The Tractor of Life!

It is an unusual sphere she occupies, but one in which she has made her mark. Mallika Srinivasan, director Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd is a woman who has achieved it through sheer dint of determination and strength. Grand-daughter of S Anantharamakrishnan, founder of the Amalgamations group, it could be said that Mallika was born with the proverbial `silver spoon’. But this MBA from Wharton, who decided “somewhere in her student years” that she would like to be making tractors and other farm equipment, has proved worthy of the laurels she has acquired over the years. “I grew up in an environment steeped in business,” says Mallika, “My father and my grandfather would be discussing business all the time. It sort of soaked in. My mother would also encourage my sister and me to take an interest in what they were doing.” Mallika, who joined Tafe as general manager in 1986, has over the years, drawn admiration as a businesswoman of mettle.

The lady who has been nominated Businesswoman of the Year for The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence is petite and soft spoken. She is simply clad in a muted blue salwar kameez and there are no trappings of power about her. Mallika is, outside of her business, quite media-shy. Her reaction to her nomination is “…it is a surprise.” How does she feel about her possibility of winning the award? “One does not work towards such things,” is her response, “One just does what one has to do, and do it well.”

Talk to her of tractors, and she is on very familiar ground. She describes the evolution of Samrat, the latest from her stables to hit the agricultural market. “We took into account the driving conditions of the Indian farmer when we created this tractor,” she says. She goes on to describe the contours of the vehicle that were designed to offer him maximum comfort… and usage. “We know that the tractor is not used on the fields alone,” she smiles, “There are times when it is used to ferry passengers.”

She has taken Tafe past just tractors and implements, in the agricultural sector. As part of its corporate vision, the company supports an agri-portal that forms a forum for networking within the farming community. The portal dispenses free advice, news on latest implements, offers chat forums and more to consumers and dealers of Tafe. This, says Mallika, is part of the company’s endeavours to help farmers lead better lives.

Technology and R & D, however, are what drives her vision forward. “Today, even when the market is low,” she comments, “the market is still responding to newer technology products.” Her latest tractor is one that has been soft-launched in Andhra Pradesh and one that has been created for farmers in that region. “We would like to bring affordable technology for the small farmer,” says Mallika.

Talk to her of the blossoming of women in the corporate sector and Mallika is firmly of the belief that “…India has treated her women well”. The `glass-ceiling’ according to her, is a `mind-set’ issue – and one that can be surmounted if the individual is focused and determined. “You have to keep your focus on what you want to do, keep your unique value system in mind – what is it that you want to achieve, and just keep going,” she says, “The workplace enviroment is not non-conducive(to women).”

This `grappling with a lot of challenges’ is possibly what Mallika herself experienced. “It is not as if Indian women are letting go of their children. Not at all. They just put in extra work and get that done as well. And these days, families are also helping out and to that extent we have supportive environments,” she says, “Women who are successful

and want to be successful, don’t give up.” Such women, Mallika admits, are in minority, but are being increasingly recognized in the workplace.

The greatest challenge before her today, according to Mallika, is People. “Nothing can be done alone. You have to have a great team and we must work towards that. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” This businesswoman’s day begins early, at eight o’clock and in her words, “…it is a good start. A lot of things get done in the morning.”

Not surprisingly, the issue closest to her heart, is the development of the agricultural sector. “We are very closely linked to the farming community,” she tells you, “And that community has not been receiving the full benefits of the developments that are happening world-wide.” Her dream is to see an increase in the disposable incomes of the farmers. Tafe itself, boasts of a couple of farming projects that attempt innovation in farming methods and pass it on to the grass-roots. Mallika talks of the possibilities of propogating technological practices that are followed world-wide, that help preserve our soil and eco-logy, thus keeping the long-term interests of agriculture intact. This she sees as a unique cycle, one that will return to the farmers “…what they give to you.”