Communities
30-Apr-2009 19:23
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INCREDIBLE INDIA by Gerhard Genis
Incredible India is the advertising phrase on TV. And this is so true from my experience! On Sunday, 11 January at 06.00am, I was packed and ready to go to Jaipur, India as support to Shriram General Insurance (SGI). I was privileged to be chosen for this assignment. The flight to Jaipur took me from Johannesburg via Mumbai and Udaipur. On arrival at 09.30 am on 12 January 2009, I knew this was going to be an entirely new experience to me. En route to the hotel I informed Mr. Gujral that I’ll be with them about 11.00am that same day. After a quick shower I was off to the SGI Head Office for the first meeting of the day.
My experience during the past 13 weeks in India and at SGI was something that I will cherish for years to come. The staff and the hospitality at the SGI Head Office, Delhi’s offices and the branch offices in Jaipur that I’ve visited were phenomenal. Everybody has made my stay comfortable. I will always remember the friendship that I’ve experienced in Jaipur. It was great!
So, you may ask, “and what do you think about SGI?” A fine question. My experience on a business level within SGI is that the leadership understands the dynamics of the Indian market quite well. There is a structured plan for growth and deliverance against an agreed business plan. However, the leadership of SGI relies heavily on all staff to support them in achieving these goals. In my interaction with you, I’ve realized a willingness to “go the extra mile” in supporting the goals of SGI. That alone says much about the work culture that is manifesting within the business.
It also seems that the consequent interdependence is clearly understood, as vigorous debate of ideas and opinions is evident across the business. The primary objective of SGI, namely to create shareholder value through the generation of sustainable profit and return on capital employed, seems well embedded. Going forward and to be successful SGI must become the preferred choice in the chosen markets. This will demand a committed workforce that is passionate about what they do. Market share and size per se is not as important. However I’ve experienced where SGI identify an opportunity, it will pursue that market share aggressively. And this is where you should passionately support the business initiatives. An old saying says: ”cash is king, and profit is a matter of opinion”, however, in these times continued focus on cash management and cost control will play a big part in achieving set goals. I believe the current market conditions will most likely continue for a while markets will harden and underwriting will be more prominent than price. SGI under the leadership of Mr. Gujral is well placed in the market to deliver a good performance in 2009~10FY. Hence my long tail answers to your question: In my opinion SGI is well positioned to be ranked in the top five insurers within the next four to seven years within the Indian General Insurance market. I want to conclude by extending my thanks and gratitude to each member of the staff at SGI who all ensured my time with you was unforgettable. I’ve experienced a smooth introduction and transition into your business and the Indian General Insurance market as a whole. The network of business contacts that I’ve build up was fantastic, and I’ve learned a lot from you. A couple of initiatives been forwarded to Santam for consideration. I will continue to deliver support to SGI on a functional and operational level. A special thanks to Mr. Gujral, for his leadership and his management team for keeping up with me and my endless questions. I trust that I’ve added value to your business. And, I’ll be back! Promise!
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