In an era where technology is reshaping industries, SRF Limited, a leading Indian multi-business chemicals conglomerate, is at the forefront of digital transformation, leveraging cloud computing and advanced IT infrastructure to enhance business efficiency. With a strong global presence and operations spanning eleven manufacturing plants in India and three international locations, SRF exports to over 90 countries, driving innovation across industries such as fluorochemicals, specialty chemicals, packaging films, and technical textiles.
Sanjay Rao, President, Group CIO & Shared Services Head at SRF, shares insights on the company’s strategic IT investments and the pivotal role of cloud infrastructure in enabling scalability, security, and innovation.
Laying the foundation for a digital future
SRF has embarked on a journey to build a robust, future-ready IT ecosystem. A crucial aspect of this transformation is the development of a data warehouse, which serves as the backbone for multiple business applications, including generative AI models, seamless integrations, and secure data exchange with government portals, taxation authorities, customers, suppliers, and logistics providers.
“In today’s interconnected business landscape, integration is no longer optional—it’s essential,” says Sanjay Rao. “We recognised the need to move to the cloud to create a scalable, secure environment that allows us to innovate and grow without hindrance,” he adds.
The power of cloud: Performance, security, and scalability
SRF’s transition to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) was driven by the need to overcome performance bottlenecks in its on-premise infrastructure. Scalability was a major concern, and cloud solutions provided the flexibility to scale operations dynamically.
“Our on-premise infrastructure had limitations, especially when it came to performance and security,” explains Rao, pointing out that, “By moving to OCI, we’ve been able to address these challenges effectively. For instance, report generation times have improved by 5x, and backup processes that once took six to seven hours now complete in just one hour.”
Security was another critical factor in the transition. On-premise security investments had their limitations, prompting SRF to implement a more robust security framework on the cloud. “We’ve created separate security zones for core applications, databases, and external management systems, ensuring controlled access and minimising vulnerabilities,” says Rao. “With OCI, we’ve optimised network communication, eliminated security loopholes, and ensured that our IT environment is fully patched and up to date before going live.”
Optimising costs and maximising innovation
Beyond performance and security enhancements, cloud adoption has led to significant cost optimisations. “Previously, our on-premise infrastructure required extensive resources, leading to higher licensing costs for databases. By shifting to cloud infrastructure, we’ve optimised resource utilisation, reducing costs and redirecting the savings toward more innovative projects,” he states.
Uptime and system availability have also seen significant improvements. “Maintaining high availability was a challenge with our on-premise data centres. With the cloud, we now have full redundancy and disaster recovery solutions, ensuring near 100% uptime for critical business applications and guaranteeing business continuity,” he points out.
The road ahead: AI, automation, and data analytics
SRF ’s digital transformation journey is far from over. Looking ahead, the company is poised to leverage AI-driven automation, large language models, and advanced data analytics to enhance efficiencies across its operations.
“We’ve built a strong foundation, but the next phase involves harnessing AI and automation to streamline manual processes and improve business efficiencies,” says Rao, adding further, “By working closely with Oracle’s technology teams and our internal application teams, we aim to deliver a superior user experience and enable our employees to create higher value for customers.”
With a well-structured IT roadmap in place, SRF is not just embracing the future—it is building it. As digital transformation continues to evolve, the company’s commitment to innovation, efficiency, and security ensures that it remains at the cutting edge of technological advancements in the industry.
