When Passion Meets Work

Prakash Wakankar is one of the very few corporate professionals who has shared the commentary box with cricket legends like Sir Garfield Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Chappell and several others. Currently, serving as CEO, 2-Wheelers Businesses and Chief of International Operations, Farm Equipment Sector of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd., Wakankar’s corporate career spans over three decades and his love for cricket commentary has been a catalyst for his professional growth. His industry acumen is par excellence and his tenure with corporate giants like Pfizer, Coca-Cola, Mahindra, etc. has helped him grow leaps and bounds. With this, he also is a cricket commentator for the BBC, Prasar Bharati, ABC and Cricket Radio. His work has surely taken him places across the globe. “The corporate job has brought the food to my table but the cricket has provided the food for my soul”, says Wakankar proudly. In a conversation with Corporate Citizen, Prakash Wakankar talks about his journey and experiences of the corporate and cricket world

"Industry-specific knowledge plays a great role but the reality is, once you reach a certain point in an organisation or your career, any sort of acumen can be acquired as long as you ask the right questions'

Corporate Citizen: They say that the place where you are born plays a great role in shaping your career. Walk us through your feelings of how your hometown has moulded you into what you are today. Also, tell us about your childhood values which have aided in your growth.

Prakash Wakankar: My childhood was quite vibrant and interesting, precisely because I got to travel across our country owing to my father’s Army background. The people who crossed my path have been nothing but enlightening and full of colours. And that made me believe that the best education in the world is to be able to travel, understand different cultures, try different cuisines, and flourish through people’s experience. Although I was born in Nagpur, I got a chance to move around the Northern part of our country for my primary education. My father’s posting took us to the heartland of our country. Towns like Udhampur, Madhopur, Ambala, Mau, Bareilly, Jhansi, Delhi, Pathankot and several others, gave me a chance to understand the true Indian life-raw, genuine and full of life. I still remember attending school on the banks of the river Ravi. There was a small tent set up for us. The smell of the freshwater, the untouched soil and interesting knowledge shared by the teachers-life back then was this simple. So, every city that I went to was my home and I made it a point to learn and grasp whatever the environment had to offer.

I must have been 14 when my father retired. We moved to Pune where we had most of my father’s relatives. Life there was again quite interesting. I did my schooling at Jnana Prabodhini. And I guess, by the end of my 10th standard, the bug of cricket had already bitten me. Hence, I moved my higher education base to NMV High School, which offered me what I was looking for-a good pitch to practice. To fit into a new place was never an issue, as my ability to adapt always got the best out of me. New friends, new environment but the same old me. All the years of learnings were easily translated to the rest of my career. I got the chance to travel the country, courtesy of my father. And even now, as my work allows me to travel, my family is getting the essence of what our country has to offer.

All through my career, I moved across the country, and at times, around the globe. In the 36 years of my marriage, we are now in our 17th home-I encashed on the opportunities that I got, most of them were fruitful because I was willing to almost go anywhere as long as the work was interesting.

My corporate journey allowed me to work with the who’s who of the industry-Pfizer, Coca-Cola, Mahindra and many others. These truly have been the glorious years of my life. I feel that my ability to adapt to any given environment, my people’s personal attitude, my zeal to look at the positives and learn from adversity, has made me enjoy my life more than ever.

CC: They say that your first job is a stepping stone that can make or break your career. Tell us about your first job experience with Pfizer. Did this job assist you in reaching or progressing towards your dream?

After my MBA, instead of going with the traditional way of placement, I chose to take things into my hands. Even though I had a few offers in my kitty through campus placement, I decided to apply outside the campus. I was extremely fortunate to be hired as the first management trainee by Pfizer, which according to me, was one of the finest companies at that time. When I look back at my experience of my first job, I am proud to say that it did act as a catalyst for my success in the industry. Apart from being a headstrong fresher, what pushed me to try various avenues were my supportive peers and managers. I have been implementing the wonderful insights that they had shared with me.

What makes a fresher’s corporate journey worthwhile, is the people who enlighten them with their insights. It was around 1985, the then technical director, V Sheshadri shared a few words of wisdom that completely made sense to me. He said that the only resource in the organisation which does not have a rated capacity stamped on it is the human resource. And people ultimately work for people. So, you ought to ensure that you are humane, understanding and caring towards people. And that’s how everyone can co-exist in harmony and your organisation will succeed. Frankly, this piece of wisdom had a profound effect on me. Therefore, I completely agree that a person’s first job defines their career trajectory.

Overall, my first job experience was simply brilliant. The kind of autonomy, support and learning made me realise the umpteen things that industry has to offer. Back then, although it was not a fancy job, the fieldwork that I went through has metamorphosed me into what I am today.

