IndiaRetailing brings you a series in which we highlight the brand icons in India’s thriving fashion and lifestyle industry. This week, the spotlight is on Abhishek Ganguly
Mumbai: No business can survive for long without a vision; even if it does, it would be susceptible to every disruption and upheaval that generally comes in its business cycle. It needs a leader who has the capacity to translate, create that vision, or make it clearer and turn it into reality. The very essence of leadership is having a vision in the first place. Moreover, as you can’t blow an uncertain trumpet, it should be clearly articulated so that they can manage and lead people. A team led by a visionary leader with a clear direction knows what it can achieve and how far it can go.
In this special feature, IndiaRetailing highlights the brand icons in India’s thriving fashion and lifestyle industry. This week, the spotlight is on…
Abhishek Ganguly
Managing Director, Puma India and South East Asia, Puma
Education
B.Sc, MBA (IIM Lucknow)
Career history and experience
- Regional Manager, Reebok India Company
- Director Sales and Marketing – Puma India
- Managing Director – Puma India
- Managing Director- Puma India and South East Asia
Role and responsibilities
- 6 countries of South Asia, including India
- 12 countries of South East, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and others
Aspirations you want to fulfill
Contribute, steer and enable India’s journey of building a strong sports and fitness culture.
Game changing retail technologies according to you
- Technologies enabling seamless integration of online and offline channels
- Data Science and Analytics for improving customer experience and promise and also bringing efficiencies
- Metaverse, AR and VR – For a deep and immersive engagement with the customer
Skills that helped you succeed in this industry
Honestly, I can’t pin point few skills or a formula for the success I have seen. I only know that belief and tenacity are two very important elements which keep people going and if someone can have these for a long time, one won’t let oneself down.
Lessons learned over the years
- People and empathy in leadership are two most important elements for success
- Never commit to one strategy forever or far too long
- Building a brand needs purpose, promise and a narrative that is relatable to the target audience
- Technology enables business, unlocks value, builds scale and creates efficiency
Your take on the future of industry
It will constantly evolve. Businesses should have long term vision. However, organisations need to be nimble and change approach and execution whenever needed. Focus on customer convenience, brand promise and narrative and business efficiency will determine success.
Any role model in the industry
Not from the Industry but one of the greatest of all times – Usain Bolt. So inspirational. One of the biggest perquisites of my career has been to meet and interact with him multiple times.
- Extreme levels of hard work and long hours of training makes Usain Bolt to create history in 9.58 seconds
- He knows how to enjoy life and not get pulled down by pressure that he went through during the professional journey
- Expectations every time he stepped on to the track were unbelievable
If you had to pen down your top 3 learnings from your career
- Surrounding oneself with smart and diverse people is important
- People make organisations succeed. Culture attracts best people and keeps them in the company
- If one doesn’t refresh, rehaul, reskill and renew, one is not building a progressive and sustainable company
Life mantra
My mantras for life keep changing. Today what I believe is :- Time is infinite- I want to spend it on people, create experiences I would cherish and do purposeful work that I would be proud of being associated with.
This article was first published in Images Group’s Business of Fashion Magazine February issue 2023
