BALANCE IS WHAT KEEPS LIFE’S DRIVE INTERESTING. SOMETHING SULAJJA FIRODIA MOTWANI KNOWS FOR SURE“Why don’t you send me a friend request on facebook?” she asks, matter-of-factly.
Sulajja Firodia Motwani, the vice chairperson of Kinetic Engineering Ltd (the flagship company of the $500 million Firodia Group of Companies), is everything that surprises are made of. For one, she wears her many awards and recognitions rather lightly. Two, she doesn’t look anything like the 44 years that she is. Lastly, and most importantly, she is as committed to her work as she is to her personal life, balancing both with great skill. It’s no surprise then to know that Motwani lives by the principle, “Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it that you can!”
You can’t but notice the colourful splashes she has been throwing at life’s canvas, making it the painting she wants her life to be. It’s inspirational to see her enthusiasm and her fighter’s spirit to be successful at everything she does.
It’s fascinating to unravel the many layers that make this woman what she is.
Growing up with four siblings, life, shares Motwani was anything but boring. “We are a closely-knit family and I love that we are four siblings (three sisters and a younger brother). We don’t have as many cousins since our father is the only son but we hardly miss it. There is adequate craziness and activity with the eclectic bunch of the four of us,” she says with a smile.
But with the doses of fun, there was also strict discipline, recalls Motwani. “Our parents instilled certain values in us that have stayed with us for good. For instance, love for animals was taught to us as children and we are all vegetarians. Value for education, hard work, compassion, and being down-toearth are what we have come to live by.”
Hailing from a family of freedom fighters, Motwani is proud of her grandparents, who took active part in India’s freedom struggle. Her grandfather, Late H K Firodia, is known as the doyen of the Indian automobile industry. He started the automobile and manufacturing company with the aim to industrialise India post-Independence and help in the self-reliance story India was writing.
“I come from a highly nationalistic family. As a result, Love for the country was a strong value we grew up with. Even today, when I hear the song “Ae mere watan ke logon”, I am moved and my eyes well up with tears,” she says, sharing with pride how her father has recently compiled and published a book on songs and poems dedicated to India.
However, it is her grandfather who is her ideal. A true entrepreneur at heart, he was always thinking about ways and products to bring comfort and convenience to Indians. “He was also extremely classy, yet simple and down-toearth in his approach and extremely evolved in this thinking,” she says recounting how she has met hundreds of people who tell her how her grandfather had given them their first job, their first order, a loan or some help that transformed their lives. His qualities seem to have rubbed on to Motwani as well.
A SSC and HSC topper, she went off to the US for her graduate degree and some work experience to make it big. It would have been the next logical step to stay put in the “land of opportunities”. Motwani came back, however. Like she says, “Kinetic is in my blood, I had to come back.”
That said, she loves to talk about her US stint, first at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) at Pittsburgh, and then as a consultant with a global investment technology firm, BARRA International, in California.
“My two years at CMU have been the best years of my life; I would not trade them for anything. It was the first time I was living on my own — away from a home where I had always been so protected,” she says. In the US, she had to get her own house, did her own laundry, took care of herself when sick, managed her own finances and also worked hard to excel in studies from among the top students from all over the world.
“I highly recommend all parents should send their children, especially daughters, overseas or at least away from home for their higher studies. It made me a more confident, more independent and more open-minded person,” she shares with excitement. Oh, and her graduate degree? Well, Motwani holds the distinction of being the youngest MBA student to have graduated from Carnegie Mellon.
Talking about her first job in the US, she says the four years she spent with BARRA International helped her “tremendously.”
That said, however, she couldn’t wait to come back to India. Despite the fact that she enjoyed the US experience, coming back to India and being part of Kinetic was always, like she puts it, part of her “life plan”.
“I grew up with this ambition and have always been attached to Kinetic. So it was a natural step for me to return to India after gaining valuable exposure and experience in the US,” she says, stressing how it was entirely her choice to join the family business and that there was absolutely no pressure from her family to do so.
