Against all odds
“Challenge in business is continuous and is accompanied by continuous innovation and rejuvenation,” states Chander Mohan Sethi, Managing Director, Reckitt Benckiser India, while expressing the core philosophy that guides his business. Adhering to this belief, Chander, with his complete passion to drive the cause of business excellence with the support of his people, wants to make Reckitt Benckiser one of the most trusted names in Indian households. In an era of intense cut throat competition and turbulent markets, with so many FMCG companies venturing into the Indian landscape, Reckitt Benckiser India surely has the right ideas flowing from the top; considering Chander’s incessant resolve to take every adversity head on, combined with undying passion for the company where he’s been around for over 23 years.
Chander Mohan Sethi holds an MBA from the Motilal Institute of Business Management, Allahabad University. His exceptionally long association with Reckitt Benckiser can be traced back to the year 1984, where he started his career as the Branch Manager- Eastern Region. He then moved on to become National Sales Manager in 1987 and in the next three years, his huge contribution to the company was given its due and he was promoted as the Head of Marketing and Sales. Charting a continuously ascending career path, Chander now holds the position of Managing Director, Reckitt Benckiser (India) and Regional Director, Reckitt Benckiser, South Asia, since January 2002.
According to Chander, the M&A with Benckiser proved to be phenomenal for Reckitt & Colman. Chander states, “It showed clear support of the people and the clear support of the brands”. Reckitt Benckiser is one of the very few FMCG companies, which has been listed on London Stock Exchange. It has been one of the leading consumer goods companies in South Asian markets with a host of successful household brands like Dettol, Harpic, Mortein, Lizol, Cherry Blossom, Vanish, Easy Off Bang, Veet, Colin, Disprin, Strepsils, Clearsil and others, which have shown tremendous growth rate in terms of brand recall and recognition. Dettol, whose mention was made by Chander quite frequently in the interview is easily the star product, a leader in the hand wash segment and antiseptic segments. Reckitt Benckiser, headquartered in Slough just outside London is aiming to grow and enhance its business operations tremendously, as the £1.92 billion Boots acquisition has shown. Already, the company has presence in more than 100 countries and around 22,000 employees around the world.
Reckitt follows its global business strategy of becoming the number one FMCG company in manufacturing personal care, health care and household care products in each of its market countries in the world. Chander proudly reiterates how, in 2 years time, “Reckitt Benckiser is the number one emerging modern brand in metros, and has experienced a rise in growth levels from 10% to 12%.” AC Nielsen has also reported a 40% growth in the company without any major investments. Regarding a foray in the food segment, Chander does not reveal any specific plans, but neither does he deny a possibility in the future.
Reckitt’s global brands have maintained a consistent reputation of understanding and meeting the needs of consumers of their respective markets and on the basis of the insights derived from the understanding of the consumer wants, Reckitt has been able to satisfy those consumer needs, and in turn, has created a strong shareholder value for itself. Chander cites the instance of the Mortein brand, which he says, “is the ultimate name for household pest control.” The product has been customised to consumer’s needs.
Reckitt’s brand ambassador strategy has played an integral role in its communication with Indian customers, who could relate to the faces adorning the company’s various products. For instance, Harpic was an instant hit amongst the house-wives after popular TV stars Aman Verma and Roshan Abbas were brought in as the new faces for the product. On the other hand, the Veet hair removal system did wonders with Katrina Kaif endorsing it. Chander elaborates, “Through these brand ambassadors, people see and believe in what you stand for, then only they would internalize that.”
As a leader, Chander appears to be quite calm and composed as opposed to his highly aggressive stance as an entrepreneur, a man who walks the talk. When we broach upon the topic of leadership, Chander strongly advocates that HR pundits are the best people to talk about leadership traits. In his view, “A leader should be a simple person. He needs to have a vision which is very imperative. The vision has to be clear, challenging and should be communicated so that it is bought by people. The leader should reflect transparency, fairness, objectivity, honesty and commitment. A leader should create and celebrate success!”
With its undeterred focus on its international portfolio along with Chander’s prudent guidance, the company is well poised for breakneck growth. Simultaneously, in line with Chander’s views, Reckitt Benckiser would want to continue building upon its legacy of trust.
