Time for action

Though all agree,India is relatively less recession-hit. “The economic slowdown has started and each of us has to look for a way to sail through with full workforce,” says Anil Kohli,president,business development,Surya Pharma. At Maruti Suzuki,it’s a process review that is in transit. “We are looking at using one gram less in every component,when about 5,000 components are used to make one car. This,without compromising the quality of our products in anyway,” informs S Y Siddiqui,managing executive officer,Maruti Suzuki India Ltd,adding that of the total cost of the company,79 per cent is material cost and 2.4 per cent is of manpower. “Besides,we are looking at leading by example. I have cut communication cost and I am expecting my employees to do the same. Also more saving can be done if administrative process is scrutinized,” feels Siddiqui.

From minimalistic cuts like that of electricity,photostat,travel to big ones like those on material,companies around town are surely taking precautionary measures. “The pharma industry is not much impacted by the meltdown,but yet we are taking measures,” says Dr G Munjal,CEO,Ind-Swift,who is analysing processes and reducing the number of shifts to two from the earlier three,where possible. “With 7,000 employees in our company,we have never had a problem from them and now when it’s time to give back,we cannot turn our back. Rather than sacking people,we would cut cost through alternate ways,” he says. Now that’s the spirit!

Fresh Steps
The HR Summit at Rayat-Bahra echoed with survival talks during meltdown by various speakers from the industry. Organized by Rayat-Bahra Bio-Technology Centre of Excellence and supported by National Human Resource Development Council,National Institute of Personnel Management and Chandigarh Management Association,Gurvinder Singh Bahra,Vice Chairman termed the summit as a reference point for HR industry which got to understand the issues in a proper perspective. The summit was divided into talks about organisational readiness for the future,HR in the battlefield and execution quotient.