Mr.

Gautam Hari Singhania: Chairman & Managing Director

Mr. Gautam Hari Singhania took over the reins of the company as Chairman and Managing
Director in September 2000. Since then he has steered the destiny of Raymond Limited with a
single-minded focus of being the