The Man Of Metal: Chaitanya Jalan, Executive Director, Ramkrishna Forgings Limited For Chaitanya Jalan there was no one big moment that defined his early memories in the family business.

In India, what was once a traditional sector only, has now transcended into a global powerhouse. The automotive division, infrastructural push, and increased exports have been powering the forging industry's growth over the years.

Ramkrishna Forgings, founded in 1981, is today a global force in the metal forming industry and is known for supplying forged, machined & fabricated products. Success over the years has been fueled by upgrading processes, adopting the best-in-class technology and the strong focus on talent management.

For Chaitanya Jalan there was no one big moment that defined his early memories in the family business — it was more like a mix of small things that quietly shaped him. Jalan is the executive director of the company.

One of the watershed moments in the business arrived when Jalan introduced warm and cold forging at scale.

"Looking back, a few decisions really changed our path. Introducing warm and cold forging at scale was one of them. It was not easy, but it opened up precision-intensive sectors for us — from EVs and passenger vehicles to railways and aerospace," said Jalan.

Then company then shifted gears in the railway segment, "We moved from supplying components to delivering entire undercarriage systems for LHB and Vande Bharat trains. The forged wheel plant in Chennai is the next leap — it is something that will put India on the global map for wheel and axle manufacturing. And setting up our first overseas unit in Mexico was another defining moment. It gave us a presence close to North American OEMs and made us a truly global supplier. Each of these steps came with risk, but they also helped redefine us as a company," he added.

Diversification for him is not about chasing too many things — it is about widening expertise where it makes sense. The forged wheel project in Chennai is a major milestone — it is one of the largest in Asia and helps India reduce its dependence on imports. "At the same time, our work in aluminium forging positions us well for the EV and new mobility markets. Lightweight materials are the future, and we are building capacity there. The goal is simple — to build a company that can serve across industries and geographies, with the same consistency."

Legacy for him is a living thing. It is not about preserving what's old — it is about keeping the intent behind it alive. "My father and grandfather built the company on strong values: integrity, discipline, and quality. My role is to carry that forward, but with different tools. We have brought automation into our lines, introduced robotics, digitalised a lot of our systems, and used AI for process monitoring. But none of it replaces the fundamentals. It just strengthens them. For me, that's how you power legacy — by keeping the essence intact but letting the form evolve," he concluded.

Ramkrishna Forgings caters to diverse sectors such as automotive, railways, farm equipment, earth moving, mining & construction, oil & gas, power and general engineering.

Age- 27

Current turnover- In FY25, the company reported consolidated revenues of 4034 crores, while Q1FY26 revenue being 1015 crores.

Number Of Employees- 2700+