The word 'unprecedented' is finally getting judicious use
To say that these are strange times would be a gross understatement. Let’s just say that the word unprecedented is finally getting judicious use. But, as the cover of this ‘digital’ issue says, the show must go on...
By Dhruv Behl
To say that these are strange times would be a gross understatement. Let’s just say that the word unprecedented is finally getting judicious use.
But, as the cover of this ‘digital’ issue says, the show must go on... and while we might be under lockdown, that won’t stop us from bringing you great stories. In this issue, we speak with leaders in the industry to get their views on what the path to post-pandemic recovery looks like. You can also check out the videos of these interviews on our website or YouTube channel.
Covid-19 news aside, it’s been a particularly distressing month – as we lost a pair of industry leaders, both from BMW, within the last month. Mihir Dayal was the Sales Director at BMW. He passed away on the 7th of April after a battle with cancer. Rudratej Singh was President and CEO of BMW in India, and he lost his life less than two weeks later – on the 20th of April. My heart goes out to their families and loved ones, as well as the entire team at BMW.
Rudy, as he was known, was certainly among a new breed of CEOs who was open to feedback and willing to try something new. His past experience, which included a dozen years at Unilever, enabled him to look at the Indian luxury car market from a completely different perspective and bring a fresh approach to the industry. He was young, candid, ambitious and made quite an impact in the short time that he was at BMW. For me, personally, he’s someone I’ll miss a great deal.
Tragedies like these hammer home the point that life is simply too short. This lockdown has forced each of us to step off the hamster wheel – if only momentarily – and introspect. It’s given us an opportunity to enjoy the finer things in life, namely time with family. Although, in my conversations with automotive CEOs in our #WorkFromHome interview series they each pointed out how their workload had actually increased thanks to video conferencing and remotely managing their teams.
Hopefully, if there’s something that we’ll be able take away from this time it’s not to take anything for granted – especially health and freedom. Speaking of which, I for one can’t wait to get back on the open road again. In the meantime, enjoy this issue and stay safe.
Also read - Consolidation of the automotive industry is imperative for its future
