Shashank Shrivastava | Top Leaders In Tech & Auto

Ex: One book you keep coming back to.                                                        Shashank: “Thinking, fast & slow “ by Daniel Kahneman

Ex: When will you say you have fulfilled all your goals?
Shashank: When I reach heaven and get all the secrets of the universe from God!

Ex: When have you failed and how did you overcome it I fail every day.  Shashank:  The way to overcome it is to realize that every day is a new day. Ha ha ….. that’s complicated.

Ex: How difficult is it to maintain a work-life balance?
Shashank: Very difficult to maintain that balance . Optimization is what one can hope for at best.

Ex: What has been your biggest learning in the pandemic?
Shashank: Nothing can be assumed as a given.

Ex: One futuristic feature that you can’t wait to introduce in your vehicle.
Shashank: Can I ask for two please … Biometric Car Access & 3D Gestures control.

Ex: Which old-school car/bike design inspired you the most?
Shashank: Porsche 911

Ex: How has the shift to only petrol options affected sales?
Shashank: Not much actually. But missing the Diesel option in B Segment.

Ex: By when can we expect a production-ready electric vehicle from Maruti Suzuki?
Shashank: Sometime in the future!

Ex: What is one truth you believe in that most people disagree with you on?
Shashank: That people don’t really know what they want till you show them the infinite possibilities.

Ex: What is the one subject you think aspiring leaders should learn?
Shashank: Psychology

Ex: One thing you believe is absolutely necessary for sustained growth.
Shashank: Ability to maintain a learning environment.

Anil Jain | Top Leaders In Tech & Auto

Ex: What is one truth you believe in that most people disagree with you on?
Anil: No one will give you responsibility & ownership on a platter, you have to take it and own it.

Ex: What is the one subject you think aspiring leaders should learn?
Anil: How to work in the new normal and get maximum productivity and cost control. The pandemic has changed the business rules and management control mechanism.

Ex: One thing you believe is absolutely necessary for sustained growth
Anil: A dedicated and motivated team. Growth will follow.

Ex: One book you keep coming back to?
Anil: Tipping Point

Ex: Leadership quotes that you live by                                                            Anil: Leadership and ownership is not dependent on what is your level in the organization. One needs to own and demonstrate these qualities, success will follow.

Ex: How difficult is it to maintain a work-life balance?
Anil: In the new normal it’s a problem since WHF is a 24 hours work schedule.

Ex: Some productivity apps and technologies you use in your daily life?
Anil: Good EPR solutions at the company level and a good smartphone for personal use.

Ex: What is your technology detox like?
Anil: Stop use of any gadgets that are Wi-Fi enabled on Sunday and listen to soft music.

Ex: What is the biggest change in trend you have seen since the IT boom in India? 
Anil: The biggest change in trend has been work culture, change in office interiors, more use of IT, need for faster computing, and availability of data on the fly leading to faster decision making.

Kapil Gulati | Top Leaders in Tech & Auto

Ex: Leadership quotes that you live by
Kapil: “A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others see.” – Leroy Eimes “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” – Andrew Carnegie

Ex: What has been your biggest learning in the pandemic?
Kapil: The pandemic has forced us to ask what we really need to live reasonably well; and the answer in most cases is – not too much. The availability of food, water, shelter, communication, medicines, education, and entertainment on television & the internet has kept us going.

Ex: What is your technology detox like?
Kapil: Unlike on workdays when you are digitally tethered by your colleagues, I spend my weekends with my family. We mostly spend our time playing badminton, watching movies, even eat midnight snacks. I stay away from my phone and laptop and give my full attention to my family while I am with them.

Ex: What is Sennheiser coming out next with?
Kapil: For the past 75 years, Sennheiser has been shaping the future of audio. We have introduced some of the finest products across the globe and we believe in creating unique sound experiences for our customers. We are already working on the audio products that could define the segment 2 years from now. Additionally, we have a few products lined up in the coming few days and we are looking forward to seeing how consumers here respond to the same.