"In one’s career, a mentor, a manager, and a boss plays a vital role in one’s growth. They are the ones who allow you to see the hope within you. They empower you and make you believe that your goals can be achieved"

CC: Starting from 1988, you worked with Coca-Cola almost for a decade. Walk us through your Coca-Cola tenure.

My stint with Coca-Cola lasted for a decade and was spread over multiple roles and geographies. I was posted in Nepal in the beginning and I might say, that period had been simply outstanding. Around 1988, the Royal Family of Nepal owned a majority of the Coca-Cola company. I joined when the Coca-Cola company was going to take over from the Royal Family. Soon after that, I was transferred to Cambodia. Incidentally, by then I had become the youngest country manager at the age of 29.

It was indeed a great learning experience when I moved to Cambodia. It was a historic moment as Coca-Cola was being launched there after 14 years. I was left in a pool of thoughts after seeing how the people of Cambodia bounced back after the civil war. Understanding their lives opened several new doors for me. Their saga of resilience was a whole new story. And that was extended to Vietnam when the embargo (restrictions) was lifted by the then President of the USA, Bill Clinton, and we launched Coca-Cola in Vietnam. Dealing with the Vietnam Government, setting up three joint ventures and overcoming several hurdles, summarises my time in that country. Later, I moved to Singapore where I had a regional role. First handling Coca-Cola, Indo-China, and then handling the South and West regions, which included Pakistan. I had a unique experience of travelling to Pakistan. There, we acquired several bottling plants for Coca-Cola.

So, in mid-1997, I decided to head back home. I was super excited to join the Coca-Cola force in my country. Soon, we acquired several other bottling plants from the business stalwarts. My work then took me to the nook and corner of our country. The best part was the fieldwork and interacting with the labourers. And finally, in 2000, I decided to move out.

CC: You mentioned that your parents had met in Rawalpindi. Is that right?

Yes, indeed. To stay fit, my father used to hit the badminton court in Rawalpindi. My mother also used to play badminton. They played in the mixed doubles together and that transformed into a life-long partnership. And that is how my parents met. And courtesy of my tenure with Coca-Cola, I had the privilege of visiting my mother’s home during one of my work visits to Pakistan. I could not control my emotions after seeing her old house. What kept me warm was the love and affection offered by the Pakistani people.

CC: When you shifted to Mahindra, it was a completely different ball game. First pharma then beverages sector and later a few other sectors-your industry jargon grew leaps and bounds. With Mahindra being one of the auto giants, how did you manage the role and responsibilities with them?

My tenure with Mahindra has two innings. When I first joined Mahindra, I was offered the role of the CEO and President of Mahindra Holidays. Back then, I was based out of Chennai. As I took things into my hands, I had the responsibility of turning around the company. For almost seven years, it was a loss-making company. The task was mammoth, but I was all geared up for it. In less than a year, the tables had turned, and we were able to make our maiden profits. The company soon became a profitable organisation. In 2002, I left that origination and moved to Essel Propack, Shanghai, which happens to be the world’s largest manufacturer of plastic tubes, as the Director for East Asia and Pacific Regions.

Yes, the auto sector was completely new for me. But I entered it with years of experience. No doubt, industry-specific knowledge plays a great role but the reality is, once you reach a certain point in an organisation or your career, any sort of acumen can be acquired as long as you ask the right questions. The fact is, if you are running and managing a business the essential objectives do not change. You must grow the revenue, gain profit, return value to your shareholder, manage people, customers, and employees-this forms the basis of all the sectors.

I had the fortune of working with an array of sectors like pharma, beverage, vacation holiday ownership, packaging, energy, hydro, and a few others. And then when I joined Mahindra again in 2012, I was working for Mahindra Partners, which is a private equity arm of the Group. The role of the CEO and President of Mahindra Retail was a welcome change, and the cherry on the top was the role of the CEO of global 2-wheeler business. With that, I was handed an additional role of managing the International Operation of the Farm Sector, which is the biggest sector in M&M Ltd. This sort of gives me a feeling of jack of all trades and a master of few. Working in different sectors has certainly added to my knowledge and experience.

"My philosophy in life is pretty simple-do everything that you love in a way that allows you to sleep peacefully at night. If you can get a good night sleep then you are holding your fort nicely"

CC: During one of your sessions, you spoke highly of Anand Mahindra. You even mentioned that he made amends in your leaves just so you can carry forward your love for cricket commentary. So, how is it working alongside him?

In one’s career, a mentor, a manager, and a boss plays a vital role in one’s growth. They are the ones who allow you to see the hope within you. They empower you and make you believe that your goals can be achieved. I am fortunate to have worked alongside great managers who have guided me as a mentor. Courtesy of the roles that I handled in my career, I had the privilege of conversing with the seniors at various levels. Anand Mahindra is par excellence. He believes in offering flexibility, freedom and with that he challenges you to break convention. He provides one with an environment, where he allows people to take a calculated risk and pushes them to drive the business forward in ways that have not been done before.

