Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

I have experience of over 36 years, out of which 27 years are related to the 2-wheeler industry.

Q2. How do you see the size and growth trajectory of the two-wheeler market evolving in India and globally, and which product segments are contributing the most to this expansion?

The two-wheeler requirement is growing with more buying power, improvement, and better roads and infrastructure. It will take a long time for us to reach the current % of two-wheeler owners, similar to those in Southeast Asia.

Q3. How do you see digital technologies (AI in supply planning, predictive procurement, blockchain for traceability) shaping the automotive supply chain market in India?

This is undoubtedly going to help, especially in end-to-end planning of the supply chain. This has started in major OEMs, and with the support of IT, this will help to reduce the surprises in the supply chain.

Q4. As sustainability becomes more important, how do you see market expectations around green sourcing and circular supply chains shaping OEM and supplier strategies?

Many initiatives are taken in OEMs, with a separate team getting formed to focus on sustainability.
This was there in a small way earlier; now, with the government bringing in new norms to support lower emissions and light weighting, the replacement policy supply chain has to gear up for meeting these challenges.

Q5. Which competitors in the two-wheeler industry do you think are setting benchmarks in sourcing efficiency, supplier localization, or cost competitiveness, and what can be learned from them?

I do not have direct information on this, but with my experience, Bajaj Auto is much better in terms of managing logistics with supplier parks around their manufacturing plants.

Q6. Which purchasing criteria do you think will become significantly more important in the EV era compared to traditional ICE supply chains?

Focus on localisation. Exploring alternative and innovative solutions that are cost-effective and readily available.

Q7. If you were an investor looking at companies within the space, what critical question would you pose to their senior management?

How are they equipping themselves in terms of uniqueness, innovation, speed and agility apart from their financial strength coupled with hierarchy of good organisation structure.