Dr M G Palekar is currently heading Pharmaceuticals & Intermediates Division of Atul Ltd. He is also MD of Atul Bioscience Ltd, which is part of Atul Ltd. He has varied experience in industrial R&D, process development & scale-up, manufacturing, techno-commercial marketing of specialty, industrial & bulk chemicals and biz management. He has managed various businesses viz. Flavour & Fragrance ingredients, Pharma & Agro intermediates; and additives for Paint, Dyes, Petrochemical, Polymer Emulsion & Adhesive industries.

Dr M G Palekar completed B Chem Engineering dand Ph D (Tech) from Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT, now known as ICT), University of Mumbai, India. After his doctorate degree, he worked in Petrochemical Lab, University of Gent, Belgium for more than 2 years in area of reactions on & deactivation of zeolites. On return to India, he joined Hindustan Lever Ltd’s (HLL) Research Center in Mumbai, India.

He subsequently worked in a start-up company, Privi Organics Ltd., Mumbai, India where he set up a ‘greenfield’ plant for perfumery chemicals. After a year’s stint at Privi, he joined Polychem Ltd., Mumbai, India as Manager- Technical Service and subsequently took over as GM-Marketing, Chemicals.

Before joining Atul, he worked at Rhodia Chemicals India Pvt. Ltd.(part of Rhodia France) for more than 10 years, out of which for 7 years he worked in Asia-Pacific region managing different businesses. His last assignment was as Regional Business Director, managing F&F business in Asia Pacific| Middle East; and as Commercial Director, Rhodia India. He was member of operational team for managing 2 plants in China. During his tenure at Rhodia, he developed contract manufacturing & sourcing activity in India. He has audited several plants & was involved in due diligence of few companies in India for possible acquisition. He has 7 years of experience in working with companies in China & Japan; and has fairly good insight of working in these countries.

At Atul, he is driving the growth of Pharmaceuticals & Intermediates division. The division is working with 3 Japanese companies and DSM, Netherlands in developing technologies for patented intermediates. His team is working on commercialization of new technologies in organic synthesis; using sustainable development approach. One of the key initiatives taken up by the division is to be zero discharge division within the company.

Dr. M G Palekar's Abstract for IGCW 2011