My role is that of a catalyst: Shiva Prasad RS

The senior director, EHS, Biocon, believes that being effective and giving freedom to his managers, and acting like a catalyst between employees and the company's needs is what makes a great people manager

By Jasodhara Banerjee Forbes India Staff

Published: Jan 20, 2022 12:34:20 PM IST

Updated: Jan 20, 2022 12:47:29 PM IST

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Shiva Prasad RS, senior director of environment, health and safety (EHS) at Biocon

Image: Nishant Ratnakar for Forbes India

After managing production facilities of various kinds—paper manufacturing, textile manufacturing and now pharmaceuticals—for about 25 years, Shiva Prasad RS, 51, believes that the most important factor in managing large teams is keeping a balance between older members who may not have high educational qualifications but have years of invaluable experience, and younger members who are academically accomplished and know the most recent technologies.

The senior director of environment, health and safety (EHS) at Biocon manages a team of 58 employees and another 40 to 50 contractual employees at the Special Economic Zone in Jigani near Bengaluru, and joined Biocon in 2017 as associate director. The company has five facilities in India, in Vishakhapatnam, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

“We take fresh water from Kaveri, and supply the treated water for the manufacturing process, and domestic usages; we also supply recycled water to the cooling towers,” says Shiva Prasad. “We handle effluent treatments, according to the norms of the pollution control boards, and have a separate sewage treatment plant. We also treat the rejects in the evaporators, handle hazardous waste, and fermentation waste.” Various kinds of liquid and solid waste are categorised and segregated, based on being hazardous or non-hazardous, biodegradable or biodegradable. Shiva Prasad also works with vendors authorised by the pollution control board in the disposal of these waste materials, and ensures compliance.

“My role is like that of a catalyst between the people who are working at the facility and what the company’s requirements are.”

With multiple critical processes running simultaneously at the facility, Shiva Prasad says that although ensuring processes is a priority, he has to ensure the people are trained as per requirement. “To run the process, I need a strong operating team. For instance, if the quality of water is not correct, then the entire manufacturing process will be affected.”

“Shiva Prasad handles the effluent treatment plant operations; what we call the Zero Liquid Discharge facility. He handles multi-departments and a multi-complex facility, by interacting with EHS department personnel as well as Biocon’s biologics and Syngene department personnel. His main role is to look after the water and waste management at the Biocon Park facility,” says Ravi Kiran Sivala, head of corporate EHS at Biocon. “He is effective, gives freedom to the managers, and monitors them at regular intervals.”

(This story appears in the 28 January, 2022 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)