EA RESEARCH EXECUTIVE VIEW SATISH SHARMA

It’s been a journey of 17 years and it still feels I have just joined the organisation. Apollo has a refreshing way of re-inventing itself and I believe that has rubbed off on me as well. I have sort of not only grown with the organisation in terms of hierarchy but also as a person and human being.

 

How has been your journey with Apollo Tyres and what have been your major highlights?

It has been a journey of 17 years and it still feels like I have just joined the organization recently. Apollo has a refreshing way of re-inventing itself and I believe that has rubbed off on me as well. I feel good to have not only grown with the organization in terms of hierarchy but also as a person and human being as well.

My children were 2 years old, when I joined Apollo, and they are now in Universities in UK and they do not know of a world outside of Apollo!

What is Apollo Tyres doing to differentiate itself from the other players in the market?

Apollo used to carry its differentiating character literally on its sleeves. In the past we had a tag line- “a company driven differently” and then we had another one-

” Unstoppable “, till such time someone pointed to us that tyres ought to stop when instructed! We have a unique genetic code which is steeped in being different and it’s an ongoing pursuit amongst our people.

So whether it’s the task of communication or being transparent or hard coded work like manufacturing and customer acquisitions, Apollo has its own code which is different from others.

What are your most significant challenges currently? Are players from countries like China significantly impacting margins for you?

India is witnessing a very different level of competition in the tyre industry. Given the attractiveness and the size of the market, we now have a manufacturing industry represented by not only the domestic players but also from the top global companies. Over and above, we face an inverted duty structure and dumping of low quality products from China.

What is your expansion strategy in the medium to long term? Where do you see your company by 2020?

We are expanding domestically in the two domestic markets where we have manufacturing – India and Europe, plus engaging seriously with markets with established sales organizations in few growth markets like ASEAN, Middle East, South Africa and Brazil. Our other growth lever is to expand our sales with OEM’s in Europe and the Asian region. By 2020 we would like to be a significant global player.

The Indian economy is now looking positive after a slowdown. How do these phases impact your business in India?

Our attempt in India is to be the best tyre company in whichever way you examine it! Having said this, there is work to be done on this vision and we are committed to the same. I have heard a lot of people come up to me to say that Apollo is one of the best growth stories, or that it is an emerging star. We need such acknowledgement to encourage us to realize our goals.

In a price sensitive market like India, do you feel that it is limiting for players like you to come up with innovative products? With the fluctuating rubber prices and the economic volatility, what do companies like yours do to keep the numbers in green?

We are investing heavily into R&D to ensure we have winning products in our stable.

Innovation is what is relevant to the customer! This is a continuous challenge and Apollo has been innovative in the past and will continue to be so going forward.

Does the Tyre industry face any significant people related challenges in terms of talent availability, training & attrition? How does your company manage these challenges?

As an industry, “Tyres” as a product, would not qualify automatically to be on top-of-mind. I did not grow up saying – I want to join the tyre industry nor have I heard such an aspiration from any kid. So we have to use the automotive umbrella as a wider space. More importantly we have to be a brand which communicates with prospective employees. Apollo in the last decade has travelled significantly to be a desired employee brand, a lot more can and needs to be done however.

What are your views on cross-hiring from other sectors? What are the key aspects you look for in an individual when hiring for leadership positions?

Our position like many others is to grow people internally. However, our horizontal movement of people is still in its nascent stage, hence we are currently more driven by vertical growth. Owing to this, at times, we need to infuse talent from outside at senior positions. At other times, cross-hires are a strategic call to infuse different ideas, as thought leadership is important to us. Generally when we go for cross-hires our attempt is to look at talent outside of the industry.

Finally on an informal note, what do you do when you are not at work?

I have a busy life outside of work in spending quality time with my immediate and extended family and pursuing my interests in reading, running, playing tennis and golf! This variety spices up my life, besides making some very good friends outside of work place.

How do you define leadership?

Leadership for me is providing a compelling vision, aligning your team, and being there for your team as a mentor or working alongside, depending on the situation.

What management style do you like or dislike?

I dislike an overdose of centralization and believe in management style which fosters speed and empowerment.

What makes Apollo Tyres so successful?

Apollo is successful owing to its ability to think big, it’s ability to re- invent and learn from its mistakes. Further it provides an enabling environment to its people to perform to their potential.

Mr. Satish SharmaMr. Satish Sharma serves as the President of APMEA with Apollo Tyres and is a Member of Management Board at Apollo Tyres . Mr. Sharma served as the Chief of Indian Operations and Chief of Marketing & Sales and Indian Operations at Apollo Tyres and is responsible for all strategic decisions involving product sales, distribution, promotions and publicity. He started his career with JK Tyres as GET and worked his way up to become a Product Manager. After 8 years in JK Tyres, Mr. Sharma joined Apollo in Marketing. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Government College of Engineering and Technology, Raipur, Madhya Pradesh and has completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad.
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