Everything was similar this Friday. The head of R&D was present, the CEO of the company made a sweet welcome address, the president marketing details the reason for launch of the product. And the audience waited to see it.
Here comes the change. For those who have tracked TVS Motor, it was natural to think Venu Srinivasan, the venerable TVS scion, to ride the new motorcycle on to the dais. That was not to be. His son, Sudarshan Venu, did the honors on behalf of his dad, leaving the audience flummoxed.
In a brief chat after the launch, he told TOI, This is not the only product that I am associated with. It is true that this is the first product which is rolled out where I have been associated with it right from the beginning."
He details that it is absolutely important to get all aspects of the products right and a lot of effort had gone into product development. "We did not have a product in the executive segment. Now with Phoenix 125 (the bike which was launched by TVS on Friday), we will have a product in that key segment," the junior Venu said.
Sudarshan joined the board of Sundaram Clayton, the holding company of TVS Motor, as its additional director last September.
He has rich academic credentials. He is a graduate with honors at the Jerome Fisher programme in management and technology at the University of Pennsylvania, US. He did his BSc in mechanical engineering from the school of engineering and BSc in economics, both from Wharton School, University of Pennysylvania. The junior Venu recently completed his masters in international technology management from Warwick manufacturing group, an academic department at the university of Warwick in the UK.
While pursuing his masters, he underwent training in die casting division of Sundaram Clayton and TVS Motor company. "He is patient. Sits through the meetings and hears all versions and gives his views. He never jumps the gun," a senior TVS official said.
TVS is working on rationalizing product platforms whereby it wants to have 40% of parts common across vehicles. "The idea is to have more common parts across vehicles. We will then be able to enhance volumes of those parts. Once we have volumes, we can better negotiate rates with suppliers," Sudarshan Venu said.
The challenge is humongous considering that markets are tepid and TVS has not had a launch for some time now.
"We have a challenge on our hands. Sales volume has dropped and pushed us to the fourth spot in two wheeler landscape. It was primarily because of lack of products in the right spot. With Phoenix, I am sure that we will claw back, in as much as other manufacturers will also grow, we will grow faster," Sudarshan said, adding that he has worked with the entire team from start including overseas advisors from AVL from Austria.
