Who We Are

Mr. Saroj Kumar Poddar is the Chairman of India’s leading USD 3 billion dollar multi-business conglomerate-Adventz Group. The Adventz Group comprises of various verticals, constituting key drivers of the Indian economy. Legendary companies like Zuari, Texmaco and Simon India were repositioned under the Adventz banner, in 2011, by Mr. Poddar, to leverage its exemplary equity in terms of knowledge, best practices and technical excellence.

Mr. Poddar is also the Chairman of Chambal Fertilisers Limited since 1995. Mr. Poddar is aneminent industrialist of India, who has been a pioneer in creating various seminal projects including joint ventures (JV) with leading international corporations. The most notable ofthese ventures are Hettich India Private Ltd (a JV with the Hettich Group of Germany) and MCA Phosphates Pte Ltd. (a JV with Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan). Mr. Poddar was alsoinstrumental in promoting Gillette India Limited (a venture with the Gillette Company of USA) and he was founder Chairman since 1984, before relinquishing the position in December 2013.

Having served as President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI) and International Chamber of Commerce in India, Mr. Poddar has been appointed by Government of India on the Board of Trade – the highest body on trade and on the Court of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Mr. Poddar has also served for a decade as a member of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and also on local Board of the Reserve Bank of India. He was also on the Advisory Board of one of the most reputed investment brokers, M/s N M Rothschild & Sons (India) Pvt. Limited.

Currently, Mr. Poddar is the Chairman of India-Saudi Arabia Joint Business Council and a member of the Indo-French CEO Forum and Indo Israeli CEO Forum.

A recipient of the Rashtriya Samman from the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Mr. Poddar is a keen collector of contemporary Indian art and involved in the promotion and development of art, culture and sports.

Mr. Akshay Poddar is one of the promoters of “Adventz Group of Companies”, a seasoned businessman and industrialist since 1999. The Adventz Group of Companies is a leading Indian conglomerate, with a total turnover in excess of US $3 billion, comprising of a diverse business portfolio in Fertilizers, Agri-Inputs, Heavy Engineering, Process Engineering, Furniture, Consumer Products, Real Estate, Investments, etc. In his capacity as the Director of several group companies, Mr. Poddar is also spearheading the manufacturing and other activities of the Group in India, and other parts of the world. As a proactive leader and industrialist, Mr. Poddar also represents as the Director on the Board of The Fertiliser Association of India (FAI). He also represents as the Committee Member of Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and is a Member of the Board of Governors of Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani. Mr. Poddar is an alumnus of the London School of Economics & Political Science, University of London and graduated with Honours in Accounting & Finance.

Mr. Athar Shahab has done PG Diploma in Business Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur with specialisation in Finance and Marketing. He has been bestowed with Maxi Gold Medal for excellence in Marketing. He also holds a bachelor degree in Civil Engineering from VSS University of Technology, Burla (VSSUT). He has more than 31 years of rich experience across project finance, advisory, investment, project management and general management. He has a demonstrated track record of building businesses, developing appropriate strategies, plans, systems and processes and running operations. He possesses a deep understanding of the regulatory landscape and business risks. He has worked with L&T, Vedanta Group, IDFC, AES Corp., Shamil Bank and ICICI Limited previously.

Mr. Shahab has made significant contribution to development of credible policy frameworks for private sector participation in infrastructure in India and has also assisted PM’s Taskforce on Infrastructure. He has played important policy advocacy role at CII and FICCI as a Member of their respective National Committees on Infrastructure including chairing the CII Committee on Highways for several years. He is also a member of CII National Committee on Power.

Mr. Umesh Sood is a Corporate Finance and Treasury professional with extensive experience of working across industries including financial services, telecom, steel, pipe sector, energy infrastructure, fertilizer and chemicals, equity markets, plywood etc. He has vast expertise in deal structuring, fund raising, from both equity and debt markets in India and overseas, investor relations, exim trade etc.
Mr. Sood is a B. Com Honors Graduate (Merit Holder) and MBA Finance from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and LL.B (Professional) from Punjab University, Chandigarh and a Member of the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh. He has also been a visiting faculty to Punjab University Business School.
He joined Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited as Treasurer in April 2014 and worked in this capacity till June 2018 and has been associated with Zuari Global Limited as General Manager, Finance. He has also held additional charge as Chief Financial Officer of Zuari Investments Limited.
He has worked in many reputed companies such as Kitply Industries Limited, Punwire Limited, IL&FS and Jindal Saw Limited.

Mr. Tribhuvan Darbari is currently the Managing Director & CEO, Texmaco Defence Systems Pvt. Ltd. & Chief Executive, Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd. a flagship heavy engineering and manufacturing national player of the USD 3 Billion Adventz Group. He has around 37 years of rich & diversified experience in Corporate Strategy, Strategic Alliances & JVs, International Business Collaborations & Technology Partnerships, Commercial Operations, Project Management & conceptualizing strategic initiatives for business diversification and growth, during his assignments in Govt. and Industry, at senior levels.

From 1987 onwards, he progressed from the levels of Dy. Secretary/Director/Joint Secretary in the Government of India (including under the Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Petroleum, Natural Gas & Chemicals, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology) & at the enterprise levels as General Manager/Vice President/Director, CEO under 5 Fortune 500 Corporations i.e. ONGC (A Govt. of India Enterprise), TATA Group, Hewlett Packard, Huawei Telecommunications & China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC/CPP). He has contributed significantly as an active member of various important and strategic National/International Government and Corporate Committees, cutting across multiple sectors and geographies. He has been recently appointed Chairman of CII Committee on Defence and Aerospace, Eastern Region and Member of FICCI National Task Force on Defence and Aerospace.

Mr. Darbari’s rich and varied experience, at senior levels, under the Ministry of Petroleum, Natural Gas, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Fertilizers and under the Ministry of Energy, Department of Power, Govt. of India as well as General Manager ONGC and CEO China Petroleum (a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation), has enabled him with a strategic global vision, knowledge, and he has build and nurtured valuable relationships, at the top Management levels, in the above sectors. He has also played a significant role as the Vice President of the Asia Arab Chambers of Commerce and the Director General Chindia Chambers of Commerce and Industry. His extensive and unique experience and exposure, can be gainfully utilized by the Simon India Ltd., for sustained growth of its business, both in India and Globally in the Arab World, Russia and amongst the SAARC and ASEAN Countries.

Mr. Darbari Schooled at St. Columbus High School, New Delhi and after completing his Graduation & Post Graduation from St. Stephen’s College India, he has accomplished advanced management education and training from six prestigious Global Universities and Institutes in India, UK, Australia, Japan, Sweden and USA.

Mr. Marco Wadia holds the directorship in the company since 2005. He holds Bachelor’ degree in Arts and is also Bachelor’s in Law and practicing Advocate since 1986, specializing in corporate matters and is currently, a partner in the firm of Crawford Bayley & Co., Solicitors and Advocates, Mumbai. He holds directorship in many other companies.

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