The humongous infrastructure development that Hong Kong has showcased lately has pegged it to 4th in list of countries with ease of doing business by TMF Group. Also, the astounding recovery that the country portrayed post covid earned it the reputation of being among the most fertile and sought-after regions to operate a business in recent times. As a result, the country has been witnessing a flurry of foreign individuals migrating to Hong Kong and business groups opening offices there lately; India is no different. Of the 44,140 people who comprise the Indian community in Hong Kong currently, approximately 32,790 hold Indian passports. Thus, we are seeing an increasing number of industry leaders of Indian origin making headlines among Hong Kong’s business community in recent times.
One such individual who has created a niche in the industry through his exceptional leadership skills and astute business acumen is Sarat Chandra Chowdhary, Managing Director, Thyme. Having completed his Graduation from St. Xavier's College in Kolkata, Sarat got into trade of different material, including Refractories and Turnkey Projects, which continued for about 20-25 years. Played active role in successfully handling numerous projects in Cement, Power, Steel, Fertilizer and other core sectors. Basically, he was there where there was HEAT. This experience, drawing inspiration, rich knowledge and guidance from his father who worked in senior capacity in Sales and Marketing of Cement and Refractories, encouraged him to incorporate his own company in Hong Kong and India in 2018, along with his son, Devang, who actively joined that year.
“I founded Thyme with the vision to offer high quality refractory materials to all industries worldwide. The company first started in Hong Kong and then expanded the group by incorporating companies in India and England in 2018 and 2019, respectively. We are currently in the process of setting up 2 new companies, 1 in Germany and other in Switzerland.
Right from the beginning, it has been our mantra to take-up one customer segment at a time. This has enabled us to offer high quality products & services in each market and create a stronghold for ourselves in those regions”, says Sarat.
Diverse Product Portfolio
As a specialist in providing refractory materials, Thyme offers a wide variety of raw materials that include Calcined Bauxite, Aluminas (Calcined, Fused and Sintered), Calcined Kaolin, Mullite, Magnesite (Burnt, Fused, Calcined), Silicon Carbide, and Silicas (Fused, Fumed), to name a few. Some of the company's other key offerings include abrasive raw materials, ferro alloys and specialized machinery. Additionally, Thyme also offers a host of other services that include sourcing, quality analysis, packaging, logistics, warehousing, door-step delivery, financing and many others. Most importantly, each of the raw materials that the company provides can be tailor-made, with their chemical properties and physical specifications personalized as per the requirements of the customers.
"We never compromise on the quality of our products and have dedicated teams in place to test the quality of products within the factories itself once they are produced. As an additional layer, we also conduct random quality checks of our products at the port to ensure that no faulty or defective materials are sent to our customers. Further, our testing mechanisms vary from client to client, as we make sure to employ testing methods as per the client's home country. Going an extra mile, we also involve third parties such as SGS and Bureau Veritas to check our product quality, making sure that our customers receive nothing short of the best!", adds Sarat.
A growth oriented business leader, Sarat is always proactive in discovering potential markets, identifying new growth areas & developing new products to cater to those new markets
Setting Industry Benchmarks
As an ISO 9001: 2015 and ISO 14001: 2015 certified company, Thyme also ensures eco-consciousness across its products and has even been accredited with EcoVadis Gold Rating, which is highest rating in terms of sustainability in the world today. "What sets us a class apart from our competition in the market is our commitment, consistency in service quality and the highly competitive pricing that we maintain for our products. We always ensure to supply products to our customers at the same agreed upon price and do not charge extra even if there's an unforeseen increase in the shipping costs. Owing to such strong commitment and customer-centric approach, we have earned the reputation of one of the most reliable and sought-after suppliers of refractory materials in the market", explains Sarat.
Leadership Mantra
A growth oriented business leader, Sarat is always proactive in discovering potential markets, identifying new growth areas and developing new products to cater to those new markets. Also, Sarat has always been a people's leader, wherein he strives to make his team members feel cared, loved and valued. He lays immense emphasis on the importance of teamwork in a work setup and is often seen telling his team members to work with him and not work for him. Additionally, Sarat believes that a leader is one who believes in the growth of both, the organization and every individual Team Member. Thus, he makes sure that every team member gets ample opportunities to grow and flourish in their careers.
"Owing to the humongous acceptance of products in the market and the reputation that we have garnered over the years, we want to accelerate the growth of our company and are aiming to achieve a 5x revenue growth over the next five years. We will soon be raising investment capital within the next two months and are eyeing for broadening our product portfolio in the days to come", concludes Sarat.
Sarat Chandra Chowdhary, MD, Thyme
Sarat Chandra Chowdhary is the Managing Director of Thyme, a company he founded in 2018 with his son, Devang. With operations in Hong Kong, India, and England, Thyme specializes in high-quality refractory materials and aims for further expansion in Germany and Switzerland. Sarat, a graduate of St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, leverages over two decades of industry experience to drive Thyme's growth and uphold its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
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