The choice was not as simple as it might look to anyone outside a family business, however. For, despite being the boss man’s daughter, she had to do it all to win respect and camaraderie.
“It might be easier to prove yourself in a family business. But you still need to prove yourself,” says Motwani.
She took up the challenge. Be it travelling through dusty roads of rural Maharashtra to meet dealers and distributors, or sitting at the shop floor to understand the work better, there is nothing that kept this gutsy petite-looking woman from getting her hands dirty while she learnt the tricks of the trade. “I just dug in my heels and kept at it”, she says, matter-of-factly.
Little joys kept her at it. “I was lucky to own the first-ever made Kinetic Honda! This will be my most favourite bike ever. It made me feel free — like I had wings. What made it even more special was that my father had made it,” she says, suddenly sounding like an excited little girl.
It is the same enthusiasm and excitement that she brings into the business. Back in the days when Kinetic was making mopeds (remember Luna?), they sealed a joint venture deal with Honda for manufacturing scooters. Motwani’s leadership saw the group turnover grow to `1,200 crore. The Kinetic Engineering company — the group’s flagship company that sold mopeds and motorcycles saw a dramatic rise in turnover from `15 crore in 1995-96, to `150 crore in 2001-2002.
It can’t have been easy keeping up the momentum, but a marathon runner doesn’t believe in short cuts. “As we grow, it’s natural that we get further away from customers; bureaucracy creeps in, too. But for a business to grow, it is crucial to cut through the clutter and have your ear to the ground and a finger on the pulse of the market.”
Another important thing her work has taught her over the years — to adapt to change. “We live in fast world, and market dynamics are changing rapidly in the era of globalisation. Thus, it’s critical to change our strategy with the change in the environment,” she feels.
Leading from the front, Motwani has brought about a number of changes in the company. The Kinetic Group has restructured its operations significantly over the past few years. Be it the JV with Mahindra & Mahindra, which saw the company enter the motorcycles space; the Ducati JV on the auto electrical systems side; Taigene JV for automotive motors; Kinetic Communications in engineering services and electronics, and Kinetic Technologies in the area of tool design and engineering, the company is embracing change like never before.
Today, the Kinetic Group’s business interests include automotive systems and engineering, multilevel parking solutions, elevators and escalators, and green energy. Most importantly, the group is looking at opportunities to introduce new products and services under the Kinetic brand. And why not? After all, it is one of the top 100 brands in India and has strong appeal, brand recall, and acceptance as an innovative, modern, hi-technology, and trusted consumer brand.
For Kinetic, a big focus at present is on green vehicles. “I believe that alternate fuels, vehicles that run on electric and hybrid models, are a part of the answer to worrying issues such as fuel security and climate change,” says Motwani. This explains the introduction of Safarr Maxx, an electric auto and Kinetic buggy range (which includes nine to 14 seaters).
Although none of Motwani’s sisters are into the family business, her brother Ajinkya, who is the MD of Kinetic Engineering Ltd, is somebody she works closely with.
She also makes no bones about admitting how important success is to her. And this doesn’t get in the way of her personal life either. “I often say, never give up on anything or anyone that you cannot go a day without thinking about!” she says.
Motwani dotes on her son Sidhant and she says he has made her a “complete woman”. “I love to spend time with him, hear his constantly changing ‘what I want to be when I grow up’ plans,” she says with a smile.
But managing a healthy personal life while driving growth in a business empire can’t have bene easy, surely? Like she puts it, “It is easy being a working woman, easy being a working wife, too, but it’s not easy being a working mother. There is never a dull moment in the lives of mothers who balance child-rearing and a demanding profession — and that’s an understatement.”
And since multi-tasking is something most working mothers learn, Motwani also makes sure she finds time for long weekend holidays with husband and son because to her they “create fulfilling times and unforgettable memories!”
