CHARTING THE COURSE OF LEADERSHIP:
AN INSIGHTFUL CONVERSATION WITH RPG’S NEW VICE- CHAIRMAN, ANANT GOENKA

In October 2023, RPG Group announced the elevation of Anant Goenka as Vice Chairman of the Group. Anant has over 20 years of experience, including Managing Director & CEO of CEAT through a transformative 10-year period from 2012 to 2023, during which the company saw a 25X increase in market capitalisation, received Lighthouse recognition by the World Economic Forum and won the prestigious Deming Grand Prize in 2023, making it the first tyre company in the world to receive this accolade. He has also worked at KEC and Hindustan Unilever. Anant has been recognised by Forbes as the “Next Generation Business Leader of the Year” in 2017 and as “India’s 40 under 40 Business Leaders” by Economic Times-Spencer Stuart. He is also the recipient of “Kabiller Science of Empathy Prize” from the Kellogg School of Management.

In an intimate interaction, Anant shared with us the tapestry of his professional journey and the leadership experiences that shaped him into the leader he is today. He seamlessly wove together personal experiences, leadership lessons, and philosophical reflections, while sharing his vision for the future.

HERE ARE THE EXCERPTS:

A JOURNEY OF LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP:

As we delved into the chronicles of Anant's professional odyssey, the narrative unfolded seamlessly. From his early days as a trainee at Hindustan Unilever and as Territory Manager - Sales at CEAT to his role as the Managing Director of the company, Anant traced the trajectory of his career with a distinctive mix of simplicity and depth.

In his own words, "It's been a personally very fulfilling journey of learning." This sets the tone for a story that spans diverse roles, from Territory Manager to Managing Director, reflecting not just career milestones but a profound evolution in leadership. Anant's leadership philosophy has crystallised over the years. His initial years were marked by building management skills, understanding the intricacies of business functions and honing his emotional intelligence. "The importance of emotional quotient and the evolving course of leadership," he mused, hinting at the transformative phase in his journey.

One intriguing facet revealed itself as we explored his leadership challenges — managing a workforce often senior in age. Anant admitted to grappling with doubt initially, but his journey from doubt to confidence unfolded organically. "I started at the bottom, which helped me earn the respect of a lot of my peers over time," he shared, emphasising the value of leading by example.

The conversation took a turn towards the emotional landscape of Anant's professional journey including some fond memories of achievements like winning the coveted Best Company Award at the Annual RPG Awards and receiving the prestigious Deming Prize. Anant vividly painted the celebratory atmosphere that lingered after months of hard work.

Yet, the story wouldn't be complete without acknowledging the challenges. Anant shared two significant hurdles — one personal, overcoming the fear of public speaking, and the other organisational, navigating a product issue in Truck Radial Tyres. Both tales underscored lessons in resilience, adaptability, and the importance of listening to customers.

Anant recalls, “I remember each time I had to go up and speak in front of an audience, it was a big challenge. But over the years, I worked on myself and applied various processes to overcome this fear. I would sometimes memorise speeches, prepare 6-10 hours, try different ways of speaking, and also underwent extensive training, all of which have helped me grow out of the fear and speak publicly more often.”

Another key lesson Anant shares is on customer centricity. “We had just launched a new product for Truck Radials, introducing a new technology for the company as well as the market. While we assumed the customers would use our Radials for normal loading levels. We did not anticipate the fact that in India, we generally do a lot of overloading beyond the norms. Thus, our tyres began to fail, as we continued to try and control the application of the tyres, rather than understand the needs of the customers. It took us a long time to accept this feedback from the market, and to course correct to provide a customer-centric solution.”

As the conversation pivoted towards Anant's recent role as Vice Chairman, he outlined his priorities eloquently. The canvas broadened to encompass Group Strategy, CEAT, Zensar, KEC and the new venture, Asvata. Anant expressed a commitment to steering the group towards purpose and values while driving mergers and acquisitions.

His top priorities today are: sustaining a purpose-led group with strong people & customer centricity and fostering growth through strategic acquisitions, focusing on premiumisation for CEAT and differentiate Zensar in the Engagement, Experience and Engineering space.

ADAPTING THROUGH THE DECADES:

Reflecting on RPG Group's history, Anant painted a compelling narrative of evolution. The group, tracing its roots to the 1830s, transformed from traders to moneylenders to a thriving conglomerate. Anant summed up the transformation concisely, stating, "The group has always moved with the times."

Highlighting the shifting paradigms, he noted the group's journey from prioritising revenue in the 80s, profit in the 90s and early 2000s, to market capitalisation in the last 10 decades, and now, emphasising stakeholder importance such as customer-centricity, employee-centricity, over shareholder primacy. The narrative flowed seamlessly, drawing a portrait of a group agile in its adaptation to changing times.

The conversation concluded with Anant sharing his personal leadership philosophy. Drawing inspiration from various mentors and experiences, he highlighted the delicate balance between humility and confidence, while remaining authentic as an individual. Listening emerged as a cornerstone, with Anant emphasising the importance of asking the right questions, providing clarity, and simplifying complex issues.

LEGACY AND LEARNINGS: THE GOENKA INFLUENCE:

The interview drew to a close with Anant reflecting the legacy he hopes to carry forward. From his grandfather, Dr RP Goenka, he seeks to inherit humility and simplicity. From his father, Harsh Goenka, the focus on people-centricity stands out as a guiding principle. Anant mused on the subtle influence of family values, acknowledging the impact of the environment in shaping his leadership identity.

He shared, “My grandfather had a lot of courage, he took a lot of decisions from his gut. Today, all of us with MBA degrees get lost in the analysis but he would make the same decision in seconds. The trust that he placed in people was very high, whether it was in his people or partners, and that's what led us to become a Group which had a lot of successful joint ventures.”

He also acknowledged the mentorship he received early on in his career which has shaped him today and helped cultivate his leadership style. “From my first boss at KEC, RD Chandak, I learnt a lot about empowerment. From Paras Choudhary who was my boss at CEAT, I learnt how to motivate people.”

In an intimate and reflective conversation, Anant opened the doors to his world — filled with leadership insights, personal reflections, and the enduring legacy of RPG Group. The story of RPG Group’s newly appointed Vice Chairman is a professional journey woven with the threads of resilience, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of growth.