Pune, Maharashtra, India, April 2025 – Suresh Kalra has joined Aquapharm Chemical Limited as Chief Executive Officer, where he will lead global operations spanning Houston, Saudi Arabia, and India. In this strategic role, he is responsible for driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence across the company’s diverse specialty chemicals portfolio. His appointment marks a significant step in Aquapharm’s ongoing global expansion and operational integration under the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group.
Suresh Kalra most recently served as Managing Director – India & President – Asia Region at hubergroup, where he was part of the Executive Leadership Team and led P&L across India, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. Over his three-year tenure, he managed five large plants for inks and chemicals and seven subsidiaries. He had earlier served as Executive Director, contributing to the transformation of the global operations by integrating regional business strategies and optimizing the India site as a mother plant for global functions.
Prior to hubergroup, he had a distinguished eight-year career with SI Group, where he rose to become Managing Director and Vice President – Industrial Resin & Specialties. He held global SBU responsibilities and led the chemical intermediates business across the Asia Pacific. He was also on the Board of SI Group Singapore and Korea. His earlier role as Sr. Director – Sales & Marketing (Asia Pacific) saw him lead regional teams across India, China, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and ANZ, while also heading strategic sourcing and branding initiatives.
Earlier in his career, he held key leadership positions at Pidilite Industries as Vice President & Head – Construction Chemicals Division, where he successfully launched international technology partnerships and scaled the Dr. Fixit brand. At CETCO, he served as Managing Director, overseeing complete Indian operations and JV relationships. He also worked with Valvoline Cummins Ltd as Assistant Vice President, responsible for a USD 70 million topline and recognized for pioneering Six Sigma practices within the company. His stint at W.R. Grace as General Sales Manager – SW Asia saw him lead multicultural teams across 12 countries and serve as Executive Director on the board of Grace India.
In the initial years of his career, Suresh Kalra held sales leadership roles with Chevron, TotalEnergies, and SC Johnson, managing large territories in India and Nepal and laying the foundation for his expertise in chemicals, lubricants, and industrial solutions. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Planning and Management, where he earned his postgraduate diploma in business and marketing.
About Aquapharm Chemical Limited
Aquapharm Chemical Limited, part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group and a subsidiary of PCBL, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of phosphonates and a pioneer in specialty chemicals with a presence across more than 50 countries. Headquartered in Pune, India, Aquapharm has evolved into a multi-location, multi-product company, serving global leaders in water treatment, oilfield, construction, textiles, and institutional cleaning. With manufacturing units in India, Houston, and Saudi Arabia, and an 80% export footprint, the company is certified under ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, and maintains REACh, NSF, Halal, and Kosher compliance across its product lines.
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