Vivek Biyani
* 25 years
* Bachelors in Business Administration, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
* Inducted in the business in mid 2007
Current profile
Director at Home Solutions Retail India Ltd, part of Future Group, India’s largest retail chain, founded by his uncle Kishore Biyani.
Average day at work
Actually, there’s no routine day for us. We have a plan in terms of every month when we do reviews. I leave my house at about 9 am. If I am at the Mahalaxmi office which is in the town, then I wind up by 9.30 pm.
If I am in the Andheri office, then I leave by 10 pm.
Is business all about marketing?
I don’t think business is essentially marketing. I think marketing is part of business. Business is about finding insights in terms of what gaps exist in the market. Or looking at how you can better people’s lives by giving them certain value added products or making their lives simpler. In doing that, one has to look at the creative aspects. Marketing is definitely a big part of it, especially in a business like ours where our job is to grow the consumption of this country.
My take on advertising:
It plays a very important role in a country like India. India is a developing country and advertising helps in changing consumer habits. It introduces them to new products and services. In effect, it improves the lives of consumers.
The marketing and advertising campaigns I like the best:
* The Feviquick ad where the fisherman applies drops of Feviquick on the fishing rod to catch fish. A very simple thought and beautifully translated? it got communicated to the consumer with that much more simplicity.
* Airtel ads. The various ads look at the emotional side of the consumers and at the same time also talk about the product. All the ads are very well balanced?in terms of functionality of the product as well as the emotional connect.
* The Idea Cellular campaign where people started identifying themselves with a number. I think it’s really interesting because telecom as a product has been in the market for a while. So, for someone new to come in and make a space is difficult. But they had an interesting way of approaching the market.
The target for the next three years:
There are a couple of new businesses that we are developing and I think that design-and-build as a business will be very important. I see that business becoming a really large and integral part of Home Town, our large-format home solutions store chain. Everything around Home Town then gets attached to design-and-build. I think we need to get the service delivery right there. That is going to be one of the biggest differentiators. I see that becoming the core of our business and how we can excel in that is the challenge.
Motto at work:
I think one needs to thoroughly understand and know one’s business.
Also it is important to align people with your thought and vision and to get them to deliver.