Join host Vaibhav Gangrade, Deputy BU Head of Employee Benefits, as he engages in thought-provoking discussions with HR Specialist Birendra M. Explore how GBTL effectively manages employee benefits and wellness across industries, and stay ahead of the evolving insurance landscape.
[00:00:00] Hello everyone and welcome to another exciting episode of Insurance Insights podcast by Policybazaar
[00:00:06] Today's episode is brought to you by Policybazaar for Business
[00:00:09] Policybazaar's corporate insurance division which is missioned with making business insurance more accessible and affordable to across India
[00:00:18] I'm your host Rehbhav and I am excited and honored to introduce to you our next guest Mr. Birender
[00:00:26] He is the HR specialist from GBTL which is a Donier Group company
[00:00:30] Welcome sir, welcome on the show and thank you for giving this opportunity and speaking with us
[00:00:35] Thank you Birebh, thanks to you and Policybazaar for giving me this opportunity to speak to you
[00:00:42] Thank you
[00:00:43] So sir at the outset can you explain to our viewers what exactly does GBTL does in this textile industry
[00:00:49] And can you also touch a little bit about the entire textile industry in the country today
[00:00:53] GBTL is one of the factories group companies of Donier
[00:00:59] The GBTL has interest in menswear which is polyester and viscose
[00:01:05] Now apart from the brands, domestic brands, GBTL's 65-70% export happens
[00:01:11] Which is mostly in the sector of PV in India
[00:01:14] We have a large presence in the niche fabric which is Grado and Kravjera
[00:01:19] Donier Group has been in the business of apparel and fabric for the last 40 years
[00:01:25] They have basically three companies, domestically our brand names are Grado and Kravjera
[00:01:33] Similarly Ocm has interest in polyviscose
[00:01:37] And Donier industry is limited with cotton, linen in apparel and also in fabric
[00:01:45] So it's a large company and we are also expanding into organic and inorganic space
[00:01:51] We focus on sustainable and eco-friendly fabric
[00:01:55] Today entire production process in which we have taken a lot of technological advancement and certifications
[00:02:01] So you spoke about fabric being sustainable and eco-friendly right
[00:02:05] Can you elaborate a little bit more about it and what exactly does sustainable and eco-friendly entail
[00:02:10] Now when we say sustainable it means that the entire production process
[00:02:17] Right from the raw material stage to the fabric stage
[00:02:21] At each stage of the life cycle of a fabric it has to be sustainable and eco-friendly
[00:02:27] Now our main raw material for manufacturing fabric is viscose and polyester
[00:02:34] Now viscose is a natural fiber, polyester is from Crude oil
[00:02:38] So there are today lot of standards to manufacture polyester which is sustainable and eco-friendly
[00:02:46] So there are standards which GBTL adheres to to make such kind of or to purchase such kind of yarn from outside market
[00:02:57] So in the entire manufacturing process and from a clothing point of view
[00:03:01] Is there anything innovative or advanced that GBTL is doing today
[00:03:05] The latest is we are interested in new stretch
[00:03:09] You know Lycra is a product you must be knowing it's one of the most comfortable fabrics
[00:03:15] New stretch is a very new product and GBTL
[00:03:19] It's a four-way stretch, you can imagine how comfortable it would be
[00:03:23] When you wear it you can stretch your legs if you're doing yoga, if you're doing gymming
[00:03:28] Also you can possibly wear it because it's a stretch, four-way stretch
[00:03:34] So that's a new product we are coming up with
[00:03:36] So now the technology has given you lot of scope, lot of leverage
[00:03:41] To produce such kind of fabric where you don't have to wash it every time you wear it
[00:03:48] So that kind of technology has come which GBTL is utilizing
[00:03:53] So sir at the scale that you operate today
[00:03:55] Of course there are a lot of stakeholders and a lot of employees that are actually involved in the entire organization
[00:04:00] How do you ensure that these employees are motivated and how do you ensure wellness of these employees
[00:04:06] And that they're focused towards a singular goal of the company
[00:04:09] In today's world wellness and well-being is one of the most important concepts
[00:04:17] And I think each other organization in which of its space they are in
[00:04:22] With the large MSME or startups they need to take care of the wellness and well-being
[00:04:28] Because well-being means it helps employee to become more engaged in the organization and more productive
[00:04:35] So if I talk about one of those organizations, a very famous organization on well-being
[00:04:40] It says that well-being means it's a state of mind where you feel comfortable, healthy and happy
[00:04:46] Now in factories act and various other acts it talks about there is a concept which talks about HAZOP
[00:04:53] HAZOP means hajjad and operability
[00:04:56] Means what in the entire production process or in a service organization you find out what are the hajjads in different production process
[00:05:06] Now for example in textile you have Piper Dime where we are using lot of chemicals
[00:05:11] There is spinning, there is wheeling and then synthetic process house
[00:05:15] Each of the production processes has different hajjads
[00:05:18] Now do they identify such kind of hajads?
