Shwetanshu Patel, Director of Aims Industries Private Limited, reflects on his journey, describes the legacy and future plans of the company, and shares how Gujarat Employers' Organisation is committed to living its mission of growth through cooperation.

You have more than 17 years of rich experience in the Gas business. Take us through your journey and approach towards work.

The journey so far has been quite enriching, considering the fact that the learning process never stops. The opportunity to meet and work with different individuals provides you with insights into different thought processes. This, in turn, helps you to understand how people think. Understanding and managing people is the only way to be successful in business, and this is an ability which I consider to be most important for my approach towards work.

Aims Industries Private Limited is a 58- year-old company involved in manufacturing and trading of industrial and medical gases in the state of Gujarat. What are the values and skills that you consider in the hiring process?

The legacy of Aims has been built upon a strong foundation of values and principles. Hard work and perseverance are something that are highly valued at our organisation. We are a value-based organisation that believes in progress through cooperation and rightfulness. We give importance to values over skills while hiring people as we want them to share the same values and principles which have been the foundation of our organisation since the last 58 years.

Aims, currently, is the largest gas bottler in the state of Gujarat. What are your plans for 2020 in terms of new projects, expansion, and services?

We have grown slowly but steadily over the last few years, and this year is no different. We have diversified in bulk hydrogen supplies over the last four years, and we plan to grow that business stronger this year. There is also a plan to install a bigger capacity liquid plant at our Daman location in the next financial year.

You are also associated with GEO (Gujarat Employers’ Organization). Could you brief about its mission “Growth through Cooperation”?

I have been associated with GEO for the past 11 years. I have seen the organisation grow over the years while keeping the interest of all its stakeholders intact – Employers, Employees, and Government. We have continuously strived to improve members’ services by having programs and training as per their needs, interacting with government bodies for clarification and ease of business, and organising industrial visits. Seminars and conventions are planned on a bigger scale for exposure and keeping the members updated with the latest trends in the field of IR and HR. We have been a catalyst between the government and industry for notifications and clarifications of labour laws, PF, ESIC. GEO is on the verge of completing four decades of its existence, and it strives to grow, but by taking everyone along and thereby being true to its mission of “Growth through Co-operation”.