Leadership

Parmod Sagar Chairman

Parmod Sagar brings over four decades of extensive experience in the steel and refractory industries. A Mechanical Engineer by profession, he began his career in the steel sector, where he spent more than seven years gaining valuable operational and industry insights. In 1992, he transitioned to the refractories business by joining Orient Refractories Limited (ORL).

Following the acquisition of ORL by RHI AG in 2013, Parmod was appointed as the Managing Director & CEO and Regional President for the India Business Unit, leading the company through a significant phase of growth and integration. He is currently Chairman, RHI Magnesita India Ltd.

A seasoned thought leader in the manufacturing ecosystem, Parmod has played an influential role in shaping the refractory industry globally. He served as President of the World Refractories Association from 2022 to 2024 and as Chairman of the Indian Refractory Makers Association (IRMA) during the same period. He continues to contribute to the industry as a Director on the IRMA Board.

Pankaj Malhan Managing Director and CEO President – India Region

Pankaj brings with him three decades of distinguished leadership experience across steel, manufacturing, industrial materials, and infrastructure sectors. He is a seasoned business leader with a strong track record of driving growth, operational excellence, business transformation, and stakeholder value creation. Over the course of his career, he has led large and complex organizations through periods of expansion, modernization, and sustained profitability, with deep experience in strategic planning, commercial leadership, manufacturing operations, supply chain management, customer engagement and turnaround initiatives. Most recently, he served as Executive Director – Odisha at Jindal Steel, where he played a pivotal role in strengthening operational performance, accelerating growth initiatives, and enhancing organizational capabilities. He was also leading the Sales and Marketing function at Jindal Steel. Prior to this, he held leadership roles at JSW Steel, Vedanta Resources, TATA Steel, and Tata BlueScope. He also brings board-level experience from his service on the boards of JSW Steel Coated Products Ltd, ESL Steel Ltd., and Ferro Alloys Corporation Ltd.

Azim Syed Chief Financial Officer – India Region

Azim joined RHI Magnesita in 2019 and before he was appointed as Head of Finance for India in April 2024, he was responsible for Global Supply Chain and IBP. He has generally worked in supply chains in various verticals hi-tech, telecom, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, Retail and manufacturing, focusing on transformations to enable customer-centric, competitive advantage supply chains, utilising his strategic and financial skills to improve business performance and drive team performance. He is a digital evangelist and has implemented TMS and Everest (ongoing) at RHIM, as well as various significant digital initiatives in other organizations. He has implemented Integrated Business Planning in different large scale & complex organizations to drive and deliver financial plans on tactical and strategic levels. He will use his detailed knowledge of financial planning, RHIM operations and business knowledge to perform his new role in India.

Jyotirmoy BhattacharjeeHead of Steel Sales – India Region

Jyoti has 29 years of experience in the Indian refractory industry, having worked in Sales & Marketing, Field Operations, and Business Excellence across various organizations. Jyoti joined RHI Magnesita in 2005 as Sales Manager and later headed the Technical Marketing department for 12 years. Currently, he is the Sales Head for Steel India at RHIM Group. In 2005, when Jyoti joined the Group, India was producing 35 million tons of steel and sales in Steel was approximately 20 million EUR. Today, India stands at 135 million tons of steel production, and records a sales revenue of approximately 400 million EUR in Steel India.

Eduardo Matos Head of Steel Sales – India Region

Joined RHI Magnesita in 2009 as a commercial trainee and along this journey worked in multiple sales related roles in several different countries and serving different markets. Able to speak English, Portuguese and Spanish, cultural diversity and foreign cultures were something always fascinating to him. Since 2013 in the Middle East (with a 2-year hiatus in Europe, working for our recycling project), he developed a strong knowledge about the region, its culture, and its multiple opportunities.

Bruno Juncioni Head of Industrial Sales – India Region

With a decade-long tenure at RHI Magnesita since 2009, Bruno brings a wealth of experience in Materials Engineering to the table. Having lived in five diverse countries, including Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Austria, and presently Dubai, he has navigated various markets, transitioning from Minerals to Steel and ultimately focusing on Industrial sales since 2013. Managing an annual turnover responsibility of 200MM EUR, his sales portfolio spans multiple sectors such as Cement, Non-Ferrous Metals, Glass, and Oil & Gas. Leading a multicultural sales team strategically positioned across regions, his adaptability, customer-centric approach, and results-driven mindset define his leadership style.

