Ramesh Kumar Dua & Mukand Lal Dua
Managing director; Whole-time director
Age: 65, 71
Rank in the Rich List
Net Worth: $1.33 billion
The Big Challenges Faced in the Last Year: Sluggish economic growth, labor management, rapidly changing customer preferences and early impact of the pandemic
The Way Forward: With demand for utility footwear rising, Relaxo plans to achieve a daily production target of 10 lakh pairs by March 2021; regular planned Capex of ₹100 crore as the new plant is set to come up next year
In mid-April, when the country was in phase 1 of a complete lockdown, wholesalers in parts of rural Rajasthan and Haryana had been approaching large distributors to pick up essential goods, which included dairy products, groceries, medical equipment, and medicines. “In the tempos where wholesalers were stocking goods for sale, they also bought three to five cartons of Relaxo slippers, to be sold through their own channels,” says Ramesh Kumar Dua, managing director of Relaxo Footwears, India’s largest footwear maker.
Dua narrates this incident, which a distributor told him, while speaking to Forbes India from his corporate headquarters in New Delhi. It indicates the need for affordable footwear—so much so that it is considered essential—for the public at a time when most services and factories were shut due to the pandemic. Relaxo exclusive stores and factories did not open until mid-May.
Esta historia es de la edición November 20, 2020 de Forbes India.
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Esta historia es de la edición November 20, 2020 de Forbes India.
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Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet