Baba Kalyani
Chairman & Managing Director,
Bharat Forge Limited

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Baba Kalyani brought glory - and even a certain glamour - to Indian manufacturing. There was a time when engineering goods manufactured in India were not considered on par with those produced in the developed countries. Baba Kalyani not only changed that perception with his efforts and endeavours but also brought respectability to the ‘Made in India' brand.

The huge dip in domestic demands was taking a heavy toll on most of his rivals in the early 1990s but Kalyani was unwavering in his pursuit of manufacturing excellence in terms of scale, reach and variety.

He saw what no one else did - an upcoming global demand and the bold move of multiplying production levels was more than justified. It helped him grow both rapidly and geographically. It is this uncanny ability to understand the market dynamics that keeps him undeterred in the face of downturn in the automotive segment.

He says: "Every automotive supplier is dealing with this cyclical downturn. Our strategy is to diversify into the non- automotive business and expand into supplying for large infrastructure projects in the field of railways, shipping and aircraft."

Don't be surprised if you find Bharat Forge creating new milestones in the emerging fields like defence manufacturing in the years to come - starting with 2015. This young at heart visionary has already done the ground work for this segment is all set to reap the benefits now.

And while he is a business strategist par excellence, a key aspect of Baba Kalyani's leadership is the people-focused approach to his work. And he has proved that as long as you get the people side of the operations right, the business side would naturally fall into place.

(Star List 2015 continues on the next page)