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Santro: The Car That Built a Company [Hardcover] B.V.R. Subbu
'There's no business like the car business!'
Within months of its launch in late 1998, with every well-known global automobile brand jockeying for a foothold in a small-car market almost monopolized by Maruti Udyog Limited, Hyundai Motor India's debut production, the Santro, emerged as a force to reckon with. The first car to be conceptualized and designed for ? and then developed and manufactured in ? India, the Sunshine Car? has, over a period of sixteen years, set the record for the quickest small car brand to go from zero to one million units sold. It achieved profitability for Hyundai at an unprecedented speed and made an impressive global impact as a made-in-India automobile in markets as diverse as Algeria and Zimbabwe, Western Europe and North America.
In Santro: The Car That Built a Company, B.V.R. Subbu, who spearheaded much of the Santro's success, reveals the hitherto untold story of how this small car made such a big impact. Vivid anecdotes detail the challenges of introducing a new product in a new market, the canny business strategies that were employed to get the better of rival brands, the unforgettable marketing campaigns that made all the difference ? and the thrills of the high-stakes power battles and everyday drama that characterize corporate India.
By turns revelatory, insightful and delightfully engaging, this is a business story with a difference about a car like no other.
Within months of its launch in late 1998, with every well-known global automobile brand jockeying for a foothold in a small-car market almost monopolized by Maruti Udyog Limited, Hyundai Motor India's debut production, the Santro, emerged as a force to reckon with. The first car to be conceptualized and designed for ? and then developed and manufactured in ? India, the Sunshine Car? has, over a period of sixteen years, set the record for the quickest small car brand to go from zero to one million units sold. It achieved profitability for Hyundai at an unprecedented speed and made an impressive global impact as a made-in-India automobile in markets as diverse as Algeria and Zimbabwe, Western Europe and North America.
In Santro: The Car That Built a Company, B.V.R. Subbu, who spearheaded much of the Santro's success, reveals the hitherto untold story of how this small car made such a big impact. Vivid anecdotes detail the challenges of introducing a new product in a new market, the canny business strategies that were employed to get the better of rival brands, the unforgettable marketing campaigns that made all the difference ? and the thrills of the high-stakes power battles and everyday drama that characterize corporate India.
By turns revelatory, insightful and delightfully engaging, this is a business story with a difference about a car like no other.
- GenresBusinessNonfiction
316 pages, Hardcover
Published October 15, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 11, 2021
The Story of HMI and Santro through the eyes of its first sales and marketing director (and subsequently, President) is an amazing business case study of an unknown foreign entity entering a monopolistic Indian auto market and making its mark at a speed unrivaled till date. Subbu presents an insider's view ( which at times, at his own admission may be a little unbiased, but nevertheless unapologetic and transparent) of the business decisions ranging from strategy, product development, market and consumer research, operational management and distribution management. It is a classic case study of David versus Goliath, but the David here is a smart, innovative and cunning player while the Goliath has been presented as a lazy, pampered giant too comfortable at their position. The Goliath is MUL.
I like how Subbu starts with presenting good context and history of the automobile industry in India post independence, the major players through the ages and the various barriers of entry as well as the post-liberalization changes in the economy signaling a shift in consumer demand and aspirations. Moreover, the fact that he identified key events, which did not happen, that perhaps contributed to the success of Hyundai is a very good acknowledgement that any success of a brand depends on a variety of external factors or luck.
However, apart from this initial acknowledgement of things beyond HMI, Subbu's narration and story is otherwise very boastful and times almost insultingly arrogant. Subbu minces no words in disparaging anyone with a different worldview, be it consultants, bankers or even people within his own team (he is particularly critical of his one time finance team).
As a director in HMI, he fashions himself as a general leading a guerilla warfare against MUL and references Mao and his On Protracted War, as his inspiration to various tactics and strategies employed during the establishment and launch of Santro and HMI in India. As a general leading his army, he treats his enemies as such, even in writing- MUL is the antagonist in this story and there are no nice words to spare for it.
