Dharmendra Kumar Daukia(PFM 1989-91) is currently working as the chief of operations at HABRAS-MZZ Myanmar Plantation Co. Ltd (JV of JK Paper Ltd in Myanmar).
He started his career as an agricultural engineer and then became a Forest Manager post IIFM starting his career at BILT before moving to JK Papers, India, and then finally to a JV of JK Papers at Myanmar. He has more than 30 years of experience in Active Rural Marketing to Forest Logging Operations to Most Modern Nursery Set up to Largest Indian Agro/Farm Forestry Management and Very large scale Wood Procurement of 1.3 Million MT P.A handling variety of situations and cultures.
He attributes a large part of his success in professional life to the lessons learned at IIFM especially in leadership, problem solving, and team building. He has generously volunteered to guide and advise all who want to build and develop a career in forestry so feel free to connect with him.
Linkedin ID: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daukiadk/
Q) How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?
A) In Short: IIFM to Ballarpur Industries Ltd. to JK Paper Ltd. India to now Myanmar Project of JK Paper Ltd.
However, the broader picture cannot fit in here – in terms of developments I was allowed to spearhead all the places I could travel. Paper Industry was so dependent on bamboo and wood supply from Government forests, then, as against almost 100% from Farm Forestry now. I have been at the center of this action, developing the seven most modern high-yielding planting materials, supplying nurseries for BILT and JK Paper, along with supporting, vibrant extension forestry organization setups. These are the largest farm forestry programs for fast-growing hardwoods in India now, besides ITC and TNPL. From an Officer recruited from IIFM campus for BILT to Corporate Head of Forestry at JK Paper including buying 1.2 million of wood annually for JK Paper before moving to Myanmar, I have been at all the actions from jungles to farmers to corporates including field operations to Planning and Strategizing, to wood imports and to Myanmar project startup. I have been able to travel to most of ASEAN countries during this exciting and hectic period.
Dharmendra with the local community in Myanmar.
Q) What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A) I have worked across a wide variety of assignments, work settings, and cultures at different locations in India and outside. My learnings are: always be ready to learn, do a deep dive for your project, and respect different cultures. With these qualities, one can work on any assignment in any sector.
Q) What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
A) Successful grounding of Myanmar Pulpwood Plantation Project along with a most modern biotech nursery. First of its kind in Myanmar and winning the faith and trust of the farming community in the project area in Myanmar in a short span of 5-6 years.
Q) Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A) I firmly believe that a large part of what I could achieve in professional life is also due to my lessons at IIFM, especially about leadership, problem-solving, and team building. I am greatly indebted to Prof. BP Pethiya for drilling on some of the big, right things into us.
Q) Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles?
A) I had the opportunity to work with fairly good leaders in both the industrial groups where I worked. They gave me a free hand to fail and learn. I was fortunate enough to identify 3 or 4 big gaps in the Wood Based Paper Industry in India and there I could contribute a lot. My wife has been a big support for me throughout this journey, and as a result, I could travel freely all around. I have worked with the Paper Industry only and mostly on the forestry side of it. Although I have been involved in exploring certain acquisitions, etc but the involvement was largely on Forestry/ Fibre Supply and related logistics.
When I joined the Paper Industry it was mostly dominated by ex-IFS or Ex-Range officers and available job roles were in Bamboo Harvesting Operations and Wood transport from Government depots. Career growth was limited within the sector. Things were just beginning to change due to government policy changes in most states and the modernization of mills. Over the last 30 years, fiber sourcing of mills has completely transformed into growing wood through farmers and sourcing of the same. It is a whole different game now with people, who are manning the operations, from diverse backgrounds and depths like Ph.D. in Forestry, MSc in Agriculture, Forestry, Botany, Mathematics.
