CEAT earns WEF Lighthouse designation — twice Taabi saves 8.8M litres of fuel worth ₹88 Crore KEC Civil executing 60+ projects across India Anant Goenka becomes FICCI President — 4th generation Goenka PAF impacts 5,00,000+ students · 814 BMC schools Raychem RPG electrifies Navi Mumbai International Airport HML Arrapetta Estate wins Gold · North American Tea Competition 2025 CEAT CIRCL — India's first 90% bio-based passenger car tyre Innovation Festival: 5,000+ entries · 32 projects in the finals CEAT earns WEF Lighthouse designation — twice Taabi saves 8.8M litres of fuel worth ₹88 Crore KEC Civil executing 60+ projects across India Anant Goenka becomes FICCI President — 4th generation Goenka PAF impacts 5,00,000+ students · 814 BMC schools Raychem RPG electrifies Navi Mumbai International Airport HML Arrapetta Estate wins Gold · North American Tea Competition 2025 CEAT CIRCL — India's first 90% bio-based passenger car tyre Innovation Festival: 5,000+ entries · 32 projects in the finals
Vol 17  ·  March 2026  ·  For Private Circulation

Innovation
in Action

The RPG Group Magazine

From AI-powered logistics to India's first bio-based tyre, from tea-estate weather stations to 500 tennis racquets turned ocean wave — the stories of a group that designs for tomorrow.

RPG Rewind

Asian Cables:
Rewiring
the Future

ASIAN CABLES — GROWTH TIMELINE 300 600 900 1200 km/month 1958 Founded 1966 Acquired 1970 XLPE 1975 Diversify 1980 Export 1984 Silver Jubilee 1,200 km 460 workers Exports: USSR and W. Asia
Asian Cables · Output growth 1958–1984 · from founding to 1,200 km/month

What could connect a mango orchard to the world of cables? In the late 1950s, a cotton trader purchased a 23-acre orchard near Pokhran Lake, Thane — the unlikely birthplace of Asian Cables, inaugurated by Finance Minister Morarji Desai.

Late 1950s
Cotton trader purchases 23-acre mango orchard near Pokhran Lake, Thane. Asian Cables is born, inaugurated by Finance Minister Morarji Desai.
1966 — The Turnaround
Severe recession and rupee devaluation threaten closure. R.P. Goenka acquires the company; Cambridge-educated Madhukar Bakre leads a remarkable people-first recovery.
Innovation Era
Pioneers the shift from copper to aluminium cables. First to introduce XLPE technology to India. Diversifies into telecom cables, razor blades, and new geographies including a unit in Mysore.
1984 — Silver Jubilee
460 workmen producing 1,200 km of cables of different shapes every month. Exports to USSR and Western Asia. A testament to resilience and shared vision.
Cover Story

How RPG Group futureproofs its tomorrow

Step into RPG House during the annual Innovation Festival and you will feel the energy. Teams huddle over prototypes, dashboards flicker with new data, and the air buzzes with possibility. For seven years, this festival has been more than an event — it has become the heartbeat of RPG's culture.

But the festival is just one part of a much larger story. RPG's approach to innovation is holistic, weaving together technology, partnerships, and a culture of curiosity to ensure resilience and relevance.

