A combination of scholarship, determination and people skills have helped Aruna Bhinge make a success of her responsibilities at Rallis. In this interview, she talks about her enriching experiences at the company, her career and more

A love of learning helped Aruna Bhinge acquire masters’ degrees in both science and management. But it wasn’t just superb academic credentials that have seen her carve a niche for herself at Rallis. Determination, enthusiasm and a flair for dealing with ordinary people have all played a part.

Ms Bhinge’s designation at Rallis — head of strategic planning, new business development and e-business — gives some indication of the scope and range of her responsibilities. In the three years she has been with the company, she has worked on the launch of four new pesticide products, one of which (Koranda) became the brand leader in its category after notching up sales worth more than Rs 25 crore in the very first year.

Increasing direct farmer interaction, developing brand strategy and revamping packaging are some of Ms Bhinge’s other accomplishments at Rallis. She has travelled extensively in rural India during her time with the company, and interacting with farmers has provided her valuable insights into their lives and ways of thinking. Ms Bhinge also worked on the re-launch of the Rallis website in early 2001.

In this interview, she talks to Sujata Agrawal about the twists and turns on the road to success.

From PhD to management
I was always interested in science and wanted to do an MS-PhD programme in the United States. Instead, I got married, moved from Pune and decided to do an MSc and then a PhD in Mumbai. But I found that research then was fairly meaningless in India. The laboratories were dusty, the equipment was rarely in order and there were no good opportunities. It took me nearly five years to get my masters in science (by research). Luckily, I was working with the Maharashtra Government’s department of science and technology at the time. But the research experience was quite de-motivating.

I also discovered that I did not like staying in one place, a laboratory in this instance. I believe I am analytical, an independent thinker and good at getting things done. I also like to travel and talk to people. So I decided against a career in research.

Planning for a corporate life
My husband suggested that I do a management course if I wanted a good corporate job. I was not confident about getting through the entrance test (it was almost 10 years since I had studied formally, though I was always a topper at school). He encouraged me by saying that if I didn’t pass only he and I would know about it.

I did get into the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies. I guess I was lucky, but it also shows what determination can do. I ended up topping my class in marketing. You don’t really have to study marketing; it’s logic and common sense, though my analytical ability and household experience helped enormously.

This period in my life was actually quite difficult. I had two young children and I had to manage both the house and studies. But I was young and I would think about the future: what I would do when my children grew up. Today my children are studying in the United States and I have a good career.

ANZ Grindlays offered me a job in corporate banking after a campus interview. It was a good break, with a fantastic salary. But I was keen on marketing products and felt a bit sad that my years of scientific experience were being wasted. To me Grindlays was a golden cage. When I got an offer from Merind I was quite happy to move on, though the money was not that good.

A return to science
Merind was a fantastic experience and for that I must give credit to Mr Nawshir Khurody, the company’s then managing director. I was involved in setting up the diagnostics division and there was a tremendous amount of learning involved. I understood how to handle different business issues: dealing with suppliers, pricing, setting up a sales force, establishing a distribution network, the works. In five years we launched 25 products. I left the company only because its future seemed uncertain, since the Tata Group was not looking at pharma as a core business area.

I worked briefly with Lifescan, an American company that was launching diabetes monitors in India. But I wasn’t happy with their marketing strategy (they wanted to talk to doctors, not patients). And the scope of work was very small when compared with what I had done in Merind.

Finding her place in Rallis
Fortunately, at that time Rallis was looking for a marketing person for agrochemicals. Though I did not know anything about the pesticides business, Mr Vijay Rai convinced me about the job by saying that it was essentially a marketing function, of which I did have knowledge.

Rallis has been an enriching experience. The marketing of pesticides involved visiting remote places, holding meetings with farmers, understanding their problems and psychology, creating marketing strategies to improve their knowledge level — it was an exciting period in my career.

Farmer contact, the key to success
I think farmers are wonderful people. They are receptive and they believe and trust you very easily. And they value and respect you. I  had been dealing with doctors previously; it was so much more refreshing to talk to farmers.

I believe that farmer contact is the key to success for Rallis. The farmer wants you to, for instance, guide him on the correct pesticide usage. Some of them cannot recognise the diseases or pests harming their crops. They will simply take the affected part of the plant to the dealer and he will probably sell them a product that gives him [the dealer] the best returns.

