Vikram Bharadwaj: A Talented Leader And An Efficient General Counsel Leading Safran India From Legal Prospective
Vikram Bhardwaj
General Counsel
"I believe in keeping myself engaged, productive and motivated every day and that’s how you carve out a place for yourself in your work life".
In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Vikram discusses his professional journey, the role and responsibilities of a GC and much more:
Could you shed some light on your you professional background and experience? What motivated you to venture into General Counselling sector and what has been the driving factor for you?
I started my career as an Associate Lawyer for a law firm in 2001, where I worked for 3 years and gained hands on experience in legal procedure, court functioning and practical aspects of laws. After that, I took up the inhouse counsel’s role at Sahara Group where I worked for their Delhi and Mumbai offices. I joined Timex Group as a deputy to Head Legal and then elevated to Head legal position in 2010. Then, I joined Safran Group as General Counsel in the mid-2013 and even presently working over there.
I look up to new challenges at every
stage, keep acquiring knowledge with new skill sets and implement them well. I believe in keeping myself engaged, productive and motivated every day and that’s how you carve out a place for your self in your work life.
Define Safran in India and its position in the industry. What is the unique proposition it offers to its clients?
Operating in the aerospace (propulsion, equipment and interiors) defense and space markets, Safran is an International high technology group with a global presence. With an employee strength of 79000 globally and sales of 17.1 billion euros in 2021, It holds world or regional leadership positions, both alone as well as in partnership, in its core markets. As far as the unique proposition offered to clients is concerned, Safran has always delivered excellence. It has developed and is producing the LEAP engine as a successor to the world’s best selling commercial aircraft engine: CFM56. In case of Military, Safran produces the M88 and M53 engines for the Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighter aircrafts respectively. Additionally it produces a comprehensive range of aircraft equipment, avionics, and optronics and is a major player in space sector.
Throughout your professional journey as a leading General Counsel, what are some of major challenges you have faced so far and how did you overcome them?
The role of a General Counsel can be challenging and much more complicated than it looks from the outside. As a General Counsel, my primary duty is to ensure that the organization complies with all the applicable laws/regulations and have due processes in place, which ensure the organization stays out of
As thelaws, regulations, policies and technology are changing quite frequently not just in India but also in the rest of the world, it necessitates the GCs to evolve rapidly in order to meet the demands of fast changing business environment
Define Safran in India and its position in the industry. What is the unique proposition it offers to its clients?
Operating in the aerospace (propulsion, equipment and interiors) defense and space markets, Safran is an International high technology group with a global presence. With an employee strength of 79000 globally and sales of 17.1 billion euros in 2021, It holds world or regional leadership positions, both alone as well as in partnership, in its core markets. As far as the unique proposition offered to clients is concerned, Safran has always delivered excellence. It has developed and is producing the LEAP engine as a successor to the world’s best selling commercial aircraft engine: CFM56. In case of Military, Safran produces the M88 and M53 engines for the Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighter aircrafts respectively. Additionally it produces a comprehensive range of aircraft equipment, avionics, and optronics and is a major player in space sector.
Throughout your professional journey as a leading General Counsel, what are some of major challenges you have faced so far and how did you overcome them?
The role of a General Counsel can be challenging and much more complicated than it looks from the outside. As a General Counsel, my primary duty is to ensure that the organization complies with all the applicable laws/regulations and have due processes in place, which ensure the organization stays out of
trouble. In addition, the GC shall have to play the role of a catalyst in growth of the organization, whether organic or inorganic. I believe that if you keep moving with this aim and with clarity of mind, you emerge as a successful professional.
How do you keep yourself up along with ongoing trends in the General Counselling sector to steer your organization towards the future?
For any professional,it’s always necessary to keep himself/ herself updated with the latest changes and trends in his/ her field of work. As the laws, regulations, policies and technology are changing quite frequently not just in India but also in the rest of the world, it necessitates the GCs to evolve rapidly in order to meet the demands of fast changing business environment. As Abraham Lincoln had once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” I also try to keep myself abreast of new changes through news, journals, research work, webinars, seminars and discussions within the fraternity and so on.
How do you maintain a balance between your personal and professional life? What would be your advice to future profes sionals?
In my opinion, personal and professional life are not contrary but complimentary to each other. It is very important to strike a perfect balance between the two, as without the right balance, you won’t be justifying either of them. In case you are organized and are good at anticipating, I do not think it’s very difficult to balance the personal and professional life. Moreover, our organization values and promotes the work life balance amongst employees.
For the young and budding professionals, my piece of advice is: “Be focused and practical in what ever you do.”
Vikram Bhardwaj, General Counsel, Safran India
In a career spanning over 21 years, Vikram Bharadwaj started his professional journey as an Associate Lawyer and since has worked for many esteemed organizations such as Sahara Group, Timex Group in the legal department and is presently working for Safran India as the General Counsel helping the organization from the legal point of view.
How do you keep yourself up along with ongoing trends in the General Counselling sector to steer your organization towards the future?
For any professional,it’s always necessary to keep himself/ herself updated with the latest changes and trends in his/ her field of work. As the laws, regulations, policies and technology are changing quite frequently not just in India but also in the rest of the world, it necessitates the GCs to evolve rapidly in order to meet the demands of fast changing business environment. As Abraham Lincoln had once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” I also try to keep myself abreast of new changes through news, journals, research work, webinars, seminars and discussions within the fraternity and so on.
How do you maintain a balance between your personal and professional life? What would be your advice to future profes sionals?
In my opinion, personal and professional life are not contrary but complimentary to each other. It is very important to strike a perfect balance between the two, as without the right balance, you won’t be justifying either of them. In case you are organized and are good at anticipating, I do not think it’s very difficult to balance the personal and professional life. Moreover, our organization values and promotes the work life balance amongst employees.
For the young and budding professionals, my piece of advice is: “Be focused and practical in what ever you do.”
Vikram Bhardwaj, General Counsel, Safran India
In a career spanning over 21 years, Vikram Bharadwaj started his professional journey as an Associate Lawyer and since has worked for many esteemed organizations such as Sahara Group, Timex Group in the legal department and is presently working for Safran India as the General Counsel helping the organization from the legal point of view.