Chairman K.V. Kamath watches from the top floor as the new CEO overturns some of his legacies
On the timing of the transition
The first quality that you must have is a positive mindset. In the Indian context, it means a belief that the future is indeed bright. You need to re-examine the underpinnings of why it is bright. And then build your belief in that. That preparatory was done in the first quarter of this calendar year. If the transition had happend in the last quarter of last year (as it was supposed to happen), the slope would have significantly higher. The environment was in a state of flux and the confidence level of everybody around you was very low. That would have been a very difficult transition. By this first quarter of this year, those of us who wanted to see the positive side, could see the blue sky beyond. And the team aligned to that opportunity.
(This story appears in the 14 August, 2009 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)