Onkar S Kanwar: Proud To Create A Global Company

Onkar S Kanwar, chairman of Apollo Tyres Ltd, reveals the story of his life and his journey as an entrepreneur. His biography "The Man Behind the Wheel" was launched recently.

What do you regret the most?
My only regret is that I am in the time that one can do many things. India is now an open economy. When I started, it was an era of controlled economy and we couldn't grow at the speed one wanted to grow.

One thing that you are proud of?
I am proud to create a global company and imbibe family values amidst so many cultures and at the same time make them feel as it is their own company.

What is the most cherished aspect in your biography 'The Man Behind The Wheel'?
The only thing that can be cherished is people's passion and working as a team.

Your views on the current industrial scenario in India?
As per the GDP growth, temporarily we may have a setback but in the long run I'm very optimistic. India has a great future. This is the only country that will grow at a rate of 7-8 percent. It may take one or two more quarters but it will show continuous growth. Though, we are short of infrastructure but our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading from the front. We have to build railways, roads, and the Minister of Railways is working to improve the basic services and efficiency of the system, have less rail accidents, and at the same time provide comfort to the passengers. In terms of roads, we have a dynamic minister aiming to develop road infrastructure. I believe the roads are being built at 20 km a day, if the speed continues and goes upto 30-40 km then we are in for a great boom.

India is a continent of 29 states and we need to get connected. A lot of challenges need to be addressed. There are short term challenges like demonetisation but in the long run it will definitely benefit the country.

Your take on demonetisation?
It is a great scheme but the implementation has been poor. India has a lot of informal employment like micro fellows and vendors. Certain industry which employs contract labour has been badly hit. Hopefully, the government will address these issues and will be able to overcome soon.

Any message for young entrepreneurs?
One must have passion with patience and perseverance. Life is not straight, it's like weather. One day is cold, the other day is hot. There are lots of ups and downs. One must rise and fall with time only then he's a winner.