These two things, for me, set a negative tone to the entire book, which otherwise has brilliant stories for any management enthusiast.
However, this aside, the overall story of Santro and HMI is truly inspirational. The story covers almost all aspects of a business school syllabus - product development, operational management, marketing/pricing, branding, consumer behavior, human resource development and productivity as well as cultural relations and management.
Subbu also shares some amazing personal life anecdotes including how the deal with SRK to become the brand ambassador almost fell through.
Overall, a great read and case study, even though because of the slightly egoistic nature of storytelling, it did leave me rolling my eyes every now and then.
I like how Subbu starts with presenting good context and history of the automobile industry in India post independence, the major players through the ages and the various barriers of entry as well as the post-liberalization changes in the economy signaling a shift in consumer demand and aspirations. Moreover, the fact that he identified key events, which did not happen, that perhaps contributed to the success of Hyundai is a very good acknowledgement that any success of a brand depends on a variety of external factors or luck.
However, apart from this initial acknowledgement of things beyond HMI, Subbu's narration and story is otherwise very boastful and times almost insultingly arrogant. Subbu minces no words in disparaging anyone with a different worldview, be it consultants, bankers or even people within his own team (he is particularly critical of his one time finance team).
As a director in HMI, he fashions himself as a general leading a guerilla warfare against MUL and references Mao and his On Protracted War, as his inspiration to various tactics and strategies employed during the establishment and launch of Santro and HMI in India. As a general leading his army, he treats his enemies as such, even in writing- MUL is the antagonist in this story and there are no nice words to spare for it.
These two things, for me, set a negative tone to the entire book, which otherwise has brilliant stories for any management enthusiast.
However, this aside, the overall story of Santro and HMI is truly inspirational. The story covers almost all aspects of a business school syllabus - product development, operational management, marketing/pricing, branding, consumer behavior, human resource development and productivity as well as cultural relations and management.
Subbu also shares some amazing personal life anecdotes including how the deal with SRK to become the brand ambassador almost fell through.
Overall, a great read and case study, even though because of the slightly egoistic nature of storytelling, it did leave me rolling my eyes every now and then.
May 12, 2018
An interesting book on the start up life of Hyundai India from one of the earliest members of the team. BVR lucidly narrates the story of what happens in an auto company from product planning to after sales service.
Written in simple English, the book is a fast read.
As per BVR Hyundai was the first company to bring fierce competitiveness to the Indian auto industry through Brand ambassador, combative advertising and other activities.
Overall a good book to read and a must read if you are in auto industry.
Written in simple English, the book is a fast read.
As per BVR Hyundai was the first company to bring fierce competitiveness to the Indian auto industry through Brand ambassador, combative advertising and other activities.
Overall a good book to read and a must read if you are in auto industry.
February 13, 2018
I would call the Hyundai story that's elaborately put forth in this book as a Story of one of the Best Startup of 90s, as I read into the intricacies of what Hyundai India (HMI) had to go through in terms of financial resources, product development, market understanding, media management and internal issues etc.
The book is a great attempt to give an insight on how the man at the top had to deal with all of the above, lead from the front, face adversities with utmost transparency and honest and at times, at the cost of appearing boastful I would think. But well, as he said, jo dikhta hai, woh bikta hai. And if he has a good product and it needs a pompous flaunt to showcase it, then be it.
To be upfront and frank, a question did come in my mind while reading the book. That whether some of the sanctimonious (using his word I learnt from this book) sentences used for his rationale on "why should anybody have issues with my invasive marketing of Santro" would have been the rationale if he was to discuss strategies around Getz or Sonata, which were lesser success over say Swift or Corolla etc. In fact, I did not like that he indirectly (I do not want to say conveniently) attributed the failure of especially Getz to his "consultants" saying "perhaps we listened to our consultants too much." His chapter on media relations told the benefits of having a leader who accepts his mistakes and moves on. This deference of failure without presenting the full picture in the book was a bit surprising. And a bit atypical of the otherwise bold and upfront image the author portrayed time and again (and rightly so, don't get me wrong).
