From Shop Floor Management to Global Glass Advisory: The Journey of Sharad Chandra
Sharad Chandra’s journey of more than 35 years in the glass industry is a story of technical mastery, leadership and a sustained commitment to creating practical value.
Beginning his career in 1986 after completing his M.Tech. in Ceramics & Glass from BHU, Mr. Chandra built his expertise from the fundamentals of glass technology application, management of glass manufacturing process to operational excellence. His professional training record includes structured programmes in Canada (PPG), Indonesia (Philips), Brazil and France (Saint-Gobain), and Belgium, an international grounding that few glass-industry professionals of his generation can match. Over the years, he progressed through leadership roles with Gujarat Glass, L&T, Haldyn Glass, Saint-Gobain, Philips and Emirates Float Glass, gaining experience across container, float, solar and specialty glass. He has held direct operational leadership roles in India and the United Arab Emirates, and has delivered consulting engagements in Kenya, Rwanda, and across the Indian subcontinent. This global exposure, combined with over a decade of independent advisory work for multinational and blue-chip clients, positions him as a bridge between international glass technology standards and the practical realities of manufacturing and project execution in emerging markets.
His leadership has extended beyond plant operations to some of the industry’s most significant greenfield and transformation projects. He contributed to the successful start-up of 600 TPD float glass plants in India and Abu Dhabi and led project and manufacturinSg responsibilities involving investments exceeding USD 280 million and Rs. 2,300 crore.
In 2021, he founded Glass Biz Solutions, transforming decades of hands-on industry experience into an independent consulting practice. Since then, he has served as an industry expert and advisor to leading organisations including Ernst & Young, Mott MacDonald, Arthur D. Little and Schott Glass India, supporting techno-economic studies, due diligence, project execution, operational improvement and raw-material development across India, Africa and the Middle East.
A notable contribution has been his work in developing Bhuj sand for glass manufacturing, converting a previously unusable by-product of China clay production into a viable glass-industry raw material. He is currently working on R&D of semiconductor grade silica sand. Today, through Glass Biz Solutions, Mr. Chandra continues to help glass businesses improve technology, operations, talent and project outcomes. His journey represents a rare blend of shop-floor understanding, strategic vision and global industry leadership, turning experience into enduring impact.