Sanat Ganguli Head of Industrial & Iron Making – India Region

Sanat has 19 years of experience in the Refractories & Metal industries, working in various positions in Operations & Technology, Strategy, Sales & Marketing. Sanat held the position of Business Head for JV operation with Dalmia & Seven Refractories along with CSO of International Business in Dalmia OCL before the merger with RHI Magnesita. Under his leadership, Dalmia Seven has become the fastest-growing monolithic company. Sanat holds an Engineering dregree in Ceramic Technology and has multiple executive educations covering Strategy, Business Administration and Leadership from Wharton, MIT & TMTC.

Abhishek SharmaHead of Operations – India Region

Results-driven professional in manufacturing, with around 26 years of experience in industries like chemicals, polymers, pulp & fibre. Has worked in large organizations like Reliance Industries Ltd, Indorama Synthetics and SRF ltd before joining RHIM in 2023. Adept in developing & implementing manufacturing strategy in line with company’s growth objectives and improve operational efficiencies and ensuring consistent quality and timely deliveries, with minimal working capital by implementing best manufacturing practices at the plants. Strong operational expertise combined with exceptional leadership and communication skills. Committed to cultivating a culture of innovation, continuous improvements, and team work to support company’s mission, success and sustainable future.

Deepak VaziraniHead of Supply Chain, Procurement & Commercial – India Region

Deepak is a seasoned supply chain professional with extensive experience across diverse industries such as Chemicals, FMCG, F&B, Pharma, and Retail, spanning multiple geographies. He specializes in strategic planning, procurement, and supply chain operations & commercials. Deepak, in his extensive career has built lean and agile ecosystems, enabling corporations to gain a competitive edge through analytics and data-driven decisions and successfully led large strategic procurement initiatives in both capex and opex, consistently driving cost reductions through productivity improvements, efficient partnership management, transparent negotiations, and prudent contracting. He has managed multiple supply chain transformation roadmaps and digital transitions by implementing comprehensive supply chain software tools across planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and distribution, resulting in significant optimizations and efficiencies.

Ravikumar PeriyasamyHead of Marketing and Solutions & R&D – India Region

With over two decades of experience in the refractories industry since 2001, Ravi brings a wealth of knowledge, strategic insight, and leadership to the team. He has spent 17 years working internationally across Asia and China, collaborating with multicultural teams and serving a diverse customer base. Ravi has held key roles in technical marketing, sales, product management, and R&D. His expertise lies in developing and executing product and market strategies that drive the creation of customer-centric products, advanced machinery, and innovative solutions. He has also played a pivotal role in multiple mergers and acquisitions, contributing from due diligence through to successful integration. Ravi’s leadership style is defined by a strong customer focus, a process-driven approach, and a deep commitment to people development.

KT Rao Head of People & Culture and Communication – India Region

Seasoned HR leader with 31+ years‘ experience across diverse Indian & Multinational companies such as Viz Crompton Greaves, Jayant Vitamins, PepsiCo and Dalmia Refractories Ltd. Proven success in navigating complex labor relations, driving business transformations, and fostering engaged workforces. Expertise spans strategic planning, workforce management, learning & development, and digital implementation. From resolving complex industrial relations situations to spearheading mergers and acquisitions, KT thrives in high-pressure environments, consistently delivering impactful results. A strong community advocate, passionate about building positive cultures and empowering talent to reach their full potential.

Ritika Chandhok Head of Communications & Public Affairs – India Region

Ritika joined RHI Magnesita in 2024 with over 20 years of experience driving communications, public relations, strategic branding, reputation management, and digital growth to accelerate business results. Ritika brings a wealth of expertise to her new role. Prior to joining RHI Magnesita, she worked as the Head of Corporate Communication and PR at KONE Elevators India and held positions at Bharti Airtel Ltd., Essar Aegis Ltd., Exhibitions India Group, and Aptech Education, specializing in Corporate Communications, PR, Marketing Communications, and Digital Marketing.