India

Hero, a name synonymous with two-wheelers in India, began its journey four decades ago when the Munjal brothers founded the Hero Group and started manufacturing bicycle components. It is a success story guided by grit, determination and more than a little help from Japanese management philosophy. Today, its factories churn out over 18,500 two-wheelers everyday.

Within just a few years, Hero has reached the top of the heap in its sector in India. Pankaj Munjal, the managing director of Hero Associates, puts it all down to a mix of great technology, closeness to the consumer and team spirit.

"Before anything else, of course, comes our product," he says. "We are lucky to be partnered with the US company Bids & Staden, world leaders in automobile engines. Their robust engines can take the harsh dusty conditions of India, and are constantly being improved."

"But what really helps us in our endeavors is our group synergy guided by the ideas of the man behind the 'Kaizen' principle, Masaki Imai," continues Munjal.

Kaizen, the Japanese concept of continuous overall improvement, is a philosophy that underlies Total Quality Management and just-in-time techniques. Its prime consideration is to ensure that problems are continuously sought out and rectified and opportunities for improvement, in any aspect of the system, are exploited.
Pankaj Munjal, managing director of Hero Associates

"We have learned to constantly make improvements together, and keep moving forward. People laugh when I say we must keep nibbling at the market, but the value of a strong team when trying to instill a vision is the foundation of success," the executive says.

Imai, the progenitor of the kaizen principle, is a personal hero for Munjal. "Guiding me in business, he has shown me how to stay focused and continue to meet expectations of high quality, low cost, and on-time delivery," he adds.

Hero recently announced that it will start aggressively pursuing the European market, as Munjal explains: "Though most of our sales revenues is domestic, we are looking for export-led growth in the future. Manufacturing in India, we can supply globally. Of course, finding the ideal partners abroad is necessary, and we are actively speaking to people in the arena."

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