Ashok Boob and Siddharth Sikchi

Catalyzing a global change to green manufacturing

Ashok Boob and Siddharth Sikchi are making history by putting India on the world map by developing unique, sustainable, and cost-effective catalytic manufacturing processes in specialty chemicals at Clean Science and Technology Ltd (CSTL).

Their strategy is in line with India’s aim to position itself as a viable alternative for global organizations to de-risk supply chains. Their journey started in 2006, when Ashok, an industry veteran with five decades of experience, joined hands with Siddharth, his nephew who had returned from Canada with a Masters’ degree in Organic Chemistry to start CSTL. They aimed to develop “green” eco-friendly manufacturing processes led by differentiated catalytic technologies, to not only improve yields but also reduce costs.

R&D and engineering are CSTL’s biggest strengths owing to the visionary leadership of its founders. Siddharth spearheads R&D efforts to foray into novel products using innovation and developing in-house R&D to develop capabilities for plant scale. Ashok leverages his expertise in engineering in managing production and creating global scale manufacturing capacities. This complimentary skill set of promoters, has helped CSTL emerge as a global leader in its key product offerings within a short span of 16 years.

The company registered revenues of INR685 crore, a 34% growth in FY22 over FY21. Most sales (70%) come from export to global MNCs across developed nations.

With additional investments lined up to expand capabilities, Ashok and Siddharth have ensured development of a robust and resilient business model through consistent use of innovation, in-house R&D, prudent capital allocation and a relentless focus on execution to create long-term value for all their stakeholders.