Being young has a lot of advantages. You are open and have a lot of fresh ideas which you need now in such a competitive market, Schauna Chauhan tells Martin D’Souza

“Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

What are the changes you have incorporated since you have taken over as Operations Manager, Parle Agro?
I have always believed that human resource is the base of a good organisation. In keeping with our goal of becoming the premier employer in the FMCG industry, we have focused on improving and strengthening the systems and processes of the HR department, specifically concerning performance evaluation and management, recruitment practices, and training requirements.

Other HR initiatives that we would like to implement are increasing employee interaction in social settings, often outside the office to allow employees to get to know each other at a personal level, thereby helping to improve communication and commitment within the firm. Other areas that I have focused on are new product development, and branding — specifically focused on leveraging our existing brands to enter new markets both within India as well as in the International market.

Don’t you feel intimidated by the company or the competition around you, considering you are still so young?
You are how old you think you are! Being young has a lot of advantages. You are open and have a lot of fresh ideas which you need now in such a competitive market. You have energy and enthusiasm not only enough for yourself but to be able to drive your organisation forward.

What is your five-year plan for the company?
With our recent launch of Frooti in PET bottles we are focusing on expanding our coverage nationally and penetrating new markets where we are currently under-represented. We also plan on establishing an international presence for our leading brand Frooti. We are also working on expanding into new horizontal markets where we can leverage our distribution strength to enhance value. My sister, Alisha Chauhan, who has recently entered the business is peer-heading a foray into the health and fitness market, which has been kicked off with the opening of our first health and fitness centre in Juhu.

How do you cope with managing the company’s affairs? It is a stressful job dealing with so many employees.
Any job that one does involves stress. There is stress but I enjoy what I do so I approach every day as a new challenge, a new learning experience that helps me tackle any issue that comes up. However, I believe exercising goes a long way towards refreshing the mind and preparing you to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

What’s your strong point, professionally?
I think my strongest point would be that if I believe in something I will put everything in my capabilities to make it happen. Always thinking positively makes things easier to handle. Turn the negative things into positive mode. If you feel positive and confident about things, automatically things will come into place. Helen Keller used to say, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence.”

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