He's been quite busy since the morning due to the launch of the Edition E at the Chakan Plant. That's followed by quick interactions with the electronic media and the photo ops. Then there's the general media round table at around 2 pm. Well, he hasn't even had his lunch so far. Yet when Roland S. Folger, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, joins your Editor for an exclusive interaction with The Machinist magazine, he's still as energised and fresh as he was in the morning!

In fact, it has been only about six months since he took charge of Mercedes-Benz India. But this small span of time has been quite exciting for him. He describes it as an unforgettable journey so far. His predecessor Eberhard Kern had told him to ‘prepare for the ride of your life' and Folger agrees that Kern was right. "India is very intense; it is a very intense experience whether it is food, culture, religion, politics, country-side, and so on. Everything is filled with challenges, and rewards at the same time."

Folger finds meeting people highly rewarding and he's in awe of the immense promise that this country and its market have to offer. "If you look at just the mere potential that the country has, as far as growth and individual development is concerned, it is staggering. For me, what I am trying to get used to is the sheer size of everything - whether it is the country in itself, the travelling distances or whether it is the people. I am still trying to wrap my arms around everything and trying to understand everything that is happening," he says candidly.

(Continued on the next page)