"Ideas born on stage are incubated, tested, piloted, and scaled — achieving real impact in society. That is how RPG Group is futureproofing itself. Not by hoping innovation happens — but by designing for it."
RPG INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM 5,000+ ENTRIES 7 years running FUTURE FACTORIES CLICK 60% cross-biz wins SMART PRODUCTS ASVATA $1.6M climate invest WEF 2x Lighthouse CHENAB BRIDGE CULTURE 15% participation FESTIVAL FUNNEL 5,000+ entries submitted Shortlisted and reviewed Mentored projects 32 finalists *
RPG Innovation Ecosystem · 5,000+ entries · 32 finalists · 7 years
· · ◆ · ·
Future Factories
AI, IoT and AR/VR as everyday tools
CEAT is the world's first tyre company to earn the World Economic Forum's "Lighthouse" designation — twice. Across CEAT, KEC, RPG Life Sciences, HML and Raychem RPG, factories are evolving into intelligent, self-optimising systems.
Platforms for Collaboration
"Click" — ideas that cross boundaries
In its first year, 15% of employees participated in the Click platform. Nearly 60% of winning solutions came from teams outside the originating business — proving that the best ideas don't respect org charts.
Nation Builders
The world's highest railway arch bridge
Raychem RPG's advanced cable-jointing kits played a crucial role in the Chenab Railway Bridge — the world's highest railway arch bridge. Asvata Climate Solutions invests $1.6M in climate-resilient agriculture in Andhra Pradesh.
5,000+Innovation Festival entries this season
32Projects reaching the finals
60%Winning solutions from outside originating business
WEF Lighthouse designation for CEAT
Special Story

Forty years in,
looking ahead

40TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE 40 YEARS OF SHARED AMBITION THEME Accelerate Intelligence, Embrace Excellence DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS UK Uday Kotak Kotak Mahindra Bank Business Resilience RD Rujuta Diwekar Wellness Expert Human Sustainability NP Nitin Paranjpe Hindustan Unilever Leadership JP Jeetu Patel Cisco Technology INNOVATION AWARD WINNER CEAT - CAMSO Team
RPG Annual Conference 2025 · 40th edition · Accelerate Intelligence, Embrace Excellence

This year's Annual Conference marked four decades of shared ambition, learning, and growth. Leaders from across the Group came together to align on strategic choices, cultural shifts, and the capabilities required to excel in an increasingly complex landscape.

"We stand not at a pause point, but at a moment of renewed intent — grounded in experience, and energised by what lies ahead."
Distinguished External Speakers
UK
Uday Kotak
Founder & Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank — on business resilience
RD
Rujuta Diwekar
Wellness & Nutrition Expert — on human sustainability
NP
Nitin Paranjpe
Chairman, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. — on leadership
JP
Jeetu Patel
President & Chief Product Officer, Cisco — on technology
Best Innovation Award
CEAT–CAMSO Team
Recognised for innovation that genuinely moved the needle
Spotlight

Taabi: Turning Data into Decisions and Decisions into Impact

TAABI.AI OPERATIONS INTELLIGENCE DASHBOARD PILFERAGE DETECTED 56,000 incidents stopped in 18 months FUEL SAVED 8.8M L Rs 88 Crore in fleet savings SAFETY ALERTS 1.17 Cr fatigue, distraction, speeding FUEL EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT (km/l) 4.44 km/l (before) 5.28 km/l +15% OBD PLATFORM GROWTH (vehicles) 1,050 x7 150 vehicles (2024) to 1,050 (2025) UNSAFE DRIVING REDUCTION 50% reduction FLEET CLIENTS 800+
Taabi.ai Operations Dashboard · 18 months of impact data

Long before most cities wake up, India's highways are alive — engines humming, lights cutting through the dawn, logistics flowing. Behind this rhythm lies an invisible layer of intelligence: Taabi.ai, a next-generation venture from RPG Group shaping how the physical economy operates.

In a country where logistics runs on instinct and manual oversight, Taabi brings data, intelligence, and action together — creating real-time digital twins for every asset, capable of learning and adapting dynamically.

