Interview with Sanjeeva Kumar- Tata Housing

Sanjeeva Kumar Singh, Tata Housing
Vice President- Tata Housing looking after Business Excellence, Corporate Quality, Property Services and Corporate Sustainability.

Theme of session: Customer Centricity- Creating a customer centric culture in an organization with examples from Tata Power & Tata Steel and Tata Housing.

1. What is the reason behind you choosing the Tata career path?
Tata is the most ethical company and they value employees, they give a huge focus on your career growth and your career progression and they also give you many chances to rotate. In my earlier years when I was with Tata Steal I was the most rotated person. Because I used to work on my own terms when I used to stay for 3-5 years in one place therefore I learnt finance I learnt HR, marketing, operations, IT, Corporate sustainability.

So unless a person rotates between 3-5 years from one function to another there’s a huge learning, that learning opportunity creates a holistic individual, a holistic leader and that’s what Tata does. They give you the opportunity to learn, to create a career for yourself. Also sports was my hobby, they allowed me to play for the country, which no other company would do.

2. Experience of about 25 years in the industry, how would you describe your experience over the years?
I think it has been a very very enriching experience, I’ve learnt from one company to the other, so while Tata steal was the backbone; and the best thing about Tata steal was every 2-3 years there was a new thing coming in. so weather it was a EPA, theory of constraint, TDMJ of working, top of McKinsey or top of customer value chain management with McKinsey. So every time you got a new dimension to the entire organization and that kept you abreast on the latest things happening.

So you are actually part of the implementation chain, so by implementing various theories, various practices, initiatives and consultant, what happened was you learn a lot. So what I learnt in the initial 20 years, well its paying me dividend now. I’m implementing all the learning’s to all the other Tata group companies. So I moved to Tata Power then Tata Housing again I’m implementing. By implementing everything I’ve learnt, what I’m trying to do is take the companies to a new level.

3. What experience can one expect while working with Tata Housing?
It’s just like any organization. Overall you look at leadership, strategy, customer focus, employee focus, process improvement finally look at the end result. So if you work across the value chain, so if you look at any Tata company, you are exposed to all the facets of the organizational way of working, so if you functionally work in marketing or finance or accounts or design. So you are exposed to all the ways of working and that enriches.

4. What CSR activities does Tata Housing associate with?
When it come to Corporate Social Responsibility, Tata’s are way ahead. When the entire world is talking about Corporate Social Responsibility today, 100 years back in 1904 when Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata set up the Tata Steal Empire in India. He told his son when we are setting up this industrial place, be assured there is place for a mosque for Hindu, Sikh temples for people from all walks of life. He also made sure there was place for schools, playgrounds. Now these were unheard off, industrial set ups having their own schools own hospitals- at that time. So what the Tata’s taught in 1904 today the world is following.

Their realizing the importance of industrial harmony, importance of retaining employees. If you can create avenues for your employees to grow and foster, that is what the industry should do. What you can do for the society at large, create livelihood for the company. This is what Tata taught in 1904, people are following today. This is a great learning for any Tata company, similarly for Tata Housing.

5. Today’s session with the students was on Customer Centricity, what role does it play or how important is it for a business?
Any industry is about product and service, either you’re selling a product or offering a service. One thing which is common across all organizations in the world is customer. Mahatma Gandhi most rightly said customer is the most important person on your premises. You’re not doing a kindness or a favor by giving a product or a service but he is doing a favor by taking a product or a service. So true! If you look at marketing philosophies, etc it’s all about customer is the king.

If you are able to understand the customer, you have to divide the customer or service based on the customer requirement, delight the customer and therefore you’ll see phenomenal results in your company. The revenue will go up the profit will go up, you have the most satisfied customer. You are regularly coming up with innovative products and services in order to delight the customer and exceed the expectation.

6. What message would you give CFM students, after having interacted with them?
Whichever sphere or subject they choose one thing which will remain common across all subjects will be the customer. If they are able to understand the customer and the society at large I’m sure they’ll be able to provide great service to the entire mankind.