Generation-next, taking over!

“There is a fountain of youth; it is your mind, the talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source you will truly have defeated age” These words came from the famous Italian actress Sophia Loren. So very true! As parents, when people my age witness their offsprings unfold the talents and creativity they have acquired as they grew up, there is a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. Every parent strives hard in the given means to provide the best education and professional training to their children, so that they can standup to the challenges of modern day competitive living. In our Indian business society, the fathers or for that matter even mothers are natural mentors who guide the youth to eventually grow up to inherit the businesses that they painstakingly set up. It is a pleasure to see the children join you as trainees, gradually transform into managers, become business owners and eventually business leaders. Our label industry which originated in the seventies of the last century, is now witnessing a handing over of the baton to the next generation. The way this generation is moving out of the shadows of their mentors to evolve into professional managers who modernize, expand, systemize and lead the companies successfully to new arenas, is commendable. I dedicate this column to the Gen-Next of the Indian Label Industry!

Finat, the international association of the self adhesive label industry, recognized the need to channelize the energies and huge potential of this emerging group of young managers. The association decided to form, “Young Managers Club”.  The FINAT-YMC, as the club came to be known, was formally launched during the 2008 Finat congress at Paris. The occasion was also to celebrate the 50 years of Finat. In lines of the Finat initiative, Vivek Kapoor, President LMAI announced the setting up of LMAI-YMC (LMAI Young Managers Club). The club would have Sandeep Zaveri to be the head and assisted by Pawandeep Sahni who is also the member of the board of Finat-YMC. The LMAI-YMC is aimed to bring together the next gen leaders, create exchange opportunities with Finat-YMC, participate in programmes like innovation, lean management, succession, etc. The YMC members will be young leaders under the age of 40 years. They maybe first, second or third generation entrepreneurs.

I have made a study of some of these young leaders across the country. It is difficult to cover each and every one of these dynamic youths, yet I have tried to cover many who I have seen taking their positions to lead and excel with fervor and passion. Leading the group is the enterprising Gautham Pai, Managing Director of Manipal Press Limited, a part of the 750 million dollar Manipal group. Manipal Press was started with a single letterpress machine in 1941 and is now spread over 600000 square feet with over 2000 employees and state of art machines. While Manipal Press is a predominantly a security and offset printing company yet Gautham has lead the company’s foray into self adhesive labels. They have also struck a strategic partnership with Chennai base UPSL which is again headed by a young Rakesh Kukliya, son of the founder of UPSL. Chennai is also home to one of the oldest label printers, Better Labels owned by Dilip Sutaria who is systematically handing over the charge to his son Pakshal. In Sivakasi, the scale and quality of investments being made by the Raveendran and his brothers at Seljegat leaves one in awe! Also commendable is the way this soft spoken and humble family is handing over the decision making to their sons Prashant and Sivanesh.  Gururaj Ballarwad of Wintek at Bangalore toiled hard to achieve a position of leadership for his company. Today day to day business is transacted by his son Girish.  Sai Security Printers, Bangalore having multi-location presence has entrusted their label business to young Arvind in the South and Priyata in the North. Pramodh at Global Printing and Mahaveer at Mahaveer labels are other youthful leaders at Bangalore, designated to lead the label businesses of their companies. At Hyderabad, Pragati Offset has been a highly successful and celebrated offset printer who has experimented with self adhesive labels. The charismatic Narendra Paruchuri has transformed the label business to level comparable to the best in the industry. The shots are now called by his sons Hemanth and Harsha.

Mumbai, the birthplace of self adhesive labels has also drawn its succession plans. Bharat Mehta, a pioneer, who can probably give us all the inputs on the history of self adhesive labels in India, is a proud father now that his sons Dhaval and Darshan take most of the decisions. Jagdish Zaveri of Total Print has left it all to his soft spoken son Sandeep Zaveri, who is also the treasurer of LMAI and the president LMAI-YMC. Joe Annunciation had come to meet me for advice before his first Gallus Press was installed at Janus International. Now after three Gallus presses and an Hp Indigo press, Joe is seldom in office because his sons Denver and Janus are delivering.  The young brother and sister team of Santosh and Sandhya Shetty surprised all in the industry when they bought the brand new Nilpeter to announce their entry into self adhesive labels. In Aurangabad the feisty LMAI general secretary Deshpande is now taking time off because his son Hrishidesh is holding fort. PPL (Paper Products Limited) is perhaps the only case I can cite where a professional mentor has made way for a youthful colleague. The smiling, friendly and dynamic “Labels Girl”, my dear friend Honey Vazirani, handed over charge of the labeling division to Mandeep Singh Chhabba. Honey still works in the same organization with different responsibilities.

Heading North, I would not like to miss out my own handing over the charge to my sons Pawandeep and Kanwardeep. Pawan has been instrumental in changing the company from being a mere labelstock producer to a total solution provider for the label printers. Gaurav Goel, son of Anil Goel of Gopsons NOIDA, proudly announces his expansion in labels. Jain Transfer at Noida is experiencing the change with Bhrigav and Rishab, sons of brothers Sudhir Jain and Pavail taking charge. Anuj Bhargav of Kumar Printers has gone it alone and maintained the trust of his mentors from day one. It is a pleasure to hear Kuldeep Goel of Any Graphics talking about his passion to attain the ultimate in quality in labels and also about the brand new 100000 square foot factory that he is building. He proudly says that most of the decisions have originated from ideas given by his son Naveen. The list of these youngsters is exhaustive. I wish I had the space to write more about the education, capabilities and caliber of these young men. They are like an aromatic fresh breeze blowing over the Indian Label Industry!

Written by Harveer Sahni, Managing Director, Weldon Celloplast Limited, New Delhi-110008 http://www.weldoncelloplast.com/