"At Taabi, we're not just building technology — we're building trust on the road. Every insight we create, every kilometre we track, is about making movement safer, smarter, and more human."
— Pali Tripathi, CEO, Taabi
56,000+
Fuel pilferage incidents detected and stopped in 18 months of operation
8.8M litres
Fuel saved — worth more than ₹88 Crore in direct business savings
50%
Reduction in unsafe driving events through real-time AI coaching and preventive alerts
1.17 Cr
Safety alerts generated — from fatigue to distraction detection, standing beside drivers as a friend
OBD platform growth year-on-year — from 150 vehicles in 2024 to 1,050+ in 2025
Fuel Efficiency Gain
4.44 → 5.28 km/l
+15% improvement translating into carbon emission savings
Spotlight

Building the landmarks of tomorrow

KEC CIVIL PROJECT PORTFOLIO 2025 SECTOR SCALE Airports and Terminals Tuticorin · PM inaugurated Metro Rail 6 projects · Delhi, Kochi, Chennai High-Rise Residential Tallest towers in India Data Centres Digital economy backbone Industrial and FMCG Auto, Cement, Metals Water Infrastructure 6 lakh+ people served ACTIVE PROJECTS 60+ LAUNCHED 2017 NEXT FRONTIER: Pump Storage · Underground Metro
KEC Civil Portfolio 2025 · 60+ active projects across sectors

A decade ago, few imagined that KEC — known for building power lines across continents — would one day be shaping city skylines, airports, factories and data centres. KEC Civil has not only made that leap, but redefined how large-scale infrastructure is executed in India.

Starting from industrial plants, KEC Civil became a trusted partner to marquee clients in Auto, Cement, FMCG, Defence, High-Rise Residential, and Urban Infrastructure. Today it executes over 60 projects spanning some of India's tallest residential towers to its largest housing project by value.

A shining example is the Tuticorin Airport in Tamil Nadu — built with precision and foresight, inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi. A vital regional gateway strengthening connectivity and fuelling local economic growth.
Using Technology to Transform
📐
BIM (Building Information Modelling) — Engineers visualise every duct, pipe and design element in 3D long before construction begins, preventing costly rework.
🚁
Drone & LiDAR Surveys — Replacing manual topographical surveys, saving time and improving accuracy across all project sites.
📡
Real-Time Dashboards — KEC's proprietary digital platforms connect project sites with the corporate office, tracking progress, materials and costs live.
🤖
Automated Equipment — Automatic rebar machines, high-capacity concrete pumps and AI-assisted safety sensors set new benchmarks in execution standards.
60+
Active projects across India
6 lakh+
People served by water infrastructure
6
Iconic metro projects — Delhi, Kochi, Chennai
2017
Year KEC Civil was launched
Focus: Zensar

Zensar's website gets an AI-powered makeover

When reimagining Zensar.com, the goal wasn't simply to redesign a website — it was to build an experience that reflects how organisations will discover, evaluate, and engage with a technology partner in the future.

The new Zensar.com embeds a Generative AI interface that functions like a knowledgeable Zensar expert — guiding users with precise, conversational responses. Ask about services, case studies, industries or capabilities. The experience is instant, intelligent, and personalised.

The shift: from navigation to conversation · from searching to discovering · from browsing to receiving curated insights.

Accessibility wasn't an afterthought — WCAG 2.1 AA compliance was a foundational design principle, making the platform inclusive for users with visual, motor, or cognitive challenges.

ZENSAR.COM AI ENGAGEMENT METRICS Oct 2025 to Jan 2026 · 3.5 months post-launch USER ENGAGEMENT FUNNEL 57,000 lines of AI data generated 4,000+ messages exchanged 2,400 queries resolved 90% engagement rate AI-FIRST PRINCIPLES FROM Navigation to Conversation FROM Searching to Discovering FROM Browsing to Insights ACCESSIBILITY STANDARD WCAG 2.1 AA Compliant Inclusive design for visual, motor and cognitive accessibility
Zensar.com AI Engagement · Oct 2025–Jan 2026 · 90% engagement rate
57KLines of data generated by AI
90%Engagement rate
2,400Queries resolved Oct 2025 – Jan 2026
In Conversation

A Day in the Life of a Chief Digital Officer

By Raghav Dudeja — AGM, Digital Initiatives & SFE, RPG Life Sciences
"Tech mimics a lot of things — intelligence, creativity, productivity. But it still can't mimic the pure chaos of managing humans. And that's the real job description."

