India’s Best CEOs 2025: Inder T. Jaisinghani Scripts a Success Story with Polycab

FROM THE CONGESTED Lohar Chawl, the century-old hub for electrical goods in south Mumbai, to the 21st floor of The Ruby in Dadar, Inder T. Jaisinghani’s journey has been remarkable. More so because Jaisinghani, the chairman and MD of Polycab India Ltd, which is today India’s largest manufacturer of wires and cables, had to take charge of his family store at 15 after his father’s sudden death. Jaisinghani, the eldest of five siblings, transformed the small family-run trading venture into a ₹22,408-crore company whose cables deliver electricity to factories and homes, in which its wires power the LED lights and fans that it makes. “Losing my father early meant stepping into enormous responsibility at a very young age. It shaped my leadership in profound ways — teaching me resilience, humility, and the importance of hard work,” recalls the billionaire, who turned 72 in March this year. Jaisinghani lost his father just four years after Sind Electric Stores was set up to sell electrical goods. “I quickly learnt that building trust with customers and partners was essential for survival and growth. This experience instilled in me a long-term, people-first mindset, which has guided every decision at Polycab as we scaled from a small trading firm to an industry leader. The lessons in perseverance and relationship-building remain at the core of how I lead today,” he says. The young entrepreneur’s instinct for business, coupled with his relentless work ethic, soon transformed adversity into opportunity. By the late 1980s, Polycab had taken its first major leap — from trading to manufacturing — with the opening of a plant in Daman. The shop became a sprawling manufacturing business, a serious player making cables, wires, and electrical products, quietly building scale and reputation. Asked what keeps him motivated after decades at the helm, he smiles: “Every milestone reminds me where we started. I owe it to my team, our partners, and our customers to keep pushing the boundaries.” Polycab steadily built scale and credibility, becoming India’s largest manufacturer of wires and cables and diversifying into switches, lighting, and fans. It has launched two transformation programmes — Project Leap and Project Spring. Project Leap focusses on operational efficiency, digitalisation, and growth. It has helped the company reach the ₹20,000-crore revenue target it had set a full year ahead of schedule. “Project Spring is about balance, innovation, and sustainability,” says Jaisinghani. “It aligns us with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and sets the foundation for long-term resilience.” Project Spring, a five-year strategic roadmap till FY30, aims to deepen market leadership, scale exports, and achieve balanced growth between B2B and B2C businesses. The plan has five components: strengthening B2B leadership, accelerating the FMEG business, expanding global reach, embedding digitalisation, and driving sustainability. The company expects its exports to rise from 6% to over 10% of revenues by 2030, while the FMEG segment is poised to grow 1.5–2 times faster than the industry, driven by premiumisation and micro-market strategies. The company’s transformation is as much technological as it is cultural. Polycab’s manufacturing facilities today are equipped with advanced automation, AI-driven analytics, and smart quality systems. Across the supply chain, real-time tracking and data-driven demand forecasting are enhancing agility and reducing costs. “Digitalisation and automation are central to Polycab’s transformation. Our manufacturing facilities are equipped with advanced automation systems that enhance precision, minimise downtime, and boost productivity,” says Jaisinghani. On the ESG front, Polycab is steadily greening its operations — with renewable energy integration, waste reduction, and energy-efficient product design at the forefront. Few firms have capitalised on India’s manufacturing and infrastructure boom as effectively as Polycab. With one of the widest product portfolios — over 10,000 SKUs — and a vast distribution network spanning 4,000+ dealers and 200,000+ retail touchpoints, Polycab’s reach is impressive. The company is also actively working to replace imported cables with high-quality domestic alternatives, strengthening India’s self-reliance narrative. “Polycab is well-positioned to capitalise on the twin tailwinds of Make in India and the nation’s infrastructure boom. As a deeply rooted manufacturer with one of the largest product portfolios, extensive industry approvals, and a vast distribution network, we are uniquely equipped to cater to every industry and client across India,” says Jaisinghani. As Polycab looks towards FY30, its goals are clear — to build a globally competitive, innovation-led, and sustainably growing enterprise. The company expects to capitalise on Project Spring, a robust balance sheet, and its leadership. “Under Project Spring, we’re targeting high-growth verticals such as renewables, data centres, and EV charging; investing in premiumisation and product innovation, including extra high-voltage cables and energy-efficient FMEG offerings; and scaling exports from 6% to 10% of total revenues,” says Jaisinghani. Globally, Polycab is expanding its international footprint. Across all businesses, the company is embedding innovation, automation, and digitalisation; investing in people and leadership; and advancing its ESG agenda focussed on renewable energy, inclusion, and transparency. These priorities define the next chapter of Polycab — sustainable growth, sharper execution, and a balanced focus across B2B and B2C segments. Fortune India is now on WhatsApp! 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India’s Best CEOs 2025: Inder T. Jaisinghani Scripts a Success Story with Polycab

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