Ex: Upcoming audio trends to look out for?
Kapil: Currently, wireless earbuds are revolutionizing the entire audio industry. The smartphone makers are now doing away with the 3.5 mm headphone jack to make wireless headphones more convenient and appealing to customers as even consumers are looking for a seamless and hassle-free immersive audio experience. Sennheiser’s current focus is on creating 3D audio solutions to achieve as natural and immersive experience as possible in a range of applications. Sennheiser has a long history of pushing the boundaries of innovation in audio technology and a holistic approach to sound from capture to listening. AMBEO is born from the desire to deliver the ultimate sound experience, selectively including the most advanced 3D audio technology into new products, tools, and features.

Ex: What is one truth you believe in that most people disagree with you on?
Kapil: I am a strong believer in miracles and it only happens if you have faith in them. Sometimes you feel lost, confused, and frustrated with life, and then things become better that changes your life. I believe that when you wish from all your heart and mind, even the universe starts working for you in your favor.

Ex: One thing you believe is absolutely necessary for sustained growth  Kapil: Pursuit of resilience is something that I feel is the most important aspect and the first step for sustained growth. When complex business problems arise, one needs to meet them head-on and be resilient while working hard towards providing a solution. When we go through difficult circumstances at work, it’s the resolve of not getting bitter, weaker, or frightened, but rather get braver and face those challenges.

Sharad Agarwal | Top Leaders In Tech & Auto

Ex: What is the one subject you think aspiring leaders should learn?

Sharad: The ability to motivate people and aligning them with the organization’s vision and goals. Once the team is aligned and motivated to achieve the set goals every task becomes possible. Additionally, it is also very important to learn along the way and develop skills for managing critical and uncertain situations with finesse and composure.

Ex: One thing you believe is absolutely necessary for sustained growth.

Sharad: Being willing to constantly evolve and innovate is a crucial part of our sustained growth and, hence, necessary to progress in any task or stage in life

Ex: One book you keep coming back to.

Sharad: I love to read about various case studies and the ways in which businesses are shaping themselves for their future endeavors.

Ex: How difficult is it to maintain a work-life balance?

Sharad: If you prioritize and keep yourself well organized then one can easily maintain a healthy work-life balance. When creating a schedule that works for you, think about the best way to achieve balance at work and in your personal life. I also believe in taking short breaks once in a while to spend more time with my family and pursuing other hobbies.

Ex: What has been your biggest learning in the pandemic?

Sharad: Pandemic has taught me resilience and adaptability. The norms which we took for granted in society changed overnight and we had to adapt to new rules for survival like social distancing, living with travel restrictions, and adapting to new ways of working. Pandemic has also bought a change in traditional working culture. The trend of remote working is likely to stay even after things normalize.

Ex: Which old-school car/bike design inspired you the most?

Sharad: One legendary car which has inspired me is Lamborghini Countach. I would not call this car old-school as its design was much ahead of its time making it more futuristic than old-fashioned.

Ex: After the Sian, which Lamborghini is up for hybridization, and by when will the entire lineup be electrified?

Sharad: We believe that naturally aspirated engines are the best to give you the maximum performance in super sports cars. Driving a Lamborghini is all about the driving dynamics and the emotions of the car and the naturally aspirated tech offers this best when it comes to super sports cars. Hence, we will continue with this tech for our upcoming models. Along with supercars, Lamborghini now has a super SUV and a luxury yacht in its stable.

Ex: What are your thoughts about entering the performance motorcycle segment?

Sharad: Lamborghini is about high-performance supercars and will currently keep its focus only on its Supercars
and Super SUVs.

Roshan Sirohia | Top Leaders in Tech & Auto

Ex: What is one truth you believe in that most people disagree with you on?

Roshan: I always believe that being sincere and having a single-minded focus on the goal is the only way to succeed and become somebody in any market or industry. Diluting focus and trying to achieve multiple goals at the same time always comes at the cost of ultimate growth and domination within any product segment, market, or overall customer experience.