My passion for cricket commentary gives me work-life balance. And this has been possible because of the bosses who have believed in me and given me the freedom to continue with my passion. Only for the time, I was in Cambodia and China, continuing with cricket commentary was a tad bit difficult. While I was in Singapore, I burnt the midnight oil to do what I love. Good bosses help you create a vision and turn it into reality.

CC: Share an anecdote of one of the toughest projects that you have handled.

There are so many. One that I clearly remember was when I was working with Coca-Cola. It was around November 1998. Coca-Cola always had a high-market share in Goa. However, things went south, when our bottlers from Goa and Dharwad decided not to renew our contract and joined hands with our competitor. This is like basically going to war. We felt betrayed. It was then, the company asked me to fix the issue. And so over 10-15 weeks, we were camped out in Goa to manage the whole transition. We created warehouses on rice fields, hired trucks and drivers-we basically had no people nor products.

In the early stages of my corporate career, I was advised by my mentor to be humane with my peers, especially with the team of workmen and colleagues, who are relentless in taking our organisation forward. The most memorable part was me standing outside the Goa Bottling Factory and making a humble appeal to the sales people. My earnest plea and my stentorian voice touched several hearts. Call it God’s will or the brand’s goodwill, the whole team decided to stay with us rather than joining hands with our competitors. Well, that had worked out in our favour and within no time we were up and running. We started getting our product from Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Kolkata. And the beauty was after about two-three months of settling down, we grew our market share in Goa compared to what we had before. It has been a remarkable moment steered by some amazing people.

"The corporate job has brought the food to my table. But the cricket-related activities have provided the food for my soul. If not for this passion, I do not think I would be half as happy as I am today"

CC: The outbreak of Covid-19 was tough on all the industries. How did you handle this situation?

Frankly, the impact on us was no different than what it was on the other industries. I feel that going through adversity is a good way of building resilience. It was remarkable how our organisation quickly adapted to the situation. We moved to a digital platform, online meetings became the new normal and all through this, the thing that bonded us, was our conversation through endless communication. Since the time the lockdown was announced, we did not leave a single stone unturned to communicate and understand the employee’s needs.

As a group, we started using our factories to produce face shields, we even developed low-cost ventilator, canteens were used to pack food and serve the needy. When you work for a company like Mahindra, you feel like you are carrying a huge responsibility. And it’s an amazing feeling. We all had a sense of humility and pride for being a part of the company that moves heaven and earth to help the people in need.

The new learnings from Covid-19 are becoming a standard part of our future. I was stunned to see the outcome, and the credit goes to the whole team.

CC: Personally, what all changes did you go through? Share your learning from the lockdown.

To stay in a confined space for months was the most frustrating part. But I guess, everyone went through the same. This gave me a lot of time to spend with my family, which used to be a rare occasion. In our 36 years of our marriage, this is the most time we have ever spent together. My wife and I are quite grateful for this. It gave me a chance to enjoy some lip-smacking home-cooked food. The social and work-life took a hit but as I look at the overall picture, I feel I am way too fortunate to be safe and sound during this uncertain time. What hurt me the most was that I could not pay my last respects to my loved ones who lost their lives or I was not personally there to hold the hands of my employees-but such is life. When I look back, it was one of the biggest learning experiences.

CC: Covid-19 had brought the two-wheeler industry to a screeching halt. The automotive industry took the biggest hit as the global supply chain had to come to a standstill for months. With customers not purchasing new vehicles, the two-wheeler (2W) industry suffered the biggest blow to business. Can you add to that?

By now most of the industries have bounced back. However, the two-wheeler sector have come back stronger than ever. The automotive sector has taken a little longer but the tractor business, not just for Mahindra, but the others as well, has been doing exceptionally well. If you look at the bigger picture, the biggest challenge has been for the smaller suppliers because of the unavailability of the labourers and the lockdown. That has been the reason which has slowed the industry more. To be frank, consumer demand did not drop at all. At least in the businesses that I look after.

We do not cater to the mass segment in our 2-wheeler business, but if you look at other industry giants, they are quite well settled now. As far as our products are concerned, Jawa motorcycle, and the variants, are selling very well. The demand is very strong.

CC: Do you see an interest in the electric vehicle segment becoming big enough to create a surge in demand?

On the 2-wheelers’ front, we are currently exporting only to our company, Peugeot Motorcycles in France. We haven’t launched that in India. Mahindra Treo, the three-wheeler electric rickshaw, which can be used for personal and commercial use, is a hit. Overall, many cities have taken this concept to heart. Uttarakhand is doing good, and Nagpur has come with e-taxis and e-rickshaws. I think the government is moving in the right direction. The EV segment is still in its nascent stage in our country. There are incentives for hybrid and EVs. And I think over time with the concerns of the environment, most of the automotive segment will embrace sustainable solutions. This will happen over a period of time. I suppose Europe will lead the way after China.

