India's dynamic position in the global marketplace is set to be further strengthened in the near future as the country enjoys solid growth and continues to display special strengths in manufacturing and infrastructure. Putting India on the world map are manufacturers working hard to create a special place for Indian-style manufacturing. The need for leadership in smart manufacturing cannot be overstated, as making revolutionary change takes both hard work and smart work. The leaders emerging in the industry are showing that it can also be exhilarating. Smart Manufacturing formed this group of luminaries because significant change is occurring within large corporations, startups, public-private partnerships, and standards organizations. Here are some of the top role models in the manufacturing sector who have brought significant changes in the industry.

TV Narendran, Managing Director, Tata Steel India & South East Asia

T.V. Narendran joined Tata Steel in 1988 and is now a C-Level Business Executive and a top-class employee of Tata Steel. He is also a past president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). After completing his studies, he joined Tata Steel in 1988 and was based in Dubai until 1997, where he was responsible for exports to the Middle East in Tata Steel's International Trade Division. He then moved to the Marketing and Sales department, where he was later appointed Director of Marketing and Sales.

He served as Vice President of Tata Steel's Safety and Flat Products Division. He was then appointed Managing Director of Tata Steel India and Southeast Asia in 2013 and four years later became Global CEO. He currently serves on the boards of Tata Steel Limited, Tata Steel Europe, CEDEP, XLRI, and the World Steel Association.

Under TV Narendran’s leadership, the company has completed a 3 million MT expansion in Jamshedpur, bringing its production capacity to 10 million MT. It plans to bring the first phase of a 6 million MT steel plant in Kalinganagar, Odisha. Narendra’s contribution to Tata Steel has contributed to the immense growth of the company, as the Rs 1.45 lakh crore market caps Tata Steel’s revenue in operations skyrocketed from Rs 1564.77 billion in FY2021 to Rs 2433.53 billion in FY2023, as per reports. 

Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman & CEO, TAFE

Tractor and Farm Equipment Company (TAFE), India's second-largest tractor manufacturer and the world's third-largest, has grown beyond the industry and even increased its market share. The business is headed by Mallika Srinivasan, who was awarded the Padma Shri for her contributions to trade and industry. Also known as the Queen of Tractors, Mallika is responsible for establishing TAFE as a high-volume manufacturer of quality tractors and a lean and resilient organization that can effectively weather the cyclical nature of the tractor business. She has led a significant expansion of TAFE's product portfolio, particularly emphasizing product and process development. She developed and leveraged TAFE's engineering strengths to design, develop, and manufacture a variety of products for international markets while strengthening the partnership with AGCO to achieve mutual growth in both the component and complete tractor businesses. 

Mallika Srinivasan is known as an opinion leader, strategist, and philanthropist who has taken great interest in the development of agriculture, education, and health care in India. She is recognized for her entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to excellence, and contributions to the Indian agri-machinery business and academic community. 

Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto Ltd

Rajiv Bajaj, Rahul Bajaj's eldest son, was born on December 21, 1966, and graduated summa cum laude in mechanical engineering from the University of Pune in 1988 and completed his master's degree in manufacturing systems engineering from the University of Warwick in 1990, with honors. Rajiv saw Bajaj Auto as an area with great growth potential and was instrumental in introducing the company to the motorcycle market. This decision triggered a complete overhaul of Bajaj Auto and greatly accelerated the company's growth. His current priority is to apply the scientific principles of homeopathy to the development of Bajaj Auto's brand-centric strategy. By doing so, his main objective is to achieve the company's vision of becoming the world's leading motorcycle manufacturer and a constant innovator in the automotive industry and he sees the fair value of Bajaj Auto's stock at Rs. 12,000. From commuter bikes to premium sport-oriented motorcycles, the launch this festive season will complement the Discover 100M, which will include a 125cc model under the Discover brand has been launched.

Demand for the recently launched Discover 100M is also expected to increase in the next couple of months. In addition, improved models of the Pulsar 180 and Pulsar 375 are expected to be launched. In addition, under the KTM brand, the RC200 and RC390 will be launched later this year. The company expects these to bring overall sales back to 200,000 units per month and regain lost market share. With these launches, the market share is expected to recover to 25-26 percent. Bajaj has built up his brand, Pulsar, and has no intention of stepping away from the world of motorcycling.

Hironori Kanayama, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd

Hironori Kanayama, a Japanese automaker, has taken steps to reduce wait times and get cars to customers faster. Hironori has hands-on experience in the automotive industry, having worked on Honda ventures in a variety of markets, including China, Taiwan, and Japan.

Before coming to India, he led another tough market, Honda Taiwan. He also gained considerable experience in China before beginning his career at Honda Motor Company in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. Hironori is on track to achieve double-digit growth for the company, and his plans are on track to expand the dealerships to Tier II and Tier III towns. Having worked for the company for more than 30 years and having gained experience in a challenging market, he is a seasoned professional who can navigate rough waters well. Hironori was adamant about his goal of regaining market share by launching new products. The launch of several new products next year will further solidify Honda's market position and its global growth plans to successfully capture the Indian market.

Steffen Berns, MD, Bosch Ltd & President, Bosch Group India

Steffen Berns joined the Bosch Group in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1990, where he gained extensive technical and managerial experience as well as international experience from 1996 to 1999. Steffen was responsible for OE sales and R&D at the Bosch Group in India. He then became Managing Director of Robert Bosch Engineering Business Solutions.

The Bosch Group is traditionally associated with the automotive sector. Still, it has expanded into other segments such as drives and controls, power tools, security systems, capital goods, and packaging technology.

 

Steffen focuses on the areas while consolidating Bosch's position in the automotive industry. In the face of increasing competition, he wants to refrain from resting on his past laurels and indulging in complacency.

Before that, he was responsible for the electronics business of the diesel division, and since 2006, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Bosch Gasoline Systems division at the Bosch headquarters in Stuttgart. Steffen holds a doctorate in engineering from the University of Aachen and is a big fan of Western and Indian classical music.