics solutions, including AI-enabled process control and a GenAI-enabled maintenance manager, the site achieved an 11-percentage-point improvement in EBITDA, reduced power costs by 32%, lowered material costs by 15%, and reduced CO₂ emissions by 14%.
Speaking on the recognition, Mr. Ajay S Shriram, Chairman & Senior Managing Director, DCM Shriram Ltd. and Mr. Vikram S Shriram, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, DCM Shriram Ltd, said: “We are honoured to receive this recognition from the World Economic Forum. It reflects DCM Shriram’s long-standing commitment to building world-class manufacturing businesses driven by technology, innovation and operational excellence. The recognition of our Jhagadia Chemicals site demonstrates how focused investments in digital transformation, combined with the dedication of our people, can deliver significant improvements in productivity, competitiveness and sustainability.”
They added: “At DCM Shriram, we believe technology is a key enabler of responsible and future-ready growth. This achievement reinforces our approach of combining advanced digital capabilities with strong operational discipline to create lasting value for our customers, employees, shareholders and communities. We are proud that our Chemicals business has joined a select group of global manufacturing leaders recognised by the Global Lighthouse Network.”
The recognition is the outcome of Project BLESSED (Becoming a Lighthouse through Exemplary Safety Systems & Excellence in Digitalization), a strategic transformation programme launched in July 2024. The initiative was designed to accelerate digitalisation, strengthen safety systems and enhance operational excellence through the adoption of advanced technologies, data-driven decision-making and workforce enablement.
The recognition reinforces DCM Shriram’s commitment to advancing technology-led manufacturing and strengthening India’s position as a global hub for industrial innovation, operational excellence and sustainable industrial growth.
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