Bike India – August 2019

VenuSrinivasanisoneofthepillars

oftheIndiantwo-wheelergiantthat

TVSMotorCompanyistoday.His

passionforthisfieldwasevident

fromhisschooldayswhenheused

toworkasa mechanic.Henurtured

thatpassionintohigherstudiesand

graduatedasanengineerfromtheUniversityofMadras.After

thathewentabroadtosecurea degreeinmanagementfromthe

PurdueUniversityintheUS.

Inthelate1970s,hereturnedtoIndiaandtookupa jobat

SundaramClaytonLtdbeforemovingontoTVSMotorabout

sevenyearslater.Whenhetookover,hehadtofacea lotof

challenges,includingbutnotlimitedtolabourissues,a strained

relationshipwithSuzukiandthelike.Notonlydidheresolve

thoseproblemsbuthealsoturnedaroundthecompany’sfortune.

HecanalsoproudlysaythatTVSRacingistheoldestIndian

manufacturerthatisactiveintheracingsceneeventothisday,

boastingofa rich30-plus-yearexperienceanda smallarmyof

nationalchampions.Underhisleadership,TVSRacingisnow

present(andtastingsuccess)inglobaleventssuchasthe

formidableDakar.

ShoebFarooqtookoverthereinsof

TriumphMotorcyclesIndia

followingthedepartureofVimal

Sumblylastyear.Farooqhasbeen

partoftheBritishbrandeversince

it enteredtheIndianmarketand,

togetherwithSumbly,was

responsibleforcreatingthepositiveimageandfan-following

thatTriumphenjoyinIndia.

Farooqspenta numberofyearsworkinginsales,when,forfive

years,heworkedwithUshaInternationalasassistantmanager

(sales)andthenfornineyearsatBajajAutowherehewasthe

regionalsalesmanager,MadhyaPradeshandChhattisgarh.

ShoebFarooqhasdoneMasterofBusinessAdministrationat

theInstituteofProfessionalEducationandResearch,Bhopal.

Thelastyearwasa verybusyonefortheBritishmotorcycle

manufacturersinIndiawitha numberofnewreleasesbeing

overseenbyShoebFarooq.TriumphlaunchedthenewStreet

TwinandStreetScramblerand,soonthereafter,theSpeedTwin

andScrambler1200.Inaddition,theiradventureridesand

trainingeventsattractsizeableparticipationandtheTigerseries

continuestohavea strongfan-following.

Ina majormove,SuzukiMotor

Corporationhaverevampedtheir

organizationalstructuretomake

themotorcyclebusinessmore

agile.Closerhome,Suzuki

MotorcyclesIndiaalsowitness

someimportantchangesasthe

IndianarmappointedKoichiro

HiraoasthenewPresidentinAprilthisyear.Priortothis,Hirao

sanwastheGroupManager,ASEANMotorcycleGroup,

MotorcycleOperations,onaccountofwhichheisalready

familiarwiththebrand’sIndianoperations.HesucceedsSatoshi

Uchida,whohasnowbecometheManagingOfficerinchargeof

SuzukiMotorcycles’marketinginIndia.

Underhisableleadership,Suzukilaunchedtwopremium

motorcycles,theV-Strom650XTandGSX-S750,aswellasa new

entry-levelfairedbike,theGixxerSF250.Allthreemotorcycles

havebeenwelllikedandaddtothecompany’sappealinthe

country.SuzukiwerealsothefirsttointroducetheRedBullRoad

toRookiesCup,a steppingstonetoMotoGP,alongsidetheir

entryintotheIndianracingscenewiththeirGixxerone-make

championship.WiththeexperiencedHiraosanatthehelm,

SuzukiMotorcycleIndiaareexpectedtogetgreatertractionin

thechallengingIndiantwo-wheelermarket

venuSRinivaSan

ShoeBfaRooq

koiChiRohiRao

Chairman&MD,TVSMotorLimited

MD,TriumphMotorcycles(India)PvtLtd

MD,SuzukiMotorcyclesIndiaPvtLtd(SMIPL)

POWER PERSONALITIES

98 Bike India august 2019 http://www.bikeindia.in