The company is a key manufacturer of quality steel products for several purposes, with a total manufacturing capacity of over 1,000,000mt yearly and a diversified full-fledged manufacturing plant in Dubai, UAE
Ever since its establishment, Conares has been fulfilling the rising industry requirements for steel rebars and pipes, with a major focus on infrastructure development. Bharat Bhatia, Founder & CEO of Conares spoke to The Zone regarding the approach adopted by Conares to drive growth and expansion in the manufacturing industry. He highlighted the use of advanced technologies to ensure long-term and sustainable growth of the manufacturing industry, and also shared some key figures that portray the success of Conares over the years.
How has Conares contributed to the smart transformation of the UAE’s industrial sector?
In line with global trends, the UAE is at the forefront in speeding up the adoption of advanced technologies in its industrial sector. Industries are the only way forward for the long-term, sustainable growth of any economy in the world. They create innumerable employment opportunities in line with the business evolution, infrastructure investment, increased consumption and individual purchasing power, resulting in greater economic growth. As a major industrial manufacturer in the country, we are pleased to be a part of the UAE’s gradual shift towards the industrial sector as its backbone for growth.
In your opinion, how actively has digitalisation played a role in maxim- ising the efficiency of the industrial sector?
We are envisioning, creating and managing our digitisation initiatives to capture the real value from the latest applications. Our digitalisation in production ensures visibility of real-time operational data and provides insight for better and faster decision-making along the value chain, ensuring quality, flexibility and enhancing productivity. The digitalisation promises transformational improvements everywhere, from our production line to logistics networks. We are adopting IoT to introduce smart technologies that will greatly improve and streamline our manufacturing process.
What strategies has Conares adopted to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving market?
We want to dedicate our growth story of the decade to our committed workers, as they constantly strive to make Conares one of the top three steel manufacturers contributing to the growth of the nation. We leveraged innovation and our resources to implement the best practices in manufacturing, which opened our capabilities to meet the demand in the market. For the next 10 years, we have planned a range of measures to improve productivity, optimise our supply chain and auto- mate processes.
We have also taken several sustainable measures for our operations and will continue to invest in renewable energy. In this regard, the company is amongst the leading steel manufacturers having a low carbon footprint with emphasis on 5R’s and zero waste disposal.
- One of the top 3 steel manufacturers in the UAE
- Over 10 million tonnes of steel handled over 10 years
- 1,000,000MT of steel products manufactured annually
How has your collaboration with DP World benefitted Conares?
DP World and Conares recently collaborated to contribute to the UAE’s “Operation 300bn” initiative. As a leading enabler of trade, DP World successfully facilitated Conares’ export of rebars from Dubai to North America for the first time, by utilising its global footprint and integrated product offerings. DP World carried out the export of 75,000 metric tonnes of rebar for Conares, shipping the consignment from the Jebel Ali Port to North America. The rebars that were manufactured at Conares’ facility in the industrial sector of Jafza were exported internationally for the first time with end-to-end handling of the cargo by Jebel Ali Port Operations. This first-of-its-kind operation opened doors for many more such business operations.
The export shipment is a step towards supporting the national goal. It also showcases our commitment towards the same causes that DP World endorses.
The market value of Conares’ assets exceeds AED 1.5 billion and is expected to cross AED 2 billion per annum in the next few years.
Would you like to throw some light on the major milestones achieved by Conares in the UAE?
Conares aligns its model to support the industrial goals of the nation. Our recent export from Jebel Ali Port to North America coincides with the Conares’ 10th anniversary of its rebar mill. Over 10 years, Conares has handled 10 million tonnes of steel and achieved AED 10 billion in revenue.
Conares has helped in building megaprojects projects like the Etihad Rail, Abu Dhabi Midfield Terminal, Expo 2020, Dubai Metro, Dubai Opera, and Museum of the Future, to name a few. The company is among the top steel rebar mills, operating round the clock to serve the UAE’s upcoming projects in infrastructure development and industrial sectors. The market value of Conares’ assets exceeds AED 1.5 billion and is expected to cross AED 2 billion per annum in the next few years.
Our growth and presence in international markets has also been remarkable. Currently, we are in the process of developing new mar- kets for our products. We are keen on helping the ‘Made in UAE’ brand reach new heights, and export products manufactured in the UAE and across the globe.
How has your presence in Jafza helped in the growth of your business?
Conares has been in the steel trading business since its inception in 1988 with its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility headquartered in Jafza since 2000. The company was also the highest-grossing company in terms of trade volume in Jafza’s Metal & Steel segment in 2019.
It is significant for us to be part of a strong free zone such as Jafza. We need a partner that understands our varied and complex business needs, and Jafza’s global connectivity and advanced business operating framework help us navigate through our business here with ease. With the government safeguarding industrial interests, more industries are being encouraged to come forward and set up their businesses in free zones that offer several facilities.
Conares has been recognised as a premier producer of quality steel in massive quantities from Dubai, the strategic hub between the East and the West. Today, Conares is confident in its position as a leading industrial manufacturer worth USD 500 million in terms of market value of its assets and 750 employees. We started with a humble beginning in the steel manufacturing sector in 1997, stepping into steel production of steel pipes and tubes in 2005, and launching our steel rebar mill in 2011, further enhancing our pipe mill in 2015, and launching color-coated steel mill in 2020.
In 2020, we obtained the licence under the FDI regulations and are committed to invest in a state-of-art steel facility with a capacity to manufacture 100,000 metric tonnes of steel. It feels great to hold a Dubai FDI licence to own an industrial manufacturing unit in the UAE’s mainland.
How has Conares contributed to the UAE’s economic growth?
Conares is now the second-largest steel manufacturer in the UAE. We have always aligned our model to support the industrial goals of the nation and consistently worked towards making each of them a reality. The company has continuously been evolving with the region’s growth and requirements. The company’s growth has remained on a positive trajectory for three decades of its operations, helping it cross significant steel industry growth milestones. This will also al- low us to operate on a larger scale across the Arab Region.