Covid struck & different businesses were affected in different ways. Some had to shut down. Some worked overtime to cope with demands never experienced before. And in such challenging times there is always a silver lining, isn’t there?
For Panel Builders from COSMA ( Control Panel & Switchgear Manufacturers’ Association) headquartered in Mumbai & spread all over India, it was an online reunion party of sorts. We had online seminars, strategy meetings & learning together events that brought in a kind of bonding, that kept getting referred to as Cosma brotherhood! Take a peak: https://youtube.com/@cosmaindia
We even came up with our Cosma tagline, ‘Uniting Panel Builders’ with the purpose being to come together to work collaboratively & empower such influence in the industry that would pave the way to create positive impact in the world at large.
IEEMA is the largest electrical institution in india & these times have seen them recognise Cosma as their Switchboard Subdivision! For Elecrama, Cosma has been allotted a free stall & next Elecrama talks are on to take on a pavilion in the exhibition.
Electrical Switchboards manufacturing is a responsible business, wherein the fear of the End User is generally inadequate workmanship which could lead to a short circuit & a fire, with the potential to kill people & destroy infrastructure. Recognising this, COSMA has set up a Quality committee to educate, benchmark & align Panel Builders to global standards of safety, reliability & convenience. This initiative is being headed by a Siemens veteran by name Dhananjaya Kudalkar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhananjay-kudalkar-76b61011
For the first time, Cosma empowered a born blind PhD Doctor lady by name Dr Urvi Jangam https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-urvi-jangam to interview 10 of our members on their Success Stories. Out came a book ‘UNCOMMON ENTREPRENEURS’ which was released during the bi-annual event of COSMA Awards Nite in Mumbai on Nov 12th 2022.
Cosma Whatsapp group exploded and today has close to 350 members, chatting practically every day, yet in a guided & meaningful way, helping members liquidate their dead inventory, identify scarce materials they need…across the Country & share technical information for the benefit of all.
Cosma went on a spree of signing MOUs since a year now, with other Associations like
- EEPC https://www.eepcindia.org/
- TATA NEXARC https://www.tatanexarc.com/
- ECAM, Pune & Nashik https://ecamindia.org/
- MASMA https://masma.in/
This is soon to go overseas, starting with NESMA (National Electrical Switchboard Manufacturers’ Association) Australia, extending our energy exchange in a boundary less fashion.
Wanting to catch budding engineers young, and groom them with the right synergy between Industry & Academia, COSMA has collaborated with the Vishwaniketan’s Institute of Management Entrepreneurship and Engineering Technology
Cosma membership grew by 25% during this pandemic, which saw this approach of generic hostility amongst competitors transform to a healthy collaboration.
Anand Jayawant, one of our dynamic Directors trained his lens on me, beseeching me to share my experiences with the tribe on how to Simplify Panel Building. I willingly put thought to PPT & on zoom, gave a 3 part talk on the said subject on 3 consecutive Sundays. It was soul satisfying for me. If inclined, you could sink in to my feeling at: https://www.youtube.com/watch v=ZgXfzi6AWqI&list=PL0GEF3i4gC1no66ERWyPToOQVS6nAKH1O
Our Chairman Emeritus Sri Satish Kazi & President Sanjeev Khinnavar were on full throttle, allowing the creative energies to get unleashed & catalysing & supporting as only such eminent leaders can do.
For more information on Cosma & its illustrious members, do check out the carefully put together website www.cosmaindia.co.in. There are opportunities for you to advertise here too, and digital marketing is the best way to get noticed these days.
So, next time a pandemic strikes, do not ask, ‘Why me?’ but venture to appreciate, ‘What can I learn from this situation…’
Ramani Mani is the Director of COSMA, India, Founder Mani Group of Companies, Mani Sales, Load Controls, Modutec
For more information please visit below links:
– www.modutec.net
– www.loadcontrols.net
– www.manisales.net
