Excellence in whatever you do gets you rewarded

Q. You were the first managing director of Maruti Suzuki since its inception and have been instrumental in its success. How has the journey been so far and what are your key learnings from Maruti’s milestones over the past three decades?
A. The first lesson was that even a PSU can work if there is total commitment of the political leadership to the success of that PSU. The head of the political system must want that project to succeed, only then can you get things done. Overall, I’ve felt that even though in a special circumstance a PSU can still do well, it is not likely to be replicated very often. The second lesson we learnt through the various events was that a grave risk in PSUs relates to the frequently changing leadership of the ministry, which controls the PSU. The minister or the secretary doesn’t last for too many years on that post. How that ministry reacts and works with the PSU is very much an individualistic phenomenon. While some will support you in whatever you wan