Indraneel Chitale’s six keys for organising a future-ready business

"Governance was not a problem; the focus was," said Chitale. "How do I create my space was my biggest challenge. And that is where I think my degree came to my help."

Chitale narrated how he was called a "halwai" during his engineering days and what it meant for him. "When you look at a halwai show, what comes to your mind is sweets prepared fresh in front of your mind, at a very localised level. Not standardised but extremely tasty. And somewhere, for me, the experience is about visibility."

Chitale Group built a plant, which was Chitale's contribution, with imported equipment. "More importantly, we had to design machines, which could produce more than one product, to become efficient," said Chitale. "For me, the mantra was – building future business, and future readiness."

During Chitale's presentation, there were six key messages to make a business future-ready.

Hitech halwai: He set up a new plant, and brought in new technology with speed and build, to fit more than one purpose.

Organising for a "winner takes it all" future: Chitale aimed not to become a player whose stuff would be consumed only during the celebrations. "I wanted to become a "breakfast to dinner" player.

Who we are: Strengthen identity: With the new vision, Chitale wanted to cater to national and international markets. "We now have our products in as far as the USA," said Chitale.

Sharpen your value agenda: The company added new products. Chitale said that he focused purely on health with the M Square range. "We wanted sugar, gluten-free, vegan, keto-friendly, and all the trends you see influencing how we consume our products." The result: the company added a new category of consumers.

The packaging and communication quotients: It was important that the outlets where the Chitale products are sold, are visible. "We created a brand pull in the market for our consumers. And that way, that consumer pull is what is making sure that the retailers keep stocking our about product. Here technology is not at work, but communication does," explained Chitale.

Focus on being relevant: Chitale shared an example of how 65-million years ago, when dinosaurs were the apex predators on the planet, cockroaches too existed. Today, the dinosaurs are gone, and billions of dollars are spent by pharma companies trying to make repellents that can kill cockroaches. The cockroaches have agility, endurance and adaptability, which keeps them relevant, and they make sure that they make their presence felt in our everyday life. "My advice to all of you here is, if you want to be relevant, be like cockroaches," concluded Chitale