Another wood-based industry in India is quite fragmented. MDF and the Plywood Industry have just now started to consolidate and scale-up. A very large amount of timber is imported into India. Career options and growth in this sector are limited within India. So if people are looking for careers in Wood-based Industry or anything to do with “Wood”, they should – explore Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, South Africa. Tone up the forestry part a bit more – modernize nurseries, logging ops, plantation ops. Understand international finance and FOREX transactions. Be ready to learn and respect cultural variations. I found M.Sc. Forestry Students from FRI Dehradun are equally competitive for this sector. This sector is good for Agriculture, Forestry, Botany, and mathematics background students in my opinion. For career growth EXCELLENCE in what you do is a must.
Q) What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A) Visit TT Nagar, Nehru Nagar when we used to get money from home :)!! A big struggle for placements, nice evenings on the hill, biking to nearby lakes, places like Sanchi, climbing, the legendary WATER TANK, and managing the mess. Chandu was recruited just then, so we worked together in setting up systems in the mess. Shumon Sengupta’s love for sweets besides his songs. The list is so long…
Q) In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A) Well, I think it was the whole package that contributed, including the mess management 🙂
I picked up what I needed and I was clear about that for sure.
Q) The best buddies/seniors/faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?
A) C Harihar Nath – My roommate: Me being from North India with a Punjabi accent and him from Tirupati, was a super combo. Entering into IIFM was my first exposure to x-cultural living. He was quite supportive and more mature, as we were 2-3 years older than others. I miss him. I do not remember meeting him after IIFM.
Q) As an alumnus, what’s your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?
A) 1. Do not crib about not getting into a better institute of sorts.
2. You are here to learn, learn well. Your first assignment is to DO YOUR JOB WELL in those 2 years.
3. Learn and practice leadership skills.
4. Start networking while at the Institute.
5. Aim for the future.
Q) What is your typical day at the office?
Well, for the last 5.5 years I have been living out of suitcase. I do not have an “A” office. Shuttling between Delhi, Sirpur, Kagaznagar, Jaipur, and various cities of Myanmar, besides our plantation site in Myanmar. Monitoring various locations reports, guiding people with respect to reports, phone calls, emails, making travel plans, mostly Problem Solving, negotiations and in evening plan for next day –> That is typical
Q) You would like to share about your typical weekends.. Hobbies.. Family..
A) My HQ has mostly been in Delhi and my family in Jaipur. Before heading for Myanmar, my festivals and weekends were spent in Jaipur. – The Pink City. However, I always had to travel to factory locations or field activities which were in the south, so it was less of a family time comparatively, I think. Nothing particular about “Hobby”.
Q) Favorite Books, movies, authors.
A) Quite a few books:
- The Goal
- The Three Rules
- Jack: Straight from the Gut
- The Big Questions: Tackling the Problems of Philosophy with Ideas from Mathematics, Economics, and Physics
- The Fish
- The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations
- The Negotiator (Novel).
Authors: Paul Coelho, Steven D. Levitt, Steven Landsburg, Ram Charan Das & Prem Chand
Movies: Mughal-e-Azam, Sholay & 3 Idiots.
Q) IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?
A) Nothing specific comes to my mind. I am not sure I am capable of contributing anything much, other than sharing my experiences about my career, post-IIFM. There are many capable people out there who have been keeping close to IIFM over the years. However, anyone can get in touch with me any time and I will try to guide or help out, as best I can. I am the only one by this name (Full name) and it is easy to find my connection coordinates!!
Q) What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?
A) I am really not aware much but going by recent communications, IIFM has to do a rethink its objectives and therefore what do they want to teach and research about. This institute was carved out due to the recommendation of the National Commission on Agriculture in the late seventies to focus on Production Forestry and that purpose could never be achieved. So we can as well rename it as the Indian Institute of Natural Resource Management and Sustainability. Have a serious look at where the Alumni are placed vs objectives. Chandu is still there and I like that. Would like to meet him soon.
Q) Any suggestions on who from our alumni you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A) I am not really thorough with who has been and who has not been interviewed. From Our Batch Shivnath Mehrotra. Why? Because I cannot connect with him except with Diwali greetings. So I hope this way you may try and locate him. Clue: Search in Canada.