Every morning, doomscrolling on the way to the office, another AI breakthrough promising to change civilisation by lunchtime. Three micro-existential crises and one pilot use case before reaching the desk. The FOMO is real.

By noon, the vendor calls begin. Vendors suffer from OPUS — Overpromise-Underdeliver Syndrome. But survival lies in the 60-member Digital community across the Group. Drop a reference query and within minutes: "great vendor", "absolutely not", "let me tell you what happened in 2019…"

Launch days are the favourite. At RPG, people treat new tools like a mystery snack — suspicious but willing. Watching someone complete a 2-hour task in 12 minutes? That's the dopamine hit worth living for.

AI can write a 400-word article on being a Chief Digital Officer. But only a CDO can tell you what it actually feels like. No LLM is ready for that level of emotional bandwidth.

CEAT Cricket Rating Awards 2025

Celebrating Cricket Legends and Rising Stars

CEAT CRICKET RATING AWARDS 2025 · 27TH EDITION LIFETIME Brian Lara West Indies LIFETIME B.S. Chandrasekhar Via S. Gavaskar T20 BOWLER Varun Chakaravarthy India ODI BATTER Kane Williamson New Zealand ODI BOWLER Matt Henry New Zealand DIGITAL REACH 127M+ impressions SPECIAL MEMENTO Rohit Sharma - Leading India to ICC Champions Trophy 2025 victory
CEAT Cricket Rating Awards 2025 · 27th edition · 127M+ digital impressions

The 27th edition of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards, held in Mumbai, was an evening of celebration honouring the greats and reliving the stories that shape the soul of cricket. What sets CCR apart is the emotion and human connect — we love cricket not just for statistics but for how it makes us feel.

In honouring legends like Brian Lara and B.S. Chandrasekhar, we are transported to a time when the game was fearless and flamboyant. With over 127 million digital impressions, the awards found a new audience far beyond the venue walls. Rohit Sharma accepted a special memento for leading India to Champions Trophy victory.

🏆
Brian Lara
Lifetime Achievement
🏅
B.S. Chandrasekhar
Lifetime Achievement
🎳
Varun Chakaravarthy
Men's T20 Bowler
🏏
Kane Williamson
Men's ODI Batter
Digital Reach
127M+
Digital impressions worldwide
Focus: CEAT

SecuraDrive CIRCL — Sustainable mobility without compromise

CEAT SECUREDRIVE CIRCL - SUSTAINABLE COMPOSITION CONVENTIONAL TYRE ~10% ~90% petroleum-derived materials CIRCL - 50% VERSION 50% bio-based 50% conventional CIRCL - 90% VERSION - INDIA FIRST 90% sustainable, bio-based materials 10% 3 PATENTED WORLD-FIRST TECHNOLOGIES Biopolymer Inner Liner Glycerol-Based Accelerator Anti-Static Silica Conductive Solution
CEAT CIRCL · Sustainable composition · India's first 90% bio-based passenger tyre

CIRCL is India's first road-ready passenger car tyre crafted using up to 90% sustainable, bio-based materials. Unveiled by Rohit Sharma at CEAT's R&D facility in Halol, CIRCL shows that a tyre can be greener without compromising on grip, safety, comfort, or control.

It comes in two versions — 50% and 90% sustainable content. The 90% version is the headline: the highest sustainable-content passenger car tyre launched in India.

