Interview With A Tyre Leader_PK Mohamed_Apollo Tyres
Mohamed is a soft-spoken and an accomplished tyre technologist with 5 decades of experience in the field of Tyre Technology and Manufacturing. When you read this passionate interview of his journey from a college lecturer to a well-known tyre technologist, you will observe struggles, challenges, achievements, dedication and loyalty; and importance of continuous education - a complete package of learning and leadership wisdom for new generation of aspiring professionals in tyre industry.
Mohamed is a soft-spoken and an accomplished tyre technologist with 5 decades of experience in the field of Tyre Technology and Manufacturing. When you read this passionate interview of his journey from a college lecturer to a well-known tyre technologist, you will observe struggles, challenges, achievements, dedication and loyalty; and importance of continuous education - a complete package of learning and leadership wisdom for new generation of aspiring professionals in tyre industry.
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| LEADER - INTERVIEW |<br />
“Hercules Loadstar changed the<br />
fortune of the company. Initial<br />
production was only 3000 tyres<br />
per annum and the same had<br />
increased to 400, 000 and earned<br />
market share of more than 40%<br />
with quality leadership. The<br />
positive attitude of my team<br />
members and my belief in me<br />
and my people had paved the<br />
way to develop the tyre,<br />
perfect the same, and establish<br />
leadership position.”<br />
P.K. <strong>Mohamed</strong><br />
1. First incident comes in mind is the task<br />
given by Onkar Kanwar and D.V. Kohli in<br />
the year 1981. Kanwar was inducted into<br />
the company when the company was<br />
continuously making losses, morale of<br />
the employees were at the bottom and<br />
quality reputation of the product was<br />
poor. Then Sales Director, Kohli<br />
convinced Kanwar that the quality<br />
reputation of the company can only be<br />
revived if technology can develop a<br />
product for heavy load market and<br />
create a stiff competition to Modi N-416,<br />
the then market leader in that segment<br />
with 60% market share. I was asked to<br />
develop a tyre for heavy load market<br />
using existing man power and facilities.<br />
Even though it was an herculean task at<br />
that time, the positive attitude of my<br />
team members and my belief in me and<br />
my people had paved the way to develop<br />
the tyre, perfect the same, and establish<br />
leadership position in the market. This<br />
tyre was known in the market as<br />
Hercules Loadstar. Initial production was<br />
only 3000 tyres per annum and the same<br />
had increased to 400, 000 and earned<br />
market share of more than 40% with<br />
quality leadership. This changed the<br />
fortune of the company.<br />
2. Second task was given to me by my best<br />
friend, colleague, the then Technical<br />
Service Head, U.S. Oberoi. This happened<br />
in the year 1986. During that time<br />
Goodyear introduced a tyre called CT-169,<br />
and claimed as a mileage leader in the<br />
market place. Oberoi advised me to<br />
develop a tyre to compete with the<br />
Goodyear product and to take major<br />
market share in the load and mileage<br />
segment. We developed a tyre with<br />
innovative tread and compounding<br />
technology and embedded on Hercules<br />
17<br />
Know A <strong>Leader</strong> - Rubber & <strong>Tyre</strong> Machinery World | JAN 2016
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