Ajay Popat

President, Ion Exchange (India) Ltd.

Responsible for Technology, Heavy Industry & Environment Business, Corporate Marketing, Corporate Diversification and Communication.

Mr. Ajay Popat pursued his engineering degree in Plastics Technology from the Plastic & Rubber Institute, UK and Masters in Business Administration specializing in Marketing & Strategy with honors from NMIMS Institute. He has also been conferred with a Fellowship by Indian Plastics Institute in 2007.

He has more than 40 years of experience in Strategy, Business & Organisation Development with leading organizations like Resins & Plastics Ltd. (then a subsidiary of Asian Paints Ltd.), Pidilite Industries Ltd. and Ion Exchange. He had an extremely successful career track record with Pidilite industries from 1983 to 1994 where he grew from the position of Sales Representative to All-India Sales Manager with successive promotions and career progression every year.

Associated with Ion Exchange since 1994, he has spearheaded several initiatives in developing and successfully commercializing proprietary, advanced & sustainable technologies for purification & separation in water, wastewater treatment and more recently in areas of renewable energy in compliance with legal, environmental, economic and social requirement of our country. During his tenure, Mr. Popat successfully conceived the idea of a separate Environment Management business, which he formed through a joint venture between Ion Exchange and a leading Belgium company. Under his leadership as a CEO of this joint venture (and then elevated to the Board of the Company), Mr. Popat created a leadership position for the joint venture, leading to his elevation as the President of the parent company, Ion Exchange (India) Ltd. where he is responsible for Corporate functions in Technology, Marketing, Communications, Heavy Industry Business Verticals, Environment Division and Corporate Affairs.

Mr. Popat is active in promoting the cause of water industry through active participation with the Water and Environment Council in CII, FICCI, Bombay Chamber of Commerce, Indian Environmental Association, Water Quality Association – India Task Force, Process Plant and Machinery Association of India (PPMAI) and other trade bodies. He is a Director in the governing bodies of these organizations and leads CII’s Core group on Promotion of New and cutting–edge Technology for Waste Water Management. He has chaired and delivered more than 100 papers on the subject of Sustainable Environment Management practices. He continues to play an active role to facilitate industry & its associated initiatives to achieve efficiency and excellence in water and energy management practices benefiting all stake holders.

He likes to read, socialise, pursue indoor & outdoor sports activities and pursue lifestyle improvement activities for the benefit of self, associates and the society.