3 Patented World-First Technologies
🔬 Unified Biopolymer Inner Liner
This revolutionary material simplifies the inner liner construction and significantly reduces manufacturing emissions — simultaneously boosting sustainability and performance.
🌿 Glycerol-Based Accelerator
Traditionally, accelerators come from petroleum-derived sources. CEAT replaced them with a safer, cleaner, bio-based accelerator derived from glycerol — proving sustainability can permeate even the smallest chemical components.
⚡ Anti-Static Silica Conductive Solution
Removes dependence on conventional carbon black — one of the most challenging petroleum-based materials to replace — while maintaining electrical conductivity essential for passenger safety.
Made in India
Developed at CEAT's R&D facility, Halol · Unveiled by Rohit Sharma
Event Highlights

Learning & Leadership Moments

RPG Learning Series
Putting the Customer at the Centre
Prof. Dipak Jain (President Emeritus CEIBS, former Dean of Kellogg) gave a masterclass on marketing and leadership. Core message: teams that stay closest to customers naturally pull ahead. Marketing is shifting to a customer-value lens — products as total experience, price as customer value.
RPG Learning Series
Lessons from the Valmiki Ramayana
Just before Diwali, Yashodeep Deodhar (founder, 21Notes) presented core messages applicable to modern professional life. His central teaching: Dharma as doing what's right despite difficulty. Characters like Sita and Ram modelled duty, faith, and compassion as guides for purposeful living.
FLB Annual Meet 2025
Leading with Values
The Chairman welcomed the new Future Leaders Board cohort with a key message: the real differentiator is values. Work hard, stay humble, keep learning, and ensure ambition doesn't come at the cost of empathy — citing Azim Premji, Indra Nooyi, and Satya Nadella as exemplars.
Live Demonstration
The Art of Staying Balanced
Samar Farooqui — pro slacker and survivor of a near-fatal fall from 530 metres — spoke about endurance and unlocking potential. Central message: most of our fear exists only in our heads. Through deliberate practice, one can create lasting behavioural change. No fall is permanent.
Focus: Harrisons Malayalam

Boosting safety with real-time weather stations

HML FYLLO WEATHER STATION NETWORK DATA FLOW HML TEA AND RUBBER Kerala and Nilgiris 39 weather stations 21 public institution stations FYLLO AGRONOMY PLATFORM AI-powered Real-time monitoring 12-day forecasts Pest predictions Spray timing KSDMA live feed 18 PARAMETERS CAPTURED ABOVE SOIL - 14 PARAMETERS Temperature, Humidity, Wind Speed Wind Direction, Rainfall, Pressure Solar Radiation, Leaf Wetness UV Index, Dew Point, Evaporation + 3 more meteorological BELOW SOIL - 4 PARAMETERS Soil Moisture, Soil Temperature Soil Conductivity, Salinity
Fyllo Network · 39 estate stations + 21 public · 18 parameters · Live to KSDMA

When you travel to the Harrisons Malayalam plantations, alongside rolling tea hills and lush rubber trees, a quiet digital transformation is taking root. Fyllo Weather Stations — intelligent guardians of the environment — bring precision, science and foresight to plantation management.

Beyond plantation boundaries, HML has extended this reach by providing 21 additional weather stations to public institutions and government departments — including Forest, Police, and Local Self-Government bodies. All data is shared live with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) to support early-warning infrastructure.

At a Glance
39
Weather stations across tea and rubber estates in Kerala & Nilgiris
18
Vital parameters captured per station — 14 above soil, 4 below
21
Additional stations donated to public & government institutions
Live
Real-time data shared with KSDMA for disaster early-warning systems
Fyllo Agronomy Platform
Real-time weather monitoring · 12-day local forecasts · Pest & disease outbreak predictions · Optimal timing for spraying and foliar applications
Touching Lives

Pehlay Akshar Foundation:
Building Confident Classrooms

PEHLAY AKSHAR FOUNDATION - IMPACT 5,00,000+ STUDENTS IMPACTED 814 BMC Schools 14,000+ Teachers Trained 19,000+ peer-learning sessions 5,800 use PAF app weekly BMC partnership renewed - 5 more years - Sept 2025 MEASURED OUTCOMES Alumni in higher education 95% Improved English reading 91% Improved English speaking 85% Teachers more confident 93% Founded 2008 · RPG Foundation · 14 schools · Mumbai, Pune and Thane
Pehlay Akshar Foundation · Impact data · 5,00,000+ students across 814 BMC schools

The Pehlay Akshar Foundation (PAF), seeded by the RPG Foundation in 2008, intervenes at a pivotal moment in a child's learning journey. Grounded in the belief that every child deserves an equal chance to learn, PAF partners with government school systems to make education joyful, inclusive, and aligned with the demands of the 21st century.

