Mr. N Ravichandran, CEO, Lucas-TVS addresses students at DoMS, IIT Madras

CEO Connect organized a talk by the Chief Executive Officer of Lucas-TVS, Mr. N Ravichandran on Wednesday, 14th April 2010. The topic for the day was ‘Competitive Manufacturing’.

There is no substitute for experience; and it was a rich treasure trove of industrial wisdom and expertise which Mr. Ravichandran shared with the students. With an illustrious career at Lucas-TVS, having worked his way up to the top through sheer dedication and hard work, he held his audience in a spell with his words.

He walked the students through the different stages of evolution of manufacturing methods, and pointed out key drivers of change in the industry. Giving live examples from the success story that is Lucas-TVS, he explained how learning happens when people are willing to look at themselves from an outside perspective. No talk on manufacturing can omit the immense contribution of the pioneering Japanese concepts. Understanding how these were adapted to the Indian manufacturing culture and the sea-change they brought about was something that helped students go beyond what they learnt in texts.

Mr. Ravichandran also highlighted that the most important resource a manufacturing unit has, is its people. Ultimately they are the ones whose actions determine the future of the organization. To demonstrate the concept of optimizing job sequencing and scheduling, Mr. Ravichandran asked a few volunteers to mimic an assembly line. By assigning them simple tasks and timing them, he showed how even small changes can result in big savings.

It was a really informative and knowledge-filled session. The humour and enthusiasm which Mr. Ravichandran showed won over the students and they are sure to remember this learning experience for a long time.

Contributed by Edwin Antony

MBA 1st year