Ex:  What is the one subject you think aspiring leaders should learn?

Roshan: Prioritisation & Time Management! Putting First things First – In my few years at Cruise Appliances, I realize it’s one of the lesser taught or practiced subjects and I struggle from time to time with this, which sometimes ends up affecting the value chain of the company. This skill and consistent practice is one big differentiator between good and the best leadership.

Ex: One thing you believe is absolutely necessary for sustained growth

Roshan: Quality and consistency in every aspect of the operations – starting from product quality, sales experience, customer ownership experience and finally the brand’s promise presentation.

Ex: One book you keep coming back to?

Roshan: Art of War – it’s a classic. Each of the principles and psychological strategies defined here is still very relevant & can be easily used in today’s fiercely competitive corporate scenarios as well.

Ex:  Leadership quotes that you live by (Can be multiple)

Roshan: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe” “The only way to do ‘great’ work is to love what you do”

Ex: How difficult is it to maintain a work-life balance?

Roshan: It’s easy to maintain since I plan my vacations and days off in advance and a strong workout daily helps keep me energized for long days too! I also believe in sleeping soundly for 7 hours every day even if the world is turning upside down.

Ex:  What has been your biggest learning in the pandemic?

Roshan: Everything is finite. Everything can be managed digitally. And in the middle of every difficulty lies ample opportunity and we will see the fruits of labor that have been sown during this pandemic in the next 2-4 years.

Ex:  Some productivity apps and technologies you use in your daily life?

Roshan: My AirPods for seamless conversation and Slack for team working.

Ex:  What is your technology detox like?

Roshan: Time with family over a nice meal or driving down at ridiculous speeds to the nearest hill station.

Bipul Chandra | Top Leaders in Tech & Auto

Ex: What is one truth you believe in that most people disagree with you on?
Bipul: I strongly believe that life is too beautiful and one must enjoy the “present” to the fullest, rather than planning too much for the future.
Ex: What is the one subject you think aspiring leaders should learn
Bipul: In my view, aspiring leaders must develop the attitude of being humble with everyone they interact with, regardless of the other person’s position. On similar lines, aspiring leaders must also inculcate the habit of being patient listeners.
Ex: One thing you believe is absolutely necessary for sustained growth?
Bipul: Sustainable growth is among the biggest challenges faced by businesses. While sustained growth is achieved through a mix of objectives like purpose, community, sound decision making, etc, the most crucial aspect for any business is its customers and customer retention.
Ex: When will you say you have fulfilled all your goals?
Bipul: Every new day brings new challenges and new hopes for me. I wish I never get to say that I have fulfilled all my goals. Life is too short to hang your boots and retire.
Ex: What has been your biggest learning in the pandemic?
Bipul: Professionally, I think the biggest lesson would be “Innovation” – the biggest game-changer. COVID-19 has put to test the resilience of leaders, businesses, and their capacity to adapt during a crisis.
Ex: One futuristic feature that you can't wait to introduce in your vehicle.
Bipul: With motorcycle technology coming on leaps and bounds in the past five years, I think connected tech is the future and the way to go for bikes. This will go a long way in making our bike rides much safer. Apart from this, to enable the growth of motorcycling as sustainable transport some futuristic features would be self-balancing, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, IoT enabled, advanced security systems, etc.
Ex: Which old-school car/bike design inspired you the most?
Bipul: Ducati 916 is one amazing, drool-worthy design. I keep on looking at the photograph and never get tired of it.
Ex:  Apart from electric vehicles, which Ducati technology do you think will benefit the environment?
Bipul: The best technology to benefit the environment is “human-powered” machines. We at Ducati are serious about this and thus have introduced a range of Ducati bicycles to complement the lifestyle of passionate Ducatisti.

Haruto Iwata | Top Leaders In Tech & Auto

Ex: What is the one subject you think aspiring leaders should learn?