"Every child deserves to dream big. With the English Room, we are creating a learning environment where students' dreams and voices can be nurtured in a language that opens doors to the world."
— Radha Goenka, Founder, PAF & Director, RPG Foundation
5,00,000+
Students directly impacted
14,000+
Teachers trained
814
BMC schools covered
19,000+
Peer-learning sessions
Measured Outcomes
95%
Of tracked alumni pursuing higher education
91%
Students reported improved English reading skills
85%
Students reported improved English speaking skills
93%
Teachers said it improved their own English confidence
BMC Partnership Renewed
5 more years — September 2025
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation affirms shared commitment to Functional English across Mumbai's public school system
Pride @ Work

Milestones & Achievements

PRIDE AT WORK - KEY ACHIEVEMENTS 2025-26 RAYCHEM RPG Navi Mumbai Airport EHVCA + MVCA supply Make in India · world-class KEC INTERNATIONAL 765kV Digital Substation World's first IEC 61850 process bus · Navsari, Gujarat HARRISONS MALAYALAM Gold Medal N. American Tea Competition Arrapetta Estate · 2025 ANANT GOENKA FICCI President 4th generation Goenka to lead the industry body KEC INTERNATIONAL Wind Energy Entry Largest-ever domestic T&D order ARTIST SPEAK Waves Sculpture 500 tennis racquets Inspired by Leander Paes
Pride at Work · 6 landmark achievements · 2025–26
Raychem RPG
Powering Navi Mumbai Airport
Raychem RPG supplied its Make in India Extra High Voltage Cable Accessories (EHVCA) and Medium Voltage Cable Accessories (MVCA) for the Navi Mumbai International Airport — indigenously developed, world-class solutions.
KEC International
World's First 765kV Digital Substation
KEC's Navsari Digital GIS Substation is the world's first 765kV IEC 61850 process bus-based digital substation — cutting-edge technology, superior reliability, reduced environmental footprint, new global benchmark.
Harrisons Malayalam
Gold at North American Tea Competition
HML's Arrapetta Estate received the Gold Medal in "Specialty Teas from Different Origins" at the prestigious 2025 North American Tea Competition — world-class recognition for a Kerala estate.
Anant Goenka
FICCI President
Vice Chairman Anant Goenka took over as President of FICCI — the fourth generation of the Goenka family to lead the industry body. A historic continuation of values-led leadership.
Zensar
Future Skills Awards & Pink Rickshaw
Zensar bagged awards for future skills training and launched the Pink Rickshaw Project — training women to become rickshaw drivers, creating economic empowerment at the grassroots level.
Artist Speak
"Waves" — 500 Tennis Racquets
Artist Krishna Kedar's "Waves" sculpture — inspired by Leander Paes — comprises 500 tennis racquets in the form of an ocean wave, installed next to Otters Club, Bandra. Symbolising faith, endlessness, and the ability to begin again.
Recommendations

What to Read & Listen

🎧 Podcast Pick
How I Built This
with Guy Raz · NPR / Spotify
Curious about how successful companies are built? Over 9 years, this podcast has featured innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders capturing their journey of creating iconic brands. Guests include Airbnb, Patagonia, Etsy, Dyson, Headspace and more — perfect for anyone who wants to understand what it truly takes to build something from scratch.
📚 Book Pick
The Thinking Machine
by Stephen Witt · Winner, FT & Schroders Business Book of the Year
The book traces the meteoric rise of Nvidia under Jensen Huang to become the most coveted microchip company in the world. A fascinating account of how a relentless focus on GPUs ultimately powered the AI revolution — and created the backbone of modern artificial intelligence.