"If you are running and managing a business the essential objectives do not change. You must grow the revenue, gain profit, return value to your shareholder, manage people, customers, and employees-this forms the basis of all the sectors"

CC: With your work being a crucial part of your life, cricket commentary is one such passion that offers you the work-life balance. How has this passion changed your life?

In the commentary box with Sunil Gavaskar

Sports and sports-related activity always prepares you for the best. Sportsmanship offers virtues like fairness, self-control, patience, persistence, and a lot of other qualities, which one implements in their personal life as well. These qualities transform a person. With cricket commentary, you are equally involved in the game and it makes you realise that victory and defeat are not the end of the world. The thing is you can only be as strong as your team and that makes leadership quite critical. And as the team executes their plans on the field, it is our job to paint that picture to our listeners.

The corporate job has brought the food to my table. But the cricket-related activities have provided the food for my soul. If not for this passion, I do not think I would be half as happy as I am today. For me, the joy of cricket in every form is what kept me sane and content which sometimes the corporate world fails to provide.

CC: You once said that cricket commentary happened by chance and you stayed back with your choice. So, do you believe in the charm of chances?

I think life is full of opportunities. And how you deal with them is what makes you. Some fall through, some don’t. I owe my commentary journey to the Late Bal Pandit, who pushed me at a young age to pursue it. And I also believe that God has been kind to give me the opportunity.

CC: You have also tried your luck with the bat when you played for Maharashtra U-22. Ever wonder what if you had taken up cricket professionally?

You always have a choice. Back then, I wanted a stable job. Not much was known of the perks of taking up this game professionally. I picked the bat, and I was quite good at it. And we played the game because we loved it and felt the connection. It was amazing to see a full house during the college matches. The whole stadium would cheer us. The rivalry between the teams was no less. But it was a healthy affair. And if one was good enough and had the confidence that they could make a living out of it, they went ahead with the game. A few of my friends like Sanjay Manjrekar and Kiran More made it big. And the credit goes to them as they chose it as their career. I wanted a steady job. In those days as a cricketer, you were either employed by the Railways or Airlines. There were no other jobs.

I am happy with my performance as a batsman, and that is still very close to my heart. I carried this passion forward and continued to play cricket with the Singapore Cricket Club, while I visited that country for work. When I was posted in China, I set up the China Cricket Club. This game has been and will always remain a part of my life.

"I think life is full of opportunities. And how you deal with them is what makes you. Some fall through, some don’t. And I also believe that God has been kind to give me the opportunity"

CC: You are one of the corporate guys who has created waves in the field of cricket commentary. You sat beside the who’s who of the cricket world to provide a scintillating picture of what’s happening on the ground to your listeners. What has been one of your most memorable events that have been itched in your heart forever?

Wakankar (centre) in the commentary box with Rahul Dravid

Cricket commentary is all about your imagination, how well you can paint a picture and hold a conversation to keep your audience at the edge of their seats. I have been related to cricket all my life. Now imagine a kid, who has a poster of their idol and later in life gets a chance to work alongside them. The feeling goes way beyond words. My passion has not only allowed me to meet my idols but gave me a chance to share the commentary box with them.

To sit beside a legend and then comment on the game with him, felt unreal. To be able to do cricket commentary alongside Sir Garfield Sobers, West Indian cricket genius left me speechless. I still get goosebumps thinking about that moment. It was during the 2010 T20 World Cup, Barbados, I had the privilege of meeting him. Of course, working alongside Sunil Gavaskar and Ian Chappell was a big deal, but to work with the God of the Gods, well, that’s an unsettling emotion.

CC: How would you like to take this passion for commentary forward once you hang your corporate boots?

I am actively planning for it. I hope that I would still get more commentary work once I hang my corporate boots. Of late, I am trying my hands on video blogging just to see what the reactions are. I will surely increase my involvement in cricket.

CC: A word of advice for the corporate guys who are managing both work and their passion?

I urge them to continue with passion. And a humble request to not give up on their hobbies. In the late 80s, I was only focused on work, which is why I did not pay heed to my passion for cricket commentary. Work will come and go, but it is your hobby or your passion that will keep you sane. And for those who don’t have a passion, I will encourage them to cultivate one. The hobby could be anything that gives you happiness. To pursue what I love the most takes immense courage and hard work. And without my family, I wouldn’t get the chance to carry forward my passion. To my wife, Anjalee and daughter, Purti, I owe everything for supporting me through thick and thin.

My philosophy in life is pretty simple-do everything that you love in a way that allows you to sleep peacefully at night. If you can get a good night sleep then you are holding your fort nicely. My late father once said it is how you are remembered once you leave for the heavenly abode. Even if a few people fondly remember you, you have achieved everything. That means a lot to me.