When Vinati Saraf Mutreja joined Vinati Organics Limited in 2006, the chemicals manufacturer had revenues of Rs 20 crore and its sales were largely in the domestic market. Fast forward to now and the company had revenues of Rs 1,615 crore in FY22, while more than 75 per cent of its sales come from exports. No wonder that the MD & CEO of Vinati Organics is part of the Business Today Most Powerful Women in Business 2022 list.
“We are expanding our current production lines as well as adding a basket of new products. This will lead to further diversification and we will cater to a variety of industries,” says Mutreja, adding that the company’s revenues have grown 25 per cent in the past year. Scaling up the company takes hard work. Mutreja—whose firm supplies chemicals to a wide range of companies across sectors—talks about the time when it was difficult to convince foreign MNCs to work with Vinati Organics as their sole supplier. “Convincing foreign MNCs to completely shift their supply source to us was challenging initially. However, over time, our products and level of service led to increased customer traction.”
Mutreja, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics (Finance) from The Wharton School and Bachelor in Applied Science from the School of Engineering (University of Pennsylvania), defines how she does business: “We have mostly grown through internal accruals and have no debt obligation. We keep our finances tight [and] our products meet the highest industry quality standards.”
For budding women entrepreneurs, she has one bit of advice: “Take calculated risks and be patient.”