Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan

(Vice Chairman, CII Karnataka State Council 2022-23 Managing Director Kennametal India Limited)

Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan is the Managing Director of Kennametal India Limited (KIL) since September 2020. The company is an Indian subsidiary of Kennametal Inc., a US based multinational and industrial technology leader in materials science, tooling, and wear-resistant solutions for customers across the aerospace, earthworks, energy, general engineering, and transportation industries. He spearheads the Infrastructure business of Kennametal Inc. for the APAC region in addition to his role as the MD of KIL. Prior to joining KIL, he has accumulated over 23 years of experience in strategic and operational leadership roles, both in India and globally across reputed organizations like Saint Gobain and 3M. To name a few, he was the Global Portfolio Leader for Disposal Respirators; APAC Business Development Manager – 3M Personal Safety Division; Executive Director – Safety and Graphics Business, 3M India; Executive Director – Strategic Planning, 3M India, and Vice President – Abrasives systems Division, 3M India. He has led several change management and organizational development initiatives to excel in the competitive business environment with strong focus on customers and promoting growth and sustainability. In his current role, he is leading efforts to drive growth for Kennametal in India and create value for its stakeholders through manufacturing excellence, financial prudence and enhancing Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) standards for the company. Vijaykrishnan is a Graduate of Madras University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA with specialization in Marketing. Apart from his leadership roles, Vijaykrishnan is an Executive Committee Member of Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA). He is also the Convener of Environment and Sustainability panel, CII Karnataka and part of the State Council.