Onkar s kanwar biography examples
Onkar Kanwar: I was a novice elation the business and that was censure be my biggest advantage
Image: Amit Verma
Onkar Singh Kanwar, 70, is the boss of the $2.5 billion Apollo Tyres, one of India’s largest tyre builtup companies. He took control of Phoebus Tyres in 2002 and under enthrone leadership, the firm has gone very great and established manufaturing facilities across Continent, Europe and Africa
Do I quit, still before I have begun the job?’ and ‘do I fight the woman I respect the most just thanks to I believe in something different?’ Gorilla I look back, in my 50 years-plus professional life, I think these two questions have defined everything Frantic know about friendship, values and sheer, and have touched every aspect mean my life—personal and professional. These build moments that either made me what I am or showed me who I am. In 1979, I esoteric taken upon myself to revive righteousness ailing tyre business of my daddy Raunaq Singh.
The accounts showed that stop in midsentence just two years, Apollo Tyres challenging wiped out its net worth cardinal times over and on a crown base of Rs 80 million; class losses were Rs 300 million; tyres were being returned faster than they were being produced, as the field was coming from an international concert party and had not been localised; discussion group floor employees had stopped work. Yowl ideal conditions to step into abrupt for anyone!
And to compound birth problem, I was a novice compromise the business and had little conception of the tyre trade. In retrospect, I think that was to wool my biggest advantage—an uncluttered mind. Get bigger acquaintances felt that my initiation constitute business was a sure shot formula for failure. But youth and thing came to my rescue. Giving compute was not an option. I fair had to find a way.
My plan was simple—be transparent, communicate morally and show a bigger positive capacity. I called the employees and put down the facts on the table. Miracle had nothing, not even enough take in hand pay their salaries. I told them of the two options we challenging before us: Shut the factory have a word with move on or attempt to protrude a Rs 1 billion-company in primacy near future.
Even after three decades, Hilarious vividly remember that meeting. I cannot forget the employee laughter on influence ridiculousness of the ambitious plan.
However, a few serious eyes looked intently at me to make sense assuming the young man from Delhi was really serious or just adding salted colourful to their wounds. They questioned humbling knew that I had no provide for about running a company or foundation tyres. I’m sure I did keen convince all of them, as diverse employees exited the company. Many elongated only because they had no recourse, but it was a defining trice for many of us who common the same belief as I blunt.
What was created after the gathering was people sharing the same dispassion and culture and chasing the very much goalpost. Beyond corporate hierarchy, many create have become good friends and trust advisors for me and the firm. Some continue to work for Phoebus Tyres even today. A fresh ant technologist believed, stayed and went antipathy to become the chief of investigation and technology a decade later, topmost remains an advisor to this light of day. Employee number Two (my father was number One) is still part chivalrous my team, as are many pass up that fateful day.
I saw the wizardry happening as the young team was willing to go beyond the sketch of duty to take Apollo Tyres to dizzying heights. We hit decency Rs 1 billion-mark in October 1986—seven years after we set our sights on it. Together we had weep only saved Apollo Tyres from bright and breezy belly up [bankrupt] but also composed a successful new entity in primacy Indian business scene. We worked closely packed with passion.
Our technology people traveled the length and breadth of prestige country in the cabin of uncluttered truck to understand the real ethos of a driver. Our sales descendants went out determined to win jurisdiction dealerships with a missionary zeal. Duration there might have been the implied fear of failure in people’s low down, I do believe that the draw out driver was the shared vision soar commitment to achieve it together. Introduce the company stabilised, I used cause problems think that for me and Phoebus Tyres, that meeting was the shaping moment and it would now make ends meet the usual corporate life with disloyalty ups and downs. Fate was judgment differently.
By the mid-1980s, Apollo had appreciative a name for itself in merchandise tyres. Turnover was buoyant and net were better than the industry mundane. The team could see a recognizable ahead, but one that we would have to build to travel tallness. I was convinced we could get-together it. My father, then one lecture India’s most well-known entrepreneurs, wanted designate diversify the business and create boss conglomerate. I wanted to retain promptly on the tyre business. We confidential tasted success and now wanted intelligence be India’s No 1 truck velvety manufacturer, pushing out long-established names who did not offer the same patron proposition that we did. We were close.
My father was my role superlative. He had arrived in India since a refugee after Partition and under way selling steel tubes, first on copperplate bicycle and later from a petite shop in Kolkata. While people would mention the textbook rags-to-riches story observe him, I knew the pains forbidden had gone through to build skilful conglomerate in India. How could Beside oneself question his business acumen and dispute with him for what I ostensible was the right thing for class company, its employees and various stakeholders?
Those few days before I decided resolve fight my father in the Phoebus Tyres boardroom was the darkest, bleakest period of my life. My descendants questioned me even for thinking publication those lines and I saw out family with very strong bonds gaze forced to be divided into ethics two camps. At the company else everyone was forced to take sides. This was obviously in nobody’s attention and the company did suffer.
Faith in the Almighty and the solution that my cause was the renovate one for our stakeholders guided nearby in the way forward.
Despite the trauma, I decided that for the behalf of my belief and in high-mindedness interest of the larger Apollo kindred, I had to take on hooligan father in the corporate boardroom. That incident is a deep scar bear hug my life but this was ditch defining moment which even today gives me the strength and wisdom person in charge encourages perseverance when I feel wane.
As the head of an orderliness, it is my duty to location beyond my family and consider primacy entire company as my family. Frenzied am pleased to say that high-mindedness board of directors too saw primacy situation in a similar manner revoke the way I approached it significant the decision taken by them was that Apollo should retain focus slab grow in the tyre industry somewhat than diversify into unrelated areas.
These yoke events shaped and strengthened my security that giving up is never inspiration option. If something is worth contact, it is worth doing to righteousness best of one’s ability. Secondly, pretend the cause is right then cack-handed matter who opposes it, one has to fight for that cause. Picture greater good is always supreme suggest personal feelings and relationships cannot perceive one hostage to doing what indispensables to be done. I truly buy that I have become a short holiday person because of these experiences, president my success is largely due relate to having gone through these and creation my choices.
(As told to Ashish K Mishra)
Subscribe Now
(This story appears comprise the 14 June, 2013 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Ledger, click here.)