By Tricitynews
Ludhiana, 02nd Feb, 2020:-
From a humble bicycle
parts manufacturing business started by four partition-displaced brothers to a
global force in the two-wheeler industry, the Hero Group has come a long way!
The story of this historic journey, which in many ways mirrors the journey of
Independent India, is the subject of Sunil Kant Munjal’s new book ‘The Making of Hero: Four Brothers, Two
Wheels and a Revolution that Shaped India’. The book was launched
here today in the presence of leading industrialists Sajjan Jindal of JSW Steel
and Kiran Kumar Gandhi of the GMR Group, the author, and members of the Hero
family. The book narrates a real ‘Make in India’ story that unfolded decades
before the phrase entered popular lexicon. It captures, in myriad ways, the
struggles that the Munjal brothers experienced while taking their modest
business to great heights.
Sunil Kant Munjal,
Chairman, Hero Enterprise said that when you look back at the journey of Hero, you see
close parallels with the story of India’s emergence. Hero Cycles was born out
of a desperate attempt by his father and uncles to survive and provide for
their families. However, with time, vision diligence and plenty of common
sense, Hero evolved into a global force with leadership in multiple businesses.
This book looks at how the Hero ecosystem was built, and the factors that led to
the success.
The book launch was followed by an
interesting panel discussion: ‘Togetherness Lesson for Gen Next’ between
Sajjan Jindal, Kiran Grandhi and the author, and moderated by eminent
journalist Shekhar Gupta. Among various aspects, the panel spoke about the
impact of elders in the family, forces of change, and the need for family
members to communicate with each other even as the family grows new branches. The
book, in fact, makes a deep dive into the ‘family spirit’ that pervades the
Hero Group; one that brought employees, customers, channel partners, suppliers
and local communities together to create success, welfare and well-being for
millions over the past seven decades.
Sunil Munjal explained
that the story of India’s transport revolution is intertwined with the story of
Hero Cycles. He has also tried to show how people in a poor agrarian economy
with limited means of transportation experienced freedom through our bicycles,
and later, in the 1980s, as a middle class emerged, experienced aspiration
through our trouble-free and long-lasting motorcycles.
Hero began its journey in the 1950s by trading in and
manufacturing bicycle parts. In subsequent decades, the founders diversified
into bicycles, mopeds, automotive parts, motorcycles and scooters, and today
the restructured group also encompasses service businesses and infrastructure.
In 1986, thirty years after its inception, Hero Cycles became the largest
bicycle maker in the world. In the next fifteen years, the motorcycle venture
Hero Honda also became the largest in the world, and both pole positions are
held firmly even today.
