Pick your course & study it says Harsh Mariwala of Marico

At least once a month I bump into him on the golf course or at the club house. I would like to believe he is not just known as business all-rounder but he is also the all-year-round golfer. Harsh Mariwala plays his game well – both in the boardroom and on the course. He lives a healthy life that’s driven by gymming, golf and small meals. His five days of gym regimen is a combination of cardio, weights, upper body and lower body workouts. From once being a takeover target, his company today takes over other companies.

Also Read: Sadhguru on his game of golf

Not too long ago I was at his fancy new architectural office. There were some quotes framed along a curvy reception reminding the management in the power of ideas, culture and principles. The Marico tower overlooks the upcoming BKC area and Mariwala is proud of his avant-garde building.

His story in golf is a fascinating one too. Mariwala’s mom, who golfed in a saree (and grabbed headlines in Bombay city) was his inspiration for the game. “I started out playing many years ago when I was growing up in a house that shared the compound wall with the Willingdon Golf Club in Mumbai. Both my parents played. My mother played golf in a saree and she was written about all over. Luckily then there was no strict dress code and even if there was one, she would have been an exception.” Like his mom, some of the rebellious qualities would seep down into Harsh’s DNA too.

I have played a round with Mariwala at the Chembur Golf Course (also in Mumbai). He is candid and brutally honest about his assessment of the Indian economy. Just in April, he was quoted saying Modi government’s sheen is coming off. Mariwala is just as straight forward about doing his own business. He believes in change and I note he even takes this discourse to his twitter timeline. “Build an #innovative culture in your firm, try out new things & take calculative risks. #BusinessMantra”

He uses golf as a way to meet new people and increase engagement, get new perspectives and update the process of ‘change.’ But Mariwala’s isn’t a fan of doing business on the greens. “Like in financial services, golf’s a great alibi to meet people and converse about business. For me it’s, just simply put, pure joy to play. I have a fixed four ball over the weekends. These are of course friends made on the course.”

He plays golf for three-four hours in the afternoon at the Willingdon Club and the Bombay Presidency Golf Club. Mariwala is also careful about his calorie intake. Vegetarian by choice, he loves his food but believes in eating little meals that can sustain his day.

Harsh joined the Marico in 1971 as a young trainee in the consumer product division. Marico started out as a traditional commodity buy and sell business into spice exports, edible oils, fatty acids and other such products. But then one day, it all changed as commodities became brands and products. “I had no clue what I wanted to do when I joined the business. I had no vision to plan a mega consumer giant. But as I started interacting with people about turning this into a brand in the 1970s, then I realised the real potential.”

This was way back in 1970s and thinking of a brand was still not a mainstream concept. It came with its challenges. “It was not easy because the commodity businesses are quite unstable, dependent on a cycle and global trends but I noticed that branding products brought more stability and proved more remunerative over the years.”

But from being a potential takeover target, Mariwala became a takeover tycoon himself. Marico has done several small and big acquisitions, some for brands and many for market access. Now present in Egypt, South East Asia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and others, the buyout binge is far from over. In India, every month, the company sells about 70 million consumer packs to 130 million consumers. Here too, the company culled out dying brands and revived them and got rid of some like Sil jams, Sweekar oil.

Like on the course, he believe focus is all that matters. Pick the course, study it. Work on each hole and get to that pin with ease. Repeat it as you go. This sort of a step-wise focus will go a long way in your rise to the top. He picks the parallel in business. “Focus comes with optimum use of your leadership time. So strategise, delegate and focus on the big picture where your skills can be put to the best use. Focus also comes by detaching the emotions. Sell what’s not working, and buy what will work.”

At the milestone in every journey, Mariwala insists taking people along. He tweets, “Creating your culture is just as important as tactical parts of your business like establishing partnerships and pricing your product.”