In the male-dominated automotive industry,Shobhana Ramachandhran stands out as a distinct personality. Her company TVS Srichakra, which sells tyres for two-wheelers and three wheelers under the brand name TVS Tyres continues to have a smooth sail on India roads. She has been at the helm of the company from 1986 after starting her journey at TVS Tyres as Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, in 1985. Under her leadership, TVS Tyres achieved phenomenal growth in 31 years to become one of the leading manufacturers of two and three-wheeler tyres in the country and also the number one supplier to two and three-wheeler vehicle manufacturers. Ramachandhran says, “I always wanted to work in the automotive industry. Although the percentage of men is rather high, after a while you don’t really think about it. For me, it’s always been about the tyres and leading a world class company focused on quality.”
So, what makes her a powerful boss? TVS Srichakra continues to grow at a healthy pace when many other players are having tough time competing with each other and of course the onslaught of cheap Chinese dumping which the industry has been complaining about in recent years. The company reported a near 90 per cent jump in net profits at 197.21 crore in FY15-16, up from 103.79 crore in the year-ago fiscal. The tyre market in India is highly competitive with the presence of both local players such as MRF, CEAT, Apollo and JK Tyres, as well as international players such as Bridgestone, Michelin and Continental.
She has played a significant role in the company’s brand-building strategy as well as expanding the market globally, for its Off-Road tyres supplied to more than 65 countries. As MD, she led TVS Srichakra to initiate TPM and brought on board Japanese consultants in technical and development activities. The company has two manufacturing plants at Madurai and at Pantnagar in Uttarakhand. It has also recently outlined a capital expenditure plan of nearly 160 crore to step up its manufacturing capacity from 2.3 million tyres a month to 2.5 million tyres a month.
Sales of motorcycles and scooters rose 40 per cent from 11.8 million in 2010-11 to 16.4 mn in 2015-16, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and Srichakra makes tyre for every manufacturer. TVS Srichakra also exports under the brand TVS Eurogrip. It supplies tyres to every OEM major in the two-and three-wheeler categories including Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, Yamaha, Mahindra and, of course, TVS Motors. TVS Srichakra has also entered into an agreement with Michelin to contract-manufacture tyres for the French company.
The MD, who holds a Master’s Degree in Literature is also known for her social responsibilities. She founded the Arogya Welfare Trust to facilitate inclusive and participative community development through healthcare, education, skill development, general hygiene and women empowerment in villages around Madurai.
Ramachandhran is also the chairperson of Lakshmi Vidya Sangham, a registered society formed by members of TVS family. The society provides quality education to 12,000 plus students enrolled in the nine institutions.
BW Reporters
The author is Senior Correspondent with BW Businessworld
