If I were an employee of Crompton Greaves (CG), with offices spreading from Belgium to Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), I would be quaking in my sports sandals right now. A meeting with the managing director, Sudhir Mohan Trehan, is not something that anyone at CG takes lightly. On the contrary, a summon from Trehan’s office means that the manager sent for will, in all likelihood, spend a couple of late nights in the office beforehand, making sure that every single piece of data is in place and every possible question has been thought of and answers prepared.
Hard taskmaster: Trehan is known for his no-nonsense approach to management (Illustration by: Jayachandran / Mint)
Because, “SMT”—as Trehan is known in the corridors of CG—is not a man to trifle with. “If I am not impressed with a presentation in 10 minutes, I tell them to stop it and come back when they are better prepared. I can’t waste my time with poor data and preparation,” he said when I asked him about his famed meeting management style during our lunch date in May.
So, when SMT confirmed our meeting, I made sure that I was at the venue well in advance. Kebabs and Curries, at the ITC Grand Central in Parel, Mumbai was completely empty when I arrived, and I picked a quiet table for two in the corner. Not that we needed the calm: Trehan’s booming, full-bass voice would register easily on my mobile phone’s sound recorder.
Noticing me sitting alone and looking nervous, a sympathetic waiter asked me when “madam” was joining me. I quashed that speculation and told him I was there for a business lunch. No candles or flowers, please.
SMT arrived dot on time, in a full-sleeved shirt, with evenly spaced purple and tan stripes, and grey trousers. We sat down, and ordered watermelon juice for both of us. Just as I was about to pop my first question, Trehan asked me how I was doing nowadays—I had, a long time ago, worked with CG on a one-year project, but hardly expected him to remember.
I updated him on my current status of reasonable contentment, and asked him what was brewing at CG. After all, Trehan’s moving into the managing director’s office heralded nothing short of a revolution at this erstwhile sleepy, old Indian company.
For generations, CG had been known as the manufacturer of sturdy, high-quality ceiling fans that routinely outlasted their owners, and even the buildings in which they were installed. And, even though the company has always been running bigger divisions that make much more money, Crompton was always known as the “fan company”.
Yet, for all its brand equity and positive image, Crompton went through some very tough times not so long ago. In 2000, annus horribilis for Crompton, the company made an unprecedented loss of Rs146 crore. Sales had dropped, and several analysts began to question the way the firm was run.