[00:05:21] Now if you identify such kind of hajads then you have a strategy to deal with that to mitigate it
[00:05:28] For example like this organization, the people are involved in lot of conceptual work
[00:05:34] Now there is lot of pressure to perform, there would be lot of stress anxiety things like that
[00:05:39] Now what would be your HAZOP or what would be your HIRA?
[00:05:43] HIRA means hajad identification and risk assessment
[00:05:47] So your hajjads will be more towards mental
[00:05:52] So now the part one when we talk about those safety issues which are concerning human beings is highly visible
[00:06:00] Like for example you are walking on a floor and you find something which can tend to trip
[00:06:07] Now you can identify and it is very visible, there is something on the top and you ask people to wear helmet
[00:06:13] It can fall down, so you can well visualize such things
[00:06:17] But when we talk about mental it is not visible, somebody has lot of anxiety
[00:06:22] Somebody is going through a huge depression, it is entirely invisible
[00:06:27] Now how the organization is taking care of the well-being, especially mental well-being
[00:06:32] There are organizations which are talking about that first aid to mental illness
[00:06:37] So what is that, how do you identify? How the organization appreciates such kind of things is the most important part of well-being
[00:06:45] So we will deal with how GBTL is doing all such things
[00:06:50] Now social well-being is one of the most important part which is taking the center stage today
[00:06:57] More important than physical health because it is invisible
[00:07:02] It is very difficult to identify the people who are going through it
[00:07:07] A person comes to an organization spends 48 hours in a week, maybe more than that
[00:07:14] Now there is a concept, there is a culture, suppose that culture bullies you
[00:07:19] He is not in a position to talk to his boss, the HR department or anybody
[00:07:24] Now he goes on with that kind of a mental stress
[00:07:28] And finally somebody decides to go to the hospital, he decides to quit the organization because he cannot withstand such kind of pressure
[00:07:35] Now organizations need to find out a way to deal with these kind of problems
[00:07:39] Now the next important part is value and principles
[00:07:43] Now each company, most of the companies have values, apart from that they have a mission vision
[00:07:48] Now how mission, vision and values? These are strategically taken into consideration
[00:07:56] And a well-being program or a well-being concept is created in an organization is the most important part
[00:08:04] What we do in GBTL? We provide yoga facilities to employees
[00:08:11] We provide subsidized gym facility, we have a gym in our colony where we provide employees can go and then it is highly subsidized
[00:08:22] Number three, we encourage people to come in cycle or walking if they are staying within some kilometers distance
[00:08:34] Apart from that in canteens, in some days we provide oil-free, sugar-free diets
[00:08:42] So these are the considerations which would prevent further deterioration in health
[00:08:47] Now apart from that one of the most important part is how you are creating awareness with the people
[00:08:54] How much training classes are happening, how much we are talking about health
[00:09:00] But insurance is a concept where you are giving an insurance net so that if he falls ill then he can go and hospitalize and get insurance benefit
[00:09:11] That is very good, that has to happen
[00:09:13] So from a company point of view you spoke a lot about wellness and well-being as an entire concept
[00:09:19] That your company is very heavily focused on as of today
[00:09:23] Do you think that the insurance industry also requires overhaul?
[00:09:27] Or what do you think are the some advancements that you would probably want to see from the insurance industry coming in so that it adds to the overall well-being of your employees
[00:09:36] What is the future of insurance? That's a very important question, this is a very important concept to develop
[00:09:44] That today most of the companies are dealing with insurance on the basis of health and awareness
[00:09:51] But all those people who are not taking the benefit of their coverage, how do they need to be made aware that you have an insurance coverage
[00:10:03] Now creating awareness about what are the diseases is covered, understanding the person, what are his needs for him and his family if the family is covered
[00:10:12] Are the key?
[00:10:14] Thank you sir, thank you for that wonderful and delightful conversation
[00:10:18] I was very happy to hear some of the insights from your last years and decades of experience
[00:10:24] And I hope that the insurance industry also evolves in the direction that you have also spoken about
[00:10:29] Thank you for giving us the time and thank you for this opportunity
[00:10:32] And I hope that we get to have such conversations more often in the future, thank you
[00:10:37] Thank you, Bavav, thank you Politbujaar for inviting me and it has been a very engaging discussion and thank you very much