The Jhagadia chemicals manufacturing site of DCM Shriram in Gujarat’s Bharuch district has earned a major global distinction.

 

The site has been named to the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network (GLN) with Distinction in Productivity—placing it among just 16 industrial sites worldwide selected in 2026.

 

The recognition signals top-tier performance in advanced manufacturing, with the GLN identifying facilities that are leading the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to deliver measurable gains in productivity, sustainability, agility and operational excellence. 

 

With this inclusion, Jhagadia joins an elite global cohort of 238 manufacturing sites driving industrial transformation at scale.

 

The Distinction in Productivity is awarded to sites that achieve exceptional cost and quality improvements through technology-led transformation, including stronger asset utilisation, workforce enablement and resource optimisation.

 

India’s largest caustic soda plant operates in an energy-heavy sector where power costs form a major expense. 

 

At Jhagadia, a rollout of 45 advanced digital and analytics solutions—including AI-enabled process control and a GenAI-enabled maintenance manager—has delivered sharp performance gains: an 11-percentage-point improvement in EBITDA, a 32% reduction in power costs, a 15% reduction in material costs, and a 14% cut in CO₂ emissions.

 

Speaking on the recognition, Ajay S Shriram, Chairman & Senior Managing Director, DCM and Vikram S Shriram, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, said "it reflects DCM Shriram’s long-standing commitment to building world-class manufacturing businesses driven by technology, innovation and operational excellence".

 

"The recognition of our Jhagadia Chemicals site demonstrates how focused investments in digital transformation, combined with the dedication of our people, can deliver significant improvements in productivity, competitiveness and sustainability."

 

"At DCM Shriram, we believe technology is a key enabler of responsible and future-ready growth. This achievement reinforces our approach of combining advanced digital capabilities with strong operational discipline to create lasting value for our customers, employees, shareholders and communities. 

 

"We are proud that our Chemicals business has joined a select group of global manufacturing leaders recognised by the Global Lighthouse Network."

 

The achievement is the result of Project BLESSED (Becoming a Lighthouse through Exemplary Safety Systems & Excellence in Digitalization), launched in July 2024 to accelerate digitalisation, strengthen safety systems, and embed advanced technologies, data-driven decision-making, and workforce enablement across operations.