Overall, a wonderful read. Respect to the man who took HMI to the heights. It takes a person of exceptional wisdom, courage and foresight to do what he did. So congratulations Sir and also, thank you for the enjoyable and insightful read.
The book is a great attempt to give an insight on how the man at the top had to deal with all of the above, lead from the front, face adversities with utmost transparency and honest and at times, at the cost of appearing boastful I would think. But well, as he said, jo dikhta hai, woh bikta hai. And if he has a good product and it needs a pompous flaunt to showcase it, then be it.
To be upfront and frank, a question did come in my mind while reading the book. That whether some of the sanctimonious (using his word I learnt from this book) sentences used for his rationale on "why should anybody have issues with my invasive marketing of Santro" would have been the rationale if he was to discuss strategies around Getz or Sonata, which were lesser success over say Swift or Corolla etc. In fact, I did not like that he indirectly (I do not want to say conveniently) attributed the failure of especially Getz to his "consultants" saying "perhaps we listened to our consultants too much." His chapter on media relations told the benefits of having a leader who accepts his mistakes and moves on. This deference of failure without presenting the full picture in the book was a bit surprising. And a bit atypical of the otherwise bold and upfront image the author portrayed time and again (and rightly so, don't get me wrong).
Overall, a wonderful read. Respect to the man who took HMI to the heights. It takes a person of exceptional wisdom, courage and foresight to do what he did. So congratulations Sir and also, thank you for the enjoyable and insightful read.
April 26, 2020
Anyone who followed the Indian car market in 1990s would remember the paradigm shift that Santro brought with it. It shaked the existing monopoly of Maruti and it's popularity left the competitors in utter bewilderment. But how did this happen? How did a brand which many Indians could hardly pronounce at that time (forget about hearing about it) became a household name? How did they achieve such high level of local manufacturing? How did they play the game at psychological level to baffle the competitors? This book answers it all. Whether you are interested in the core engineering of it, the economics of it or the management and marketing part of it, you will definitely enjoy reading it. It is not just a chronology of events, but it is written with the thrill of a fiction and it shows how passionate the author was for this cause. You can hardly keep it down.
July 28, 2020
My family has a number of Hyundai cars including Santro, i10 and Creta. So this book was interesting to me. I liked that it detailed the journey of Hyundai from a newcomer to the Indian to becoming #1. Subbu provides a lot of personal anecdotes and insider info on the adventures that happened. Many of the things i felt were relevant to me as a customer too, for instance i have often felt that Hyundai cars always provided a premium feel which more than justified the small premium they have on their small cars compared to other manufacturers. As in their basic/economy does not feel so basic.
February 1, 2020
A story from the author's perspective as to how Hyundai and Santro came to be in India. Provides a good view into the prevailing industry conditions at the time and how they navigate around those. Interesting read if you are interested in how a company (making a product) goes about setting up manufacturing and managing finances, amongst other things.
October 5, 2022
Reading this book alongside 'The Maruti Story' helps debunk the claims made in both books.
It has more of a Marketing focus due to the author's background, but interesting Anecdotes about the state of the industry and pricing makes it a worthwhile read.
It has more of a Marketing focus due to the author's background, but interesting Anecdotes about the state of the industry and pricing makes it a worthwhile read.
September 18, 2020
Must read for all Hyundains to know the origins of HMI.
January 25, 2021
Love the story about how Hyundai an unknown Korean brand made itself a household name with a product in India
April 29, 2020
Average
December 5, 2020
Author has beautifully explained initial journey of Hyundai in India. It's ready reckoner of Dos and Don'ts for new automobile player in India.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews