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On Thursday, shares of Raymond Lifestyle (RLL), the demerged lifestyle business of Raymond Ltd got listed at Rs 3,000 per share on the BSE, in an IPO-less debut for the stock. On the NSE, the shares were listed at Rs 3,020 apiece. Recently, during a press conference, Gautam Singhania discussed his succession plans and how the sale of Raymond Consumer Care Limited to Godrej was one of his best deals. 

Singhania said that he is "not going anywhere" when asked about potential succession plans. Raymond is also scheduled to demerge its real estate arm Raymond Realty next year, with Raymond Ltd to house its engineering business. He said that Raymond's companies will be "family-managed professional companies", adding that Raymond Lifestyle, for example, only has Singhania himself as a promoter-director, with a large body of independent directors on the board.

The Raymond Group Chairman and Managing Director, Singhania said the company has transformed to a greater extent post-pandemic. "We have put in the professional board as they will add significant value in the creation of the journey that I have stepped out of", and added, "God forbid if something happens to me, there's a competing set of people who can hold the baby because whilst it's a wealth creation, for the family, there's a wealth for millions of shareholders."

Singhania said, "I am sure 99 percent of the people failed to understand what an amazing deal that was and what it meant for Godrej and what it did for us. I have done many deals but this was one the best win-win deal that I have ever done. Sudhir Sitapati (GCPL managing director and CEO)is smiling to the bank, I am smiling to the bank. Raymond (RCCL) is a different company now and Godrej is very happy and what more!"

Godrej Consumer Products acquired Raymond Consumer Care (RCCL), in an all-cash deal of Rs 2,825 crore in 2023. Through this deal, Godrej became the owner of marquee brands such as Park Avenue, KS (deodorants), and Kamasutra. Notably, Park Avenue as a clothing brand remained with Raymond.

On Raymond's legacy, Singhania said, “There is no company like Raymond in the world. We go from fabrics to garments to export to various categories. We play in every segment of the society. From Rs 300 metre to Rs 10 lakh a metre, we are offering fabrics to the whole segment of society". 

Singhania said Raymond Group has the target to open 800-900 stores over the next three years.

On the Bangladesh crisis, Singhania said the perception has changed against the country and people are wary of getting stuck. However, "We invested Rs 200 crore into enhancing capacity last year. The capacity is double-lined, so it's been a windfall for us," Singhania added.

Raymond reported a 26.7% increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 57.04 crore in the first quarter ended June 2024. The company's revenue from continuing operations in the first quarter stood at Rs 937.65 crore, compared to Rs 473.37 crore in the year-ago period.


Gautam Singhania talks about succession plan, says RCCL sale one of the best deals


 Godrej & Boyce, the Godrej Group's flagship company, has announced  plans to expand the distribution of its various consumer businesses in tier-2 and tier-3 markets by the fiscal year 2027. The move aligns with the brand's target of catering to consumers' changing needs and tap into the growing demand in smaller cities and towns. This broad initiative includes Godrej Appliances, Godrej Security Solutions, Godrej Interior, and Godrej Locks.

Anil Verma, CEO and Executive Director of Godrej & Boyce, outlined the company's vision, stating, that they are going to operate into tier-2 and -3 cities by improving their network and online presence through our industries. he also added that the towns have been driving the growth of premium products and services, fueled by ambitious consumer demands and digital payment methods. "We intend to expand our footprint to over 400 towns by FY27 to meet changing consumer demands”.

This expansion strategy takes a holistic approach, using organized retail stores specializing in hardware, furniture, and appliances. Additionally, local outlets will also have an important role in attracting potential buyers through sales strategies. Verma highlighted the importance of creating a detailed plan for each consumer-facing business that uses a variety of channels, such as stores, distributor-retailer networks, multi-brand outlets, modern trade outlets, traditional channels, and e-commerce platforms.

Overall, Godrej Appliances intends to expand its presence by increasing the number of exclusive brand and brand outlets. Simultaneously, Godrej Interio plans to open more than 100 stores outside of major cities each year, demonstrating its commitment to reaching new markets. By FY27, Godrej Security Solutions expects to have more than 6,000 stores, more than doubling its current number. Meanwhile, Godrej Locks and Architectural Fittings aims to expand its presence to 600 cities, including a network of 14,000 stores over the same time.

This expansion is aligned with the ongoing trend of premiumization across multiple consumer categories. Verma noted that Indian consumers are becoming more selective in their purchasing decisions, looking for brands that align with their values. Consumers actively seek superior-quality offerings and innovative products, showing a visible desire for premium products and elevated experiences.

This move by Godrej & Boyce positions the company to capitalize on the growing aspiration and digital payment-driven demand in smaller cities and towns. As the company prepares to expand its presence across more than 400 towns, the consumer landscape in tier 2 and tier 3 cities can expect a major increase of Godrej brands and offerings, elevating the overall customer experience.


Godrej & Boyce unveils expansion plan, targets tier-2 and tier-3 cities to meet growing consumer demand

Sudhir Sitapati joined Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) as managing director and CEO last year, just as the world had begun to open up in a post-pandemic era. In a candid interview with Storyboard18, Sitapati tells us how he articulated his vision for GCPL back then and his approach towards marketing and brand building. Sitapati also shares how Godrej is democratizing categories and the secret to building enduring brands. 

Edited excerpts. 

You joined the company in year two of a life-changing pandemic. How did you articulate your vision for GCPL at the time? 

I think the vision that I articulated for GCPL was based on what I found Godrej to be good at and what I found it to be not so good at. 

<blockquote>I found GCPL to be a very innovative company. I found it to be a frugal company. I, however, found it to be relatively poor in terms of category development or market development. And I found it to be more complex than necessary for a company of its size.</blockquote>

 So what we basically said is that we need to grow this company at close to double digit volumes, right? That's what the potential of this company is. We said that strategy is market development and we will release the funds for market development by radically simplifying the organization. So that was the basic vision that I laid out to the company which is to focus on developing categories.

One of your key strategies is the democratization of categories through innovation and accessibility. Can you elaborate on that and is the launch of a ready-to-mix body wash a part of the plan to democratize categories? 

<blockquote>The DNA of GCPL in terms of frugality and innovation is geared towards democratization and not premiumization.</blockquote>

 Strategy is about making choices and the first big choice is really about democratization. It has to do with getting access packs. Now, if you take body wash as a category, we’re the number two player in India in the soaps category or the skin cleansing category. It is one of those categories that is very underdeveloped. In many other parts of the world it's a very large category. And our thesis for underdevelopment was that the category's pricing is not accessible. So this was certainly one of the levers for launching Godrej Magic body wash

What were the other levers? And will we see more of these launches and incentives for consumers coming up?

The big sort of parallel track for some time has really been our commitment to sustainability and ESG. GCPL is not the largest company in India, but it's always a top five in terms of sustainability and takes it very seriously. Reduction of plastics has been a big drive within GCPL and this innovation has the intersection of making body wash more accessible and by reducing plastic and energy footprint. They're not two independent things. I think that's the really interesting thing about this product, which is that it's not ecological and economical. It is ecological because it is economical. Because you remove plastic, because you remove the diesel that it takes to carry bottles of body wash into shops from factories, we've been able to get the economy right. I think in both these dimensions we will continue working because if we're about democratization, we've got to bring categories at the right price to consumers and we have a deep commitment to sustainability. So we're going to try and do this in a way that minimizes the footprint to the environment.

What are some of your key focus areas in terms of categories and markets? 

GCPL is blessed to have three of our markets account for about 80 percent of our revenues, which is India, by far the largest market, Nigeria and Indonesia. We've actually got a very large global footprint or almost half our business is outside India and this is not from Indian exports. They're all independent businesses in those countries. These three are really the focus countries. The three categories that are the core of our business are household insecticide, hair colour and aircare. Hygiene is the emerging one that has a lot of potential which is where Magic body wash is. So this is a 3+1 - three is where we are today, and +1 is what we're trying to do with Magic body wash.

Let’s dial back to the point about sustainability. So sustainability is a bit of a buzzword these days at all major organizations. But we also know that sustainability is an essential operating principle for any organization striving for financial success. How are you driving the sustainability agenda at GCPL and what are the challenges to putting some of the strategies and philosophies in action? 

GCPL along with a lot of companies has focused a lot on sustainability in its own operations. So, for instance, 30 percent of the energy we use is renewable. We've cut our emissions by 50 percent in the last decade. All our factories have targets on water usage. We don't send anything to the landfill. One of the targets for every factory manager is the environment friendliness of the operations. Now, what we're trying to do with Magic body wash is to move one step forward. Our own operating footprint is a fraction of the footprint of our consumers, and what consumers use with our products. That's where the real big impact can be. 

So that is a big jump that GCPL is making and I certainly think Magic body wash is a unique product anywhere in the world because I've seen it, we've studied a lot of countries and products. We haven't seen a super concentrated product anywhere in the world at this kind of discount. We've seen green products at a premium where you make consumers pay a premium for being green conscious. But we haven't seen a green discount. The handwash which we launched a few years ago was a good proof of principle. But I think 

<blockquote>if we can contribute to the idea of having a green discount, and sell cheaper products which are green, I think it would be a really big step in sustainability.</blockquote>


Are Indian consumers ready for that? 

I think so. Indian consumers are both environmentally friendly and very conscious on the economy. I mean, I remember that my grandmother used to hang milk packets in her washing line. She would wash them, dry them and reuse them anytime somebody had to go out or to give something. So it was both environmentally friendly and economical. She needn't have done it. So I think it's very ingrained. Probably one of the reasons why Magic hand wash has worked in India is because consumers are both. 

I think this can be a contribution because I know there's a lot of conversation going on in countries like the US on super concentration. I saw Target having products that were at a green premium. But dollar stores don't have green products. So this disrupts their whole thinking and says get to the belly of the market or, in fact, the bottom of the pyramid with green products.


What do you think is the secret to building future-ready homegrown brands and businesses that are built to last? What are the lessons younger Indian companies and brands can take away from legacy organizations like GCPL? 

I think all companies that succeed, young or old, definitely have consumer focus and are, you know, solving unmet consumer needs. I don't think young companies have that much to learn from the older companies on that front because I think they do it very well. Older companies that have lasted for a long period like Godrej have value systems and commitment to the environment is an example of a value system that sometimes transcends profits and, in the long run, it pays off. So companies that last a long time almost always have very strong value systems ingrained in them. Second, you have to have a manic focus on cash and you have to pay for whatever you do. Your own investments have to be paid from your own pocket, in general, I would say.

Get to the bottom of the pyramid with green products: Sudhir Sitapati

In an interview with Storyboard18's Delshad Irani, Sudhir Sitapati, managing director and CEO of Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, shared the key traits of great leaders, a business lesson from a classic book and his career advice for the young.

Inspirational books and business lessons gathered from them

I read a lot but I’m not a heavy business books reader. A few months ago I read Moby-Dick by Herman Melville and I really enjoyed reading it. So Ahab, who's the captain of the ship, he's a great guy, a charismatic leader and he loves his people, but he's driven by personal ambition to take revenge on the whale. And he basically sinks the ship. I found that analogy quite apposite for a lot of business leaders They are very good people, they're not necessarily evil or villains, but they're running a personal agenda and that personal agenda may not be personal aggrandizement, it’s just revenge in the case of Ahab, and they take the whole company with them and often it sinks. So I thought that to be a good business lesson from a classic.

Top skills or traits to look for in young marketers and leaders today

The first thing is that marketers need to go out and spend time in the market or with consumers. You cannot do it on an excel sheet. That doesn't quite work. Go out there and meet people and let it be a non-agenda meeting. Go have a cup of tea with your consumer pretty frequently.

The second most important thing in both marketing and leadership is that it is a left and right brain activity together. You have to be analytical and you have to be intuitive.

In terms of leadership, you need to genuinely care for the people working with you. I think people don't mind if you are rude or get irritated as long as they feel that you are genuinely invested in their development they will generally fall in with you.

A key piece of career advice for the young

Don't be a rolling stone. You won’t gather moss if you keep changing jobs. Figure out what you like and then run the course. Stick with it.

What Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick teaches us about leadership

﻿Sudhir Sitapati joined the homegrown FMCG giant Godrej Consumer Products as MD and CEO last year when the world was beginning to open up in a post-pandemic era. 

In a candid interview with Storyboard18's editor Delshad Irani, Sitapati tells us how he articulated his vision for GCPL and his approach towards marketing and brand building. Sitapati also shares how Godrej is democratising categories, his advice for young marketers and leaders, and what he thinks is the secret to creating brands and businesses that are built to last.﻿

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