The Hindu Business Line : `Biggest high' is open culture in Sona Group

BUSINESS may be in the blood of this articulate Chairman of the Sona Group, Dr Surinder Kapur, but in every other way he is the quintessential self-made entrepreneur, who takes pride in the organisation he has built from scratch. "It has been a fun journey,'' he says admitting that work is his first passion and he "lives with business 24X7''.

Dr Surinder Kapur, who heads the listed company Sona Koyo Steering Systems Ltd and another five entities that are joint ventures with some of the best names in the world, seems to live his company's catchline, `The Passion to be World Class'. His company is the recipient of the sought-after Total Quality Management Deming Award and is now vying for the Japan Quality Award and the TPM Award for Excellence.

Apart from quality, it's the culture that his organisation follows that gives him his "biggest high''. He says, "We have an open culture and an atmosphere where there is possibility of debate, discussion and even space to challenge individual ideas without keeping to hierarchy.''

One of six sons of the owner of a well-known jewellery house in the Capital - Kapur Di Hatti, how did Dr Kapur land up in the totally unrelated auto components sector? He recalls how his father gathered all the sons in Delhi's Volga restaurant to talk to them about their future. When it came to his turn, his father turned around and said that he wanted him to be an engineer. And that's what he became. "I was a good athlete, but a mediocre student in school," he says, though that doesn't come through when you realise that from a B.E. to a PhD, he's a Michigan State University product.

Dr Kapur had his share of indecisiveness, for he came back after his Masters, but "couldn't find anything to do''. But after a doctorate, it was his marriage to Apollo Tyres' Mr Raunaq Singh's daughter that showed him the way. His wife's family was setting up Bharat Gears in Mumbai and that's what he decided to take on. After "18 long exciting years'' where he learnt the ins and outs of gearbox production, auto components became the natural choice when he decided to go his own and steerings manufacturing was his first opportunity.

For Sona, the most significant beginning was a joint venture with Maruti Udyog, where the company became its single supplier. This was the fillip he needed and since then there has been no looking back. However, in the 90s when Maruti started facing competition were difficult times, but "cost and competitive market oriented pricing" helped the company to shine through. Today, the group's sales clock Rs 700 crore, while exports are worth Rs 100 crore. "Our strength has been in picking up crucial learnings and realising the need to create an ambidextrous organisation. As a result, we are proud of our R&D efforts and have several patents to our credit,'' he says.

The gentleman's attachment to his family is apparent as he talks about spending quality time with them during family vacations and family forums "discussing and resolving issues."

And while he enjoys elaborating on the achievements of his son and two daughters, the fondness for his grandchildren is evident when he says, "it's amazing what grandchildren can do to you''.

But no prizes for guessing the prime mover behind the scenes - his wife. "She's been the real anchor," he says candidly.

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