Venu Srinivasan

Chairman & Managing Director, TVS Motors Ltd

TVS IS ONE OF INDIA’S BIGGEST NAMES IN TWO-WHEELER manufacturing. In recent years the company has grown in strength and stature. Highlights include an update on their legendary commuter, the Victor, a limited-edition Scooty Zest commemorating its journey to the top of Khardung La (with Bike India) and a 200-cc variant of their celebrated Apache street naked bike. Away from their indigenous line-up, TVS have also entered into a partnership with BMW Motorrad to manufacture their G 310 R naked sport bike and have even entered the fearsome Dakar Rally as a factory team in collaboration with Sherco and with Indian rally ace C S Santosh riding.

Massive strides in the right direction, and ones that have been taken under the guidance of Venu Srinivasan. Srinivasan has been involved in the automotive scene since his school days, working part-time as a mechanic. This passion for motoring was also reflected in his latter educational years, as he also obtained an engineering degree from the University of Madras. His credentials as a leader of an automotive firm were further reinforced with a management degree from the renowned Purdue University in the US. On his return to India from the US in 1977, he joined Sundaram Clayton Ltd, and in two short years, climbed the corporate ladder to become the managing director of the firm, a position he held for seven years before taking charge of TVS Motors, again as MD. He guided the company through some rough patches as soon as he took over, including strikes, an uncoupling with Suzuki, and more, and has guided the firm to its position of prosperity it enjoys today.

Apart from his stellar work at TVS, Srinivasan has also held the post of president of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM).