‘Disruption is normal now’: Himadri Speciality Chemical CMD on turning crises into opportunity

India’s specialty chemicals sector is learning to live with constant disruption — Anurag Choudhary, Chairman and Managing Director of Himadri Speciality Chemical, believes that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As geopolitical shocks ripple through supply chains and markets, the Himadri Speciality Chemical chief says resilience, not stability, is now the defining trait of successful businesses. 

Speaking at the Business Today MindRush & India’s Best CEOs Awards, Choudhary said disruption is no longer an exception — it is the baseline. “Today disruption has become the real normal situation. The way we are seeing uh if there’s no diff disruption then we feel uncomfortable,” he said, pointing to a steady stream of global shocks — from the pandemic to geopolitical tensions — that have reshaped decision-making. 

Against this backdrop, Himadri has focused on building a resilient and sustainable operating model. “In the last four years, there has been a number of issues including geopolitical issues, before that Covid one after another. In this year itself there has been so many geopolitical events. So, the company has to be really resilient and now we have to take all our decisions looking at all these aspects together,” he noted. 

A key advantage for the company, he said, is its relatively insulated supply chain. “For us at Himadri, the supply chain is not dependent on middle east or west Asian country. So, we have gone through lot of uh ups and downs in the history and that is how we have been able to uh make a sustainable business model,” Choudhary explained, while acknowledging that challenges persist across the industry. 

Despite ongoing volatility, he remains optimistic about navigating the current crisis. Drawing on decades of experience, Choudhary underscored that uncertainty often brings opportunity. “See, I started Himadri 35 years back and since then have seen lots of risk and lot of dispersion happening. So, I firmly believe all these gives you a lot of opportunity and challenges always brings the best of times and best of decisions are taken during these times only,” he said. 

Rather than reacting with anxiety, his approach is rooted in clarity and composure. “So, I firmly believe that I should have a good sound sleep rather than worrying about this thing and get up in the morning with a fresh mind to convert challenges into opportunities. That is why I believe in,” he added, highlighting a mindset that prioritises long-term thinking over short-term noise.