Haruto: Aspiring leaders should learn the art of Managing – Managing People, managing organization – They should have the ability to Create change for society, people, and organization by taking up challenges – They should possess a challenging spirit

Ex: One thing you believe is absolutely necessary for sustained growth?

Haruto: Adaption of New technology and having a Neverstop attitude towards whatever you do and believe in.

Ex:  Leadership quotes that you live by (Can be multiple)

Haruto:  “Never put passion in front of principle even if you win. You will lose”

Ex:  How difficult is it to maintain a work-life balance?

Haruto: It’s not difficult to maintain balance – Important thing is to Focus – Focus on what you are doing – While you are working focus should be work, while you are off work you should focus on what you Love – I work from 9 –5,30 –focusing on work, while I play golf and do photography – My focus is enjoyment – Change of mind as per the situation is the mantra for maintaining work –Life balance

Ex: What has been your biggest learning in the pandemic?

Haruto: Staying calm and not to panic in the toughest situation – One should do proper future planning, Keeping Check and measure what you are doing – Stay cool – This pandemic situation will pass too.

Ex: Some productivity apps and technologies you use in your daily life?

Haruto: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and most important – Email Apps for communication

Ex:  What is your technology detox like?

Haruto: My Fujifilm XT4 Mirrorless camera and my Fujifilm lenses are my Technology Detox.

Ex: Fujifilm Instax cameras are a classic tribute to the olden days. What’s next in the same essence?

Haruto: The secret sauce in Fujifilm’s recipe is the instant camera, which the selfie generation seems to have taken to with pleasure. The fact that Fujifilm’s instant camera range starts at around Rs 4,000 in India, and the bright colors they’re available in, makes its Instax line a popular gift for tweens and teens. – Our range of Instax cameras brings back the nostalgia feeling among people. This has been doing well as the consumers today are always looking for something new. Also, sharing printed photographs has been gaining a lot of interest among consumers. Don’t Just Take, Give too.

Sanmeet Kochhar | Top Leaders in Tech & Auto

Ex: What is one truth you believe in that most people disagree with you on?
Sanmeet: Always speak your mind. Don’t change the narrative to suit the audience.

Ex: What is the one subject you think aspiring leaders should learn?
Sanmeet: Multicultural collaboration and communication

Ex: One thing you believe is absolutely necessary for sustained growth?
Sanmeet: Innovation

 Ex: One book you keep coming back to?
Sanmeet: A century is not Enough

Ex: Leadership quotes that you live by (Can be multiple)
Sanmeet: A person who wants to lead the orchestra must turn their back to the crowd

Ex: How difficult is it to maintain a work-life balance?
Sanmeet: It’s totally up to the individual

Ex: What has been your biggest learning in the pandemic?
Sanmeet: Whatever be the situation, there’s always a way out. You just need to find it.

Ex:  Some productivity apps and technologies you use in your daily life?
Sanmeet: Microsoft Teams, Google Keep, Digital Wellbeing, fitness apps

Ex: What is your technology detox like?
Sanmeet: Listening to the radio on my Nokia 5310 Xpress music

Ex: Which smartphone category would you like to focus on next and why?
Sanmeet:  5G smartphones

Ex: What are your plans to bring high-end specs to the mid-segment smartphone range?
Sanmeet: Nokia phones have always democratized technology for our fans. Starting with our design, which looks and feels premium no matter the budget; or experiences such as AI imaging, that we quickly democratized to our mid and budget segment; or the Google Assistant button and our signature 2-day battery life that we promise across our smartphone range.

Veejay Nakra | Top Leaders in Tech & Auto

Ex: What is one truth you believe in that most people disagree with you on? :
Veejay: There are no coincidences in life.

Ex: What is the one subject you think aspiring leaders should learn?
Veejay: Being comfortable with uncertainty is what I think all aspiring leaders should learn.

Ex: One thing you believe is absolutely necessary for sustained growth?
Veejay: Creating an agile organisation is an absolute must for sustained growth.