Earlier our people were very dealer-oriented, but we helped change their focus towards greater interaction with farmers. You need to go to their fields to really influence them. Our farms are not like those in America, where you will see fields that stretch beyond the horizon, but not a single farmer. In India you will see a farmer every acre or two. And they don’t mind spending half an hour talking to you. We would plan farmer-contact strategies in advance, and visit the fields before and during the crop season. I think the sales force appreciated this, and the farmers found it very useful.

It is important to design literature and material that educates farmers as well as promotes products. We designed flip charts which explained, simply and clearly, the diseases and pests, how to recognise and eliminate them. We also designed material which the sales person could carry as rolled-up charts on his back along with a stand. As he travelled through the villages, he would stop wherever he saw farmers working in their fields and hold meetings. It worked very well.

Surprisingly, as a woman I never faced problems while travelling or holding meetings with farmers. Of course, I always had people from Rallis with me, but the farmers were quite used to a woman talking to them. Maybe I should thank Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and others for this. The farmers’ wives, who usually don’t come for meetings, would be there for mine and, in fact, they would answer all the quiz questions. These women are intelligent and they work very hard. They are important because, though they are not buyers, they can be influencers.

Another interesting aspect of farmer meetings was the language. I did not have a problem in north India; my father was in the army and I had studied in schools all over north India. But in south India I could speak in English only. The farmers there would listen with great attention while I spoke and a colleague did the translation. Funny thing was, I would say maybe three sentences and the translator would go on for 20 minutes -- our people at Rallis love to give speeches; and they are good at it! They would usually talk to the farmers about the product and the company, and I would ask them about their lives and what they wanted for themselves.

Building brands
When I joined Rallis there was little focus on brand development. Products were known because they had been in the market for a long time. Every farmer in the country knows Rogor, which was launched in the 1950s, because it was the first product available in that category. Today the competition in pesticides is so intense that a dealer shop looks like a fast-moving consumer goods outlet; it is filled with colourfully-packaged products in different types of containers.

We launched two new products, Nagata and Koranda, giving them a brand identity through a mnemonic and promoting them through different media, including television. We changed the packaging and label designs, making the Tata name and the brand name more prominent. Street plays and stage shows were part of innovative rural marketing ideas that helped create product awareness.

It is important to sell products to the farmer, but it is also necessary to motivate your sales force. The plan to promote the product, and the money allotted to it, tells the sales force how important it is for the company.

A time for restructuring
A major restructuring exercise was undertaken in Rallis when Mr Rajeev Dubey took over as CEO in 2000. He set up a special strategic planning cell and felt I was the right person to head it, because of my diverse business experience, knowledge of the pesticide market and scientific background.

I have since been involved in almost every aspect of the company’s functioning and its businesses. We have developed a long-term strategy, clearly identifying areas of future growth. While I was with the pesticides division, I headed the ‘seeds strategy group’ to bring in a fresh perspective. I understood the seeds business quite well due to my knowledge of biotechnology. We concluded that seeds were a good future business area and it was decided to build it through the acquisition route. We even identified a company and started negotiations. However, it was felt, probably rightly, that we should wait a bit since we had gone through some difficult times in the past year.

My recent appointment gives me the opportunity to work in exciting areas. We are now looking at several new markets and products within our existing competency. Many interesting things are happening at Rallis.

It’s good to be part of the Tata Group
I’ve had a good personal experience within the group. In Merind, I had the opportunity to work in areas and take decisions that would not, at my level, have been possible in other companies.

I have the flexibility to do interesting things. To me that is more important than my salary. But this is not something most people in the group might say. Today most people have ambitions, are willing to take risks and therefore need to be paid well. If you want the best professionals, you have to make sure you retain them.

On future plans
I have not really planned on being in a particular company or business, but I would like to run a business independently someday. I have never slotted myself in any job function and that has helped me move across professional functions. I like trying new things and I keep an open mind. If anything interesting comes along, I look at it.

I’m not sorry I did not go to the United States; I’m even happy that I did those five years of MSc research. I feel learning is never wasted. I apply everything at work, even what I learn as a housewife and a mother. That’s a view men, at least those not having the home experience, can’t take.

The home front
I have an active off-work life. Sometimes I think I have too many activities, and it is difficult to find time to do them all. On weekdays I usually slot half-an-hour in the evening for myself. I’ve started learning music again, something I had stopped because of the children and work. Designing and stitching is something I’ve done for the last 20 years (I tailor most of my clothes). I am an avid gardener and have more than 40 plants in my house. I learned computer graphics and designed all the product literature at Merind.

My husband calls me a jack of all trades. I counter that one does not have to be an expert in everything; it’s only a matter of how you look at things.