The Ex- Gillette and HUL Veteran, Anil Dua has been an important pillar in the Hero Honda growth story. Dua takes Pawan Chabra through many personal and professional chapters of his life
Anil Dua
Senior Vice President-Sales, Marketing and Customer Care, Hero Honda
When Anil Dua, Senior Vice President – Sales, Marketing and Customer Care, Hero Honda decided to move from the FMCG industry to the automotive industry, he had already realised the fact that while it will be a shift from the industry that he works in, the business and marketing principles will still be the same. He candidly accepts in a chat with us in Hero Honda’s Gurgaon plant in the state of Haryana, “I have been able to adapt to the FMCG environment and apply it to the automotive industry.” For the records, Dua moved to Hero Honda in 2006 after spending a valuable span of 16 years with Hindustan Unilever. It is to be mentioned here that Anil Dua entered the Hero Honda family at a time when its arch rival, Bajaj Auto was very close to overtaking it as the largest player in the Indian two-wheeler industry. Dua recollects, “As we decided to focus on the top-lines rather than bottom-lines, the strategy paid off in no time.”
While the formula to success was to chase revenues and the assumption was that profits will follow suit, the company has been able to get its cards right and Dua has played a vital role in this whole exercise. He says, “My leadership style is in a way inspired from Bhagavad-Gita as it teaches to focus on the means by which the ends will take care of themselves.” Clearly, Hero Honda has also followed a similar path over the past few years. Dua ensured that despite the fact that Hero Honda launched close to 15-16 models in a total in its 20 years of existence, since 2006, it has been able to launch 9-10 new models or variants every year for the past four years now. But the success story goes beyond the aggressive launches that have been made by the company. Be it the network expansion plan under which the company has taken its touch points figure from the year 2000 mark in 2006 to more than 4500 recently or the aggressive advertising that the company has been doing for the past few years, it has surely been hitting the sweet spot of the Indian consumer. “We were already standing on a firm wicket and with a brand that has been nurtured with utmost care for many years, what we have done is we have touched new heights standing on that firm wicket in the last four years,” says Dua.
Dua as a person has always been on his toes to ensure that the company and his brand are on the top of the mind of the Indian consumer. When asked on how he maintains a healthy work-life balance, Dua answers in a flash, “The biggest personal accomplishment has been that me along with other members of the management have been able to convince the company to move to a five days a week format rather than the earlier six days a week and we have been working 5 days a week since April 13, 2009.” In fact, Dua ensures that he does not take his work home even if it demands spending a few more hours in office to ensure that he spends quality time with his family on weekends. “I do not carry a laptop to home and carry it back. Although, BlackBerry makes up for it but I ensure that I give time to my wife and my two boys,” shares Dua. On a usual weekend, apart from spending time on common hobbies like crosswords, cricket, tennis and movies with his family, Dua likes meeting friends and visiting his parents often. Hero Honda, as a company, on the other end also provides a couple of opportunities where families can be involved within the work frame. Be it the family day that the company hosts once a year or the hockey and cricket matches that the company participates in, it surely is a support to its employees to ensure that they devote time to their families as well. “The Hero Honda family day is a great platform where all the families get together and quickly get to know each other. It kind of gives a moral support that everyone is sailing in the same boat and are equally busy,” adds Dua.
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again.....
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
