I came across this very interesting interview of Rajiv Bajaj in a magazine. It is big eye opener to all those who think that u need a year or 2 of experience before u can be given responsibilities. I have pasted some of the very interesting highlights below
What was the first new product out of Chakan plant?
It was the Pulsar.
How's Pulsar doing now?
Pulsar averages about 3 lakh units a year. At an average price of Rs 40,000, it's an over Rs-1,000 crore brand.
Chakan was really the manufacturing turnaround for Bajaj Auto?
The Pulsar was developed by a totally different team, which is now our R&D team.
You overhauled the whole supplier base.
The entire supplier chain. We had, at that time, 855 suppliers. We are less than 200 now. About 150 out of these 200 are new.
The people changes you made were from the level of vice-presidents and above.
Yes. Almost everybody. I couldn't sack my father. But mostly, everybody else. Out of the 800 people at Chakan, 750 or 770 were fresh -- they just had a clean slate, an open mind and were committed to do well -- and about 30 of our experienced people who I put there with these young management trainees.
How long would it have taken to reach the quality levels in your older plants?
The quality levels that Chakan achieved in six months' time were achieved by the Aurangabad plant after about 12 years.
How did you gear up R&D to compete with a Honda or a Yamaha?
The average age there(Kawasaki R&D)is 26 or 27. The engineer does not require experience. You need people with imagination. Our R&D today is 113 people. The average age is under 30.
Where else do you see yourself at an advantage?
Today, our competition is really the Japanese, but Honda is pre-occupied with cars now, Yamaha is looking very unsteady, Suzuki is also caught up with the small cars. The other are the Chinese who are very good at cost but not so good at quality and technology. We have the opportunity to deliver the Japanese quality at the Chinese price. Such an opportunity doesn't come often.
What is Bajaj Auto's global gameplan?
in a global market of 30 million vehicles we should sell 9 million.
Full article is availale here
http://www.businessworldindia.com/aug0904/indepth02.asp
What was the first new product out of Chakan plant?
It was the Pulsar.
How's Pulsar doing now?
Pulsar averages about 3 lakh units a year. At an average price of Rs 40,000, it's an over Rs-1,000 crore brand.
Chakan was really the manufacturing turnaround for Bajaj Auto?
The Pulsar was developed by a totally different team, which is now our R&D team.
You overhauled the whole supplier base.
The entire supplier chain. We had, at that time, 855 suppliers. We are less than 200 now. About 150 out of these 200 are new.
The people changes you made were from the level of vice-presidents and above.
Yes. Almost everybody. I couldn't sack my father. But mostly, everybody else. Out of the 800 people at Chakan, 750 or 770 were fresh -- they just had a clean slate, an open mind and were committed to do well -- and about 30 of our experienced people who I put there with these young management trainees.
How long would it have taken to reach the quality levels in your older plants?
The quality levels that Chakan achieved in six months' time were achieved by the Aurangabad plant after about 12 years.
How did you gear up R&D to compete with a Honda or a Yamaha?
The average age there(Kawasaki R&D)is 26 or 27. The engineer does not require experience. You need people with imagination. Our R&D today is 113 people. The average age is under 30.
Where else do you see yourself at an advantage?
Today, our competition is really the Japanese, but Honda is pre-occupied with cars now, Yamaha is looking very unsteady, Suzuki is also caught up with the small cars. The other are the Chinese who are very good at cost but not so good at quality and technology. We have the opportunity to deliver the Japanese quality at the Chinese price. Such an opportunity doesn't come often.
What is Bajaj Auto's global gameplan?
in a global market of 30 million vehicles we should sell 9 million.
Full article is availale here
http://www.businessworldindia.com/aug0904/indepth02.asp
posted by Ajay S. at
9:09 AM
1 Comments:
Hi, I saw one comment from you in Sharikou's blog, wanted to tell you that it was very insightful to address the lack of purpose in Intel work environment.
You may reach me at my blog, chicagrafo.blogspot
By
Eddie, at June 19, 2006 at 8:10 PM
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