From the young, for the young

New and successful two-wheeler products are being churned out under the watchful eyes of Sudarshan Venu, MD of TVS Motor Company. Mayank Dhingra traces the career rise of this young star.

-  Mayank Dhingra

Just a few months ago in May 2022, TVS Motor Company elevated the 33-year-old Sudarshan Venu to be in the rider's saddle as the company's new managing director. He took charge from his father and industry veteran Venu Srinivasan, who graduated to become the chairman emeritus of India's fourth-largest two-wheeler manufacturer. A company that today holds about 12 percent market share, as per industry sales numbers for the first half of FY23.

Venu's first real tryst with his father's business was in 2011 when he was critically involved in the design and development of the company's 125cc motorcycle, TVS Phoenix. Over a decade later, he has strengthened the brand with discerning products such as the Jupiter and Ntorq in the scooter segment and more recently, the TVS Raider in the commuter motorcycle space. These products are increasingly gravitating towards meeting the needs of the young buyer who has become aspirational and technology-oriented in a connected world.

While the Jupiter notched the five-million units mark earlier this year in June, nine years after getting launched in September 2013, the sportier NTorq scooter too breached the one million sales milestone within 51 months of its market introduction.