Indian Crop Protection Industry Takes Deep Dive Into the Importance of Safety in Manufacturing

CropLife India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) jointly organized a Webinar August 25 titled “The Importance of Safety in Manufacturing: Indian Crop Protection Industry, Operation and Execution of Production Change Management”. The chief host for the webinar was Samir Kumar Biswas, Additional Secretary (Chemicals), Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India.

In keeping in the backdrop of recent unfortunate incidents, Kumar Biswas said the webinar was aptly timed, as it thoroughly covered the self-assessment of safety of manufacturing facilities.

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“Agrochemical industry contributes heavily towards the food security and provides employment to a large workforce,” he said. “It has been a champion sector with regard to exports, next only to the pharmaceutical industry, which has been receiving its due share of ‘Ease of Doing Business’, while removing bottlenecks and progressive regulatory measures to safeguard the environment.”

Paenlist R.G. Agarwal, Chairman at FICCI, Crop Protection Committee, and Group Chairman, Dhanuka Agritech Ltd., said “The agrochemical industry might be small but has a colossal impact on the food security of the nation. Although IT systems have helped evolve the safety of agrochemical plants, skill enhancement and continuous training of the workforce, both by the Government and the industry, are the needs of the hour, which would further elevate the levels of safety in the industry.”

Asitava Sen, CEO at CropLife India, said, “Agrochemicals have been identified as one of the champion sectors where India has the potential to become a major global supply hub. The cross-industry discussions have highlighted the diversity of implementation practices in industry towards safety and the challenges encountered in implementing and maintaining effective management of change programs; and has served as a platform for sharing evolving best practices.”

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During Panel Discussion 1, “Risk Awareness, Safety Takeaways and Pathways to Overcome Industrial Challenges,” panelists discussed issues related to policy and governance; operational practices; and internal and external environment and resources. The deliberations were done at a strategic level, encapsulating the national industrial perspective, and at an operational level, driving safety in operations. Views were exchanged on some of the major challenges faced to match the agility of operations demanded during the execution of production change management and how sustainability initiatives can help the Indian industry build a positive image across the globe.

The panelists of Panel Discussion 2, “Potential Strategies for a Way Forward,” discussed the prospective strategies and role of key stakeholders: regulator, academia, and the industry. Discussions enhanced governance structure during the times where the world is exploring alternate manufacturing locations revolved around introduction of practical experience in course curriculum, career tracks for process safety professionals with special emphasis on the topic of how best to motivate everyone for taking ownership with putting safety first, and motivating the employee responsible for safety.

Watch the full webinar below:

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