HYDERABAD: Is there a magic code that helped some companies stay afloat and sail away to safer shores while some sank?
Yes, says author JVC Sreeram, a Hyderabad-based corporate trainer who has worked for over 100 days since April to talk to hundreds of individuals and corporates to put together a book on what worked and what didn’t.
“No Reference Point, a book on how to succeed during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond is a compilation of such lives and their anecdotes that would inspire people around the world,” he says.
Sreeram, a corporate trainer in Kondapur, said that the idea of the book stemmed when his clients asked him to do regular webinar sessions to address their anxieties about the future of the businesses. “In the first two months of Covid-19, I managed to reach out to about 5,000 people via social media and webinars. During these sessions, I had elaborate conversations with individuals and companies and understood how they managed to sail or sink. Lt Gen Anil Kapoor, a friend of mine, urged me to bring out a book with key takeaways. I started writing on April 9 and brought out the book on August 24,” says Sreeram.
Among the case studies is that of Medica Hospitals, a chain of 10 hospitals in Eastern India and how they put together a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual on February 18 on a war footing. The hospital had zero mortality rate. I also spoke to UPL, a `35,000 cr company where the senior management told me how they managed to increase their sales margin by 27 per cent in the second quarter of this year. There are extensive inputs from automobile industry majors and from VP Reliance Jio Trade Centre Veerendra Razdan.
Which company particularly impressed him with their strategy? “Qiagen India, a Germany-based company which supplies molecular testing kits approved by the WHO did impressively. I spoke to their South Asian head about what testing they were doing and how they were equipped to face the uncertain future. Also, I did not want it to be just a book covering the top ones. I also included rural companies such as Choudhary Millers, a Tanuku-based `200 cr MSME company,” he shares. Sreeram straddles between Hyderabad and Kenya as part of is work.
Sreeram, who is also a renowned international keynote speaker and a thought leader, says that the book highlights many facets of life and commerce. It dwells on the facets of various people who charted newer paths in these challenging times.” The book consists of three parts. The first looks at the VUCA World phenomenon, change and the effects of the change! The second deals with incorporating those changes in daily lives and the best practices followed by some of the organisations. The third and final part of the book is a compilation of the conversation that the author had with several industry leaders, CEOs, doctors, industry consultants, heads of institutions from across industries around the world. “The book is ranked #1 in entrepreneurship in Amazon new releases,” he adds.
3 key values that helped companies survive
Quick Covid-19 Takes
What will work out best in 2021: Auto and agricultural collabs
Companies that need to be pulled out of the rut: Automobiles, hospitality, MSME, startups, aviation, higher education institutes and luxury retail
In trouble: The travel agent
Shocking Hyderabadi fact: A prominent hotel in Hyderabad is making a loss of $1 million per year for the last 12 years
— Manju Latha Kalanidhi kalanidhi @newindianexpress.com @mkalanidhi