The elevation of 39-year-old Rahul Mammen Mappillai to the position of Managing Director of MRF is significant, coming as it does at a time when the operating environment is tough.
Uncertainty has become the new normal in the market. Competition has become intense. Cost pressures have added to worries. MRF, however, has decided to take the bull by its horns. It is setting up a unit in Gujarat to stay closer to consuming centres. It is precisely against this backdrop that an affable Mr. Rahul Mammen is assigned a challenging job.
Joining the company as a corporate manager in 2003, he become whole-time director in 2010. It has been a steady induction process for Mr. Rahul Mammen, son of K.M. Mammen, chairman and managing director.
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“MRF’s journey from a toy balloon manufacturer to India’s largest tyre company is an inspirational journey. This was made possible by a dedicated team who strived to achieve truly extraordinary things motivated by our visionary founder, my grandfather K. M. Mammen Mappillai. I believe all of us working at MRF are custodians of this incredible legacy, and we are fully committed to put in all the effort required to continue this extraordinary journey,” he said.
The board had also appointed Arun Mammen, managing director, as vice chairman and re-designated him as vice chairman and managing director.
Major industrial families here are seeing GenNext induction into the business. Harish Lakshman and Vinay Lakshman, sons of L. Lakshman, are active in the Rane Group. At Sanmar, Vijay Sankar, son of N. Sankar, is piloting the group. Sudarshan Venu and Lakshmi Venu, siblings of industrialists Venu Srinivasan and Mallika Srinivasan, are active in family enterprises. While Mr. Sudarshan is the joint managing director (JMD) of TVS Motor, Ms. Lakshmi is the JMD of Sundaram Clayton. Arathi Krishna and Arundathi Krishna, daughters of CMD Suresh Krishna, are holding lead positions at Sundram Fasteners. In Sundaram Finance, the chairman's elder son, Harsha Viji, is steering the financial services business and the younger one, Sriram, is steering Brakes India. Rupa Gurunath, whole-time director and daughter of N. Srinivasan, vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements, has taken it as a challenge to work in brick and mortar company.
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According to sources, GenNext in these enterprises is ‘committed, serious and focussed.’ In most cases, they are at the forefront in driving scale.