 | Mr. Deepak Pahwa (Electrical 1969) is the Group Chairman, Pahwa Enterprises and Managing Director of Bry-Air (Asia) Pvt. Ltd.
He is a successful businessman and entrepreneur. He is the founder-owner of Pahwa Enterprises, which is a group of six technology driven engineering companies specializing in HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) equipment. He has been appointed as National President of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce. Despite his busy schedule, he is actively involved in New Delhi Chapter of our alumni organization. |
For Chronicle, Yogesh K. Upadhyaya discusses with Mr. Pahwa about reason behind his successful business, and other activities.
Q-1: Welcome, Sir. Please tell us about yourself.
I head a group of engineering companies -Pahwa Enterprises.
Pahwa Enterprises is a rapidly growing industrial group of companies in India which employs about 500+ persons. Our core strengths are in air engineering and environmental control technologies.
Even though the group is a privately held small-medium enterprise” (SME), we are well recognized globally as leaders in fluted media and desiccant based technologies.
The two flagship companies in the Group are Bry-Air (Asia) Pvt. Ltd. and Desiccant Rotors International Pvt. Ltd.
I did my schooling at St. Xavier’s, Jaipur and my Engineering (Electrical) from BHU.
As regards my family, I have two sons, both of engineering as well as management graduates. They are working with the company/ group. My wife runs a very successful Export business specializing in buffalo horn products.
I have been also been awarded the “Entrepreneur of the year award” in the small medium enterprise entrepreneur category (1987), a national award presented by the then President of India.
I hold five patents and have been recognized as “Fellow –ASHRAE”. Since its inception, ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineers) USA .has honored about 525 of its 55,000 (current) members, worldwide, as “Fellow” (currently about 259 of the 525 are living). In India, six HVACR stalwarts have been honored as “Fellow”. I'm one of them.
I also serve as a Managing Committee Member, PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry (a trade & industry association of northern region).
For profile of Deepak Pahwa, please click here.
Q-2: How did you start your business?
 | I set up the first company in our group in 1979 to market products like dehumidifiers. In 1981, we set up a joint venture with Bry-Air Inc. USA ,Bry-Air (Asia)Pvt. Ltd.(then ,”India” )to manufacture and market dehumidifiers and plastics dryers. Since then there has been no looking back.
At that time the market was not ready but I felt there was a big latent market waiting to be developed. We have worked hard in educating and developing the market and have pioneered many new technologies. |
We became financially independent of Bry-Air Inc, USA in 1997 and in 2006 acquired the name “Bry-Air” and other IPR and business rights from them.
Today, Pahwa Enterprises is a Group of six knowledge based, technology driven air-engineering companies specializing in products and technologies with “Desiccant at the core in relation to air”. The core manufacturing strengths of the member companies of the Group is in Air engineering and environmental control technologies. The group has four(4) state of the are plants in India , a wholly owned subsidiary plant in Malaysia, Bry-Air (Malaysia) and is setting up a sub assembly plant in China, supported by a worldwide network of offices in India (8), China (4), West Asia (Sharjah), S. Africa, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Europe, Brazil and USA.
Q-3: What qualities one need to start and successfully run a business?
Knowledge acquisition and innovation has been my mantra. I think a constant quest for excellence, innovation and strong determination is the tripod on which every successful company is built on .If one has the conviction then other things fall in line.
Q-4: Congratulations for being appointed as National President of IACC (Indo-American Chamber of Commerce). What is the projected growth in Indo-US business in near future? What are your views on controversial Indo-US Nuclear deal on our country’s future energy needs and on business climate?
| Thank you. I have been involved with the IACC right from 1980s and have been a part of many business delegations to the US.
It is an honour and great responsibility being elected as the President of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) for the year 2006-07, particularly at a time when the Indo-US economic relations are poised to register a qualitative change. |
The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC), has been at the forefront in promoting bilateral trade between India and the US. Indo – US relations at present is at super a high and indicative of what future holds for the world's two biggest t democracies. USA's interest in building up and enhancing trade relations with India is an endorsement of India's strong economic performance and improved business environment that was being recognized for its increased openness for facilitating investment and to do business with. The Indian economy has been performing exceedingly well in the last 3 years. IT, Pharma and the services sectors has been at the forefront of business growth between both countries. However two other sectors growing equally if not faster are Infrastructure and Manufacture. I think both these segments holds great promise of huge growth in collaboration between the two countries.
The Nuclear deal will unshackle India’s potential in power and other related technologies. In the long run, it will benefit all concerned and not only India.
Q-5: You are actively associated with our alumni organization. In what way our organization should contribute to our college and our IT-BHU community?
It has been an exhilarating experience to be working for this association and meet old batch mates from various professions.
The Association has been vibrant and many new events were organised in last few years to add value to the alumni. The global body ITBHUGlobal.org has also helped to execute projects within the institute. As a result, our credibility with the alumni and also with the Institute has started improving.
The Chief Executive’s conference on “ITBHU Vision 2020 “saw participation from both BHU alumni as well as the Faculty, where a proposal to set up a body to select the “best alumnus” was mooted.
The Anniversary celebrations as well as the picnic brought not only the alumni together but also their families.
The Associations also recognized and felicitated one of our Luminaries, Mr. R.P.Singh, Chairman, Powergrid.
To extend the reach, I would appeal to all our alumni for their help, in terms of time and effort, to organise more events that add value to our lives and enrich us, while at the same time allow us the opportunity of an informal gathering where we can meet our friends and their families, reminisce about old times, identify what we can do for the Institute and also be ourselves.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank every one for their support in the two years of my Presidentship of the IT-BHU alumni.
Q-6: How do you remember your IT-BHU days?
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One is always nostalgic about the “good old days”. We have had some very good times and it is fortunate that many friendships developed at that time has been strengthened over the times .
I have always prided myself for being a BHU alumnus. |
Q-7: Thank you, Sir. We appreciate you for taking some time for interview from your busy schedule. We hope the interview will of great interest to our readers.
Today, more and more ITBHU members are willing to contribute resources and their time for projects that are identified to upgrade the facilities at the institute, and we should plan to be associated with more projects to upgrade the facilities of the Institute, as also add some more events to our calendar in the forthcoming years.
We have also seen movements by alumni bodies in various parts of the country to coalesce into a representative body.
I would like to reiterate that the overall nature of the body has to be a federated one, and should comprise of small bodies from each location. Not only will this approach make the formation of a federated association much simpler, but also help in keeping the day-to-day administration simpler by giving each body an individual identity as well as help the groups to come together in forming a larger group when needed.
I wish the BHU family the very best.
(Chronicle appreciates the help of Ms. Sonali Dutta, VP-Corporate Affairs, Bry-Air for helping us by arranging the interview, which was conducted by email exchange).