Next in our #RiseToLead series is someone who loved two things more than anything else: climbing coconut trees and physics. Discover how R Velusamy went on to become the President of Automotive Technology & Product Development at Mahindra & Mahindra and the man behind the Mahindra Research Valley.

"Nearly 30 years with the Mahindra Group, but I still remember the beginning very vividly. I joined M&M right after my year-long GET stint with another Indian auto company. I was immediately sent to Austria for a 2-year assignment, despite not having a passport. This assignment transformed my dream of what India should be, for me.

I feel that I am blessed with the best traits of both my father and my mother - my father, with his knack for excellence and quick calculations, and my emotional and passionate mother.

As a student, I loved physics. I did my BSc and stood second in Tamil Nadu. I recall a librarian denying me a book on the theory of relativity doubting my comprehension. Thankfully, my professor intervened, and for the next 90 days, I immersed myself in rewriting those equations.

Passion and the pursuit of excellence have always driven me. My first salary of Rs. 5000 meant the world to my family.

Leadership always comes with challenges. Being a part of a process-oriented company with a competitive team, we had to move people from Mumbai to Chennai to set up the Mahindra Research Valley. But, focusing on chasing the dream is the ultimate key.

Mahindra Group and its leaders have played a pivotal role in my life as I strove to chase my dreams. Setting up MRV involved bringing families and fostering a customer-centric mindset.

We embarked on the ambitious journey with XUV700, the vision of creating an equivalent of BMW at 1/3rd of its cost. The thrill of chasing and meeting these dreams was worth it and now we are doing the same with our BEV range.

To me, an organization’s culture is like a Boeing 747, it can give twice the lift than its weight, and never fall. That is the power of culture, it is invisible, but it can lift the organization. So don’t underestimate its power.”