Living Life in the Fast Lane

Gautam Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director of Raymond Ltd., is a man of few words. He lets his action speak for himself. He equally devotes time to his business and passion. He has driven some of the meanest machines and is spotted at race tracks, when he is not busy taking decisions for his company. He believes in looking at the bigger picture. Micromanaging is not his style. His working style paid off when he turned the company into one of the largest producers of worsted suiting fabric after taking it over.

He is not just interested in collecting fast cars—owning and often modifying models of Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and BMW—but also takes them out for a ride, even participate in car races. Although, he maintains that he does not have a dream car or a favourite, he does recall fondly the time when he drove a Formula One car, during Ferrari Challenge in Abu Dhabi.

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In perhaps the fastest conducted interview of my 14-year-old career—reiterating his preference for everything fast—the business magnate and a car enthusiast gives us a peek into his life and work. Edited excerpts:

How has your fascination with cars evolved over the years?

I had a passion for cars all my life and over the years it has grown. I enjoy driving.

You also work actively to help promote motor sports in India. Where do you think we stand as a nation and what do we need to do?

Motor sports in India is at a nascent stage. It needs to grow. The good thing is that the interest and professionalism have been increasing with more events. I am happy that we are in the right direction. I am sure we will get some good drivers out of India.

Do you think there should be a roadmap to promote it in a better way?

We do have an internal roadmap and we are working on it. I am confident of seeing results on this front.

Which has been your most memorable drive so far?

I have gone on a lot of drives and each one of them has been special for a different reason.

You are also at the helm of Raymond. Where does the company stand today in terms of growth?

The company is doing well and is in the right direction. Moving forward, every company has a unique business plan. I am confident that we will deliver.

The market has seen ups and downs in last two years. Do you have a strategy to tackle the fluctuation?

We are focused on delivering to our shareholders the value for money and we are doing everything to achieve it. For textile business, the strategy is to create a bigger market share. We are working on penetrating the markets in a better way, especially into tier I and tier II towns. We are also getting into the segment of ethnic wear and Khadi.

What has been the riskiest decision so far that has paid off?

I don’t like to take risky decisions. I like well thought out, calculated decisions that can pay off.

Quick Takes

• Something that you do not leave your home without: My phone
• Bikes or cars? Cars
• Most glorious exhaust note according to you: Old days Formula One
• Your favourite driving moment: The time when I drove a Formula One car

From the March 2019 issue of FHM India.