While she finds time with family, her me-time is an equal priority for Motwani. And no, for her me-time doesn’t mean settling with a book or watching a movie. It stands for adventure sports that fuel her energy. Besides her one-hour routine at the gym or doing yoga, Motwani also makes sure she finds time to indulge in her fix of adrenaline from adventure sports “From sky-diving to scuba diving, mountain biking to marathoning. It’s the adrenaline rush that gets me recharged and refreshed.”
Let the rush continue, we say!
ELECTION// The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) trounced the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi Assembly Elections held in February. The BJP simply failed to understand its role in countering this narrative. Sikkim is the only state that has experienced such sweeps, with one party having won all seats in the Assembly elections earlier.
The AAP won 67 of the 70 seats — nearly 96 per cent. Its performance is, by far, the best ever in the state. The massive victory for the AAP in Delhi indicates the huge faith the people of Delhi have reposed in it and its relatively new leader, Arvind Kejriwal. The man who was labelled as a bhagoda for running away without delivering what he had promised to the people, has led his party to an emphatic win in Delhi.
After the massive victory of the BJP during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had continued its victory march in all the state Assembly elections held thereafter. The victory rath of the BJP has not only been halted by Kejriwal, it has been wrecked by the AAP. For the BJP it is not merely a defeat; this may be its most humiliating defeat; it managed to win only three seats and polled only 32 per cent of votes. Compared to the 2013 Assembly elections, when no party managed to get a majority, the AAP has managed to improve its tally by 39 seats, with its vote share going up by nearly 22 percentage points. On the other hand, the vote share of the BJP has declined marginally by one-and-a-half percentage points when compared to the 2013 Assembly elections, and by nearly 12 percentage points when compared to the 2014 election. The projection of Kiran Bedi as the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate to counter the popularity of Kejriwal seems to have backfired as well. She not only failed to muster additional support for the party but also lost her own election from the Krishna Nagar Assembly seat.
CRICKET// The 11th edition of ICC Cricket World Cup was officially declared open on February 12 with a two-act opening at the Hagley Park in New Zealand’s Christchurch and Australia’s Melbourne. The vibrant and quirky ceremony began with a lone bagpiper and ended with a booming fireworks display — the biggest in the cities’ history. The event was a wonderful mix of culture and traditions of host nations Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said the devastating earthquake in 2011 robbed Christchurch of the chance of hosting the Rugby World Cup and it was “only fitting” that it should be chosen to host the opening of the Cricket World Cup. He added that the opening ceremony was a way of telling the world that Christchurch is “back in business.” ICC Chief Executive David Richardson unveiled the Cricket World Cup trophy, saying it was a symbol of the ICC’s values of excellence, integrity and inclusion.
Pakistan’s jinx against India at cricket World Cup continued with its heavy defeat in Adelaide, making it 6-0 in favour of India and prompting angry Pakistani fans to take to streets and burn TV sets. India’s archrival has now lost to India for the sixth time in the 50-over ODI World Cup, besides having been beaten thrice in the Twenty20 World Cups, prompting commentators to ask if Pakistan had a “mental block”. Talking about the pressure of playing Pakistan in a World Cup match, Virat Kohli, who was adjudged the Man of the Match for his 107, said, “Last couple of days have been too tough. Too many people in the hotel getting worked up. You just have to stay in your little space.”
SNUBBED// Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has withdrawn his candidature for a second term as Nalanda University chancellor, saying the Narendra Modi government does not want him to continue in the chair. Sen, who has been critical of Modi, in a letter to the Governing Board of the University, blamed the absence of government’s approval for delay in nod for him to continue at the post of Chancellor. “Non-action (by government) is a timewasting way of reversing a board decision, when the government has, in principle, the power to act or not act... It is hard for me not to conclude that the government wants me to cease being the chancellor of Nalanda University after July, and technically, it has the power to do so,” Sen was clearly miffed as he spared no chance to take a potshot at the Centre: “I am also sad, at a more general level, that academic governance in India remains so deeply vulnerable to the opinions of the ruling government, when it chooses to make political use of the special provisions. Even though the Nalanda University Act, passed by the Parliament, did not, I believe, envisage political interference in academic matters, it is formally the case — given the legal provisions (some of them surviving from colonial days)— that the government can turn an academic issue into a matter of political dispensation, if it feels unrestrained about interfering.”