Ex:  One book you keep coming back to.:
Veejay: Founders Mentality and A Curious Mind

Ex: When will you say you have fulfilled all your goals? :
Veejay: The fun of life is setting goals, achieving them celebrating them, then letting them go and setting new ones. So I don’t think I will ever say I have achieved all my goals given that it will evolve through my lifetime. But that does not mean I am not content with what I have. I am very grateful and thankful for the gifts that life has given me.

Ex: When have you failed and how did you overcome it? :
Veejay: Failure is a part of life. Depends as how one looks at failure. It happens in multiple roles not just at the workplace so I reflect on them for all the roles I play as a husband, father, son and a contributor, team player, and Leader at my workplace. The way I deal with failure is to pause, step back, learn from the incident, rethink the plan of action, bounce it off with someone who may be able to help me depending on the type of failure, play it in my mind, plan and align and then go out and take the necessary action without fear.

Ex: How difficult is it to maintain a work-life balance? :
Veejay: Easy – it is a choice that only you can make and I manage this well. At least I believe so.

Ex:  What has been your biggest learning in the pandemic?
Veejay: There are no holy cows. Challenge everything and everything is possible as long as you believe in it.

Ex: One futuristic feature that you can’t wait to introduce in your vehicle.
Veejay: Advanced Driver Assistance System. One of the most advanced safety systems for all passengers in the vehicle.

Ex: Which old-school car/bike design inspired you the most? 
Veejay: Mahindra Classic and Jawa

Ex:  After the commercial success of the e-Verito sedan and the e-Supro van, which other segment are you targeting for electrification next?
Veejay: Since this is classified information I would not like to comment on this, except to mention that we believe last mile mobility is going to be the big growth segment for electricity in India in the near future and we clearly have our plans to play a big there.v

Sunil Nayyar | Top leaders In Tech & Auto

Ex: What are the learnings from the pandemic?
Sunil: Pandemic has been the most interesting journey in 25 years of my career. Everybody’s patience and mental strength were tested at home. I am really sad for everybody who has suffered, though; I feel for them. Thanks to the digital world, I was able to communicate with my team and try to give them hope, a new direction, and how we should adapt to this challenging climate.

Ex: Which is the one gadget you’re using that you wouldn’t want Sony to know about?
Sunil: I am not an ardent tech freak. I use a nice android phone, a Kindle, and of course, a laptop. However, I believe humans are the most interesting and the most complicated gadget on this planet.

Ex: Leadership mantras that you swear by?
Sunil: Ethics, integrity, and insight. I believe vision is not taught, but it is within you which you someday explore. Inclusiveness is also another prominent parameter. It is easier said than done, however, and practicing it is hard.

Ex: Which segment contributes to the biggest market for Sony India?
Sunil: Televisions needless to say contribute to almost 50-60% of the market. That is followed by audio, which is becoming bigger by the day. Lastly, digital imaging. These three comprise a significant chunk of the business as far as consumer electronics are concerned.

Ex: The PlayStation 2 was touted as the first all in one entertainment system which could also play games; do you see it returning in a new avatar with full VR support?
Sunil: A lot of changes happened to the PlayStation during this pandemic. PlayStation consoles were oversold during this time, something which I have never witnessed before. PlayStation is going to be a new culture and a new way of life going forward.

Ex: Virtual reality is gradually blending with augmented reality, what are your plans to integrate AR in your devices?
Sunil: I don’t see the television getting integrated with VR. It will still be family-oriented and will offer better displays with each update. However, I feel VR will have its own universe that is developing rapidly.

Ex: Which is the one Sony product you think that only Indians can make the best use of?
Sunil: Most Indians love most Sony products. However, I feel the most relatable product for Indians will be the TV.

Ex: Elon Musk recently spoke about a neural implant. Do you think that is the future of electronics since all gadgets are getting smaller in size?
Sunil: One thing is for sure, Sony as a corporation is working quite aggressively in the field of artificial intelligence. We have the most evolved imaging chips in the industry and Sony has a lot of patents in the segment. Sony is taking big leaps
in imaging chips, especially for the automobile segment.

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