New Delhi, once again played host to the Panasonic India Open Golf Tournament this year, for the sixth consecutive time. Accredited by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the tournament was conducted at the Delhi Golf Club, from December 1st to 4th, 2016.
To kick-start the tournament, Panasonic India, title sponsor of the gold tournament, organized a PRO-AM session where professional golf players and amateurs came together to play at the Delhi Golf Club. We got a chance to catch up with Mr. Manish Sharma, CEO Panasonic India. Here are the excerpts:
Q: Why did you’ll choose to associate with a Golf tournament?
Manish Sharma: Golf is a game where you play against yourself & is akin to living life ““ You play the ball as it lies’. You can ace this sport only if you are constantly evolving. It compels you to be a better person everyday. Panasonic Open Golf is a platform that gives this opp. to individuals & pushes young talent here onto the global level.
Q: Panasonic being a Japanese company tell us leadership traits that you have learned from them?
Manish Sharma: Agility is the need of the hour & Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement ‘Kaizen’ helps people & processes at Panasonic to evolve.
Q: How does it feel to be the first Indian CEO in a 98 years old company?
Manish Sharma: India is a strategic region for growth of Panasonic In my new role I intend to bring the legacy of its innovation, to the youth of India. Being given the responsibility is both honouring & humbling, & I hope to exceed expectations.
Q: Do you think India is ready for a sport like Golf?
Manish Arora: Absolutely. India’s tryst with golf began in the 1800s during the British rule. It was the only other country to house the sport. Today players like Aditi Ashok have brought golf to the fore. There is competitive infrastructure to hone players’ strengths. It’s the perfect time for more people to take up Golf in India. It changes you in a manner no other sport does.
Q: Tell us about your future plans for Panasonic.
Manish Sharma: The core vision for us is to enable #BetterLife for people across the board & we strive to inculcate this in all things we make & do. Business wise we plan to grow our revenues by 2017, most of which is expected to be driven by consumer durable. Each new product we launch has & will continue to achieve excellence in technology.
A FMW Production
Interview Conducted by: Jeremy Cabral