AUCTION// Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personalised pinstripe suit was won in an auction by Dharmanandan Diamonds Private Limited, a Diamond Trading Company (DTC) sight holder, for Rs 4.31 crore. The diamond company, which entered into the bid on the last day of the exhibition-cum-auction at Science Centre in Surat, started with the bid of Rs 1.61 crore. The bid was increased to Rs 2.85 crore in the last leg of the auction and the final amount was raised to Rs 4.31 crore. In the fray were diamond barons from Mumbai, shipping company owner Kamalkant Sharma and a trader from Haryana. Hitesh Patel, Managing Director, Dharmanandan Diamonds Private Limited said, “It is worth the price. Our mission was to get the PM Modi’s suit at any cost and contribute to the Ganga Cleanliness mission. We are happy that the city has contributed to the mission and the suit stays with us. Now, we plan to display this as memorabilia at the upcoming SDB project.”
TRIBUTE// Eminent cartoonist R K Laxman, creator of the “Common Man” with his devastating swipes at politicians and contemporary times died on January 26, 2015, after suffering a multi-organ failure. He was 94. Laxman, is survived by writer wife Kamala, son Srinivas and daughter-in-law Usha. A Padma Vibhushan, Laxman also won the Magsaysay award in 1984 for journalism, literature and creative communication arts. Born in Mysore on October 24, 1921, Laxman was the youngest of the six sons of a school headmaster and the only one among his siblings to share fame with his brother, writer R K Narayan. Growing up in the city’s idyllic environs, Laxman was influenced by the scathing caricatures of the New Zealand-born Sir David Low, then the pre-eminent caricaturist of the Western world. Noted cartoonists described him as an outstanding, towering figure, who always had his finger on the pulse of the nation. “India will miss you R K Laxman. We are grateful to you for adding the much-needed humour in our lives and always bringing smiles on our faces,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
WEATHER// A messy, slow-moving winter storm churned out yet another round of snow, ice and sleet in eastern US on Saturday, bringing slippery roads to Tennessee and Alabama and creating havoc along the Mid-Atlantic from Washington, DC, almost to Boston. Washington, DC, recorded between three and seven inches of snow as drivers fought poor visibility much of the day. Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories were in effect for major cities as far apart as St Louis, Atlanta, Boston and Indianapolis. At least 20 people died from hypothermia in the latest blast of arctic air known as the Siberian Express, The Weather Channel says. The toll includes nine people in Tennessee, six in Pennsylvania, two in Illinois, and one each in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Central Park in New York City was covered in three inches of snow, and about 4.5 inches at Kennedy International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
TERRORISM// The Egyptian military intervention in Libya against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) positions in Libya occurred on February 16, and was triggered by a video released by ISIL in Libya a day earlier, depicting the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt. Within hours, the Egyptian Air Force responded with airstrikes against ISIL training camps and weapons stockpiles in retaliation for the killings. Warplanes acting under orders from the Libyan government also struck targets in Derna, reportedly in coordination with Egypt.
The first round of Egyptian air strikes allegedly killed up to 64 ISIL militants, including three of the leadership, in the coastal cities of Derna and Sirte. Libyan media reported that at least 35 more Egyptians had been rounded up by ISIL in retaliation for the air raids. As the intervention began, Egypt’s foreign ministry called on the US-led coalition striking Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant targets in Syria and Iraq to broaden its scope to North Africa and take action against the extremist group in Libya.
Encouraging one’s creativity and tapping the Melbourne market for hair accessories, hats and fascinators has stood the author in good steadlooking at a creation I have just finished gives the biggest adrenaline rush to a crafter like me. The place I am in today is not via a carefully thought out plan, but due to going with the flow on what inspired me next.
Settled in Australia, I had taken a year off from work when my daughter was born. After working all these years, being at home with the little one was a welcome change. My husband encouraged me to get in touch with my creative side and take up some hobbies. Whilst in the past I had worked on glass mosaics, I was apprehensive to get back into it with the little one around. Nothing else seemed to catch my eye.
It all happens for a reason, as they say. I started using the time my daughter would sleep, to make hair accessories for her as I was disappointed with the ones in the market, which would fall apart after a few uses. The ones I made were an absolute hit and being one of a kind, other mums in my neighbourhood asked me to make some for their daughters and friends, too. I would be up until odd hours of the night but had never felt this charged up!
Once I was into it, I forever wanted to learn to make different kinds of accessories. I came across the wonderful world of Kanzashi, which are folded cloth flowers that traditionally adorn hair ornaments in Japan. My mother-in-law encouraged me further, when she asked me to make some brooches as thank you presents at her club, and I started manipulating different kinds of fabrics and material to get the effect I was after. I discovered materials such as Sinamay and Shantung, which I had never worked with before. Who knew there were such a variety of cottons, silks and satins, just waiting to be manipulated into the shape of perfect flowers? Different materials mould in their own way, thus creating their own little magic.
Australia and New Zealand, the two countries hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup, are going hoarse screaming for their favourite teams, at present. But during quieter times, horse racing carnival is big in Melbourne, and I have always admired the lovely hats and fascinators, which dominate the racing season. I went and learnt how to make silk flowers from a milliner and my love affair with flowers intensified! Before I make the flowers, the fabric is treated to retain shape better. Then, each petal is hand cut and shaped before being assembled into a flower. No two flowers are the same, since each takes on its personality with a twist here and a bend there.
Besides word of mouth, I often sell my creations at craft markets. Being in the midst of other crafters has been extremely humbling and rewarding. It never fails to provide me with inspiration. Melbourne is truly a melting pot of different cultures and I have had people from several different countries as my crafty neighbours at the markets.
In the beginning, I was shy and it took a bit of encouragement to set up a stall. My old manager, who is incredibly talented, had also been toying with the idea of doing a market and together, we took the plunge. To watch people come by your table, some looking at your work with admiration and others indifference, you truly put yourself out there. I do sell some of my work through a shop, but the face-to-face interaction in a market is absolutely magnetic. My favourite part of a particular market was the time a six-year-old girl would come to my stall. She would spend nearly half an hour every time looking at what I have made closely, and requesting me to teach her. Her mother brought her over for a class in her school holidays and those few hours were absolutely magical.
Unfortunately, with manufacturing being done in countries where a fair wage is still a dream, many people are used to paying next to nothing for items they buy. They don’t mind if the toy breaks or the seams of the dress rip, since they have little sentiment attached to it. Our society has become so accustomed to the use-andthrow philosophy that we are surrounded by cheaper options that we are happy to discard to the landfill.
Having said that however, I have also seen a growing trend of moving away from mass manufactured items, with people choosing to buy quality over quantity, and supporting small businesses. The more money we put into these individuals, the more it comes back into the economy, instead of going to multinationals who dictate how little a worker needs to get paid. I have learnt to truly value the time and effort each artisan puts in her craft. Handmade is not cheap, since there are hours of love and care that have gone into every step.
Between my day job and my daughter, I am not sure which keeps me on my toes more. I try to find whatever little time I can to create something. Sometimes it is an easy order and at other times my most demanding customer, Ms 3 throws a challenge for her mum!
I am lucky to have such a wonderful support network that has helped me unleash my creative spirit. My day job pays my bills, while my hobby repays my soul. So, the next time you have to get a gift for someone, try making it yourself or have a craftsperson make it for you. The recipient will know that you have put a lot more thought into it than just going to a shop and picking the first thing that caught your eye. Remember that the little bit of love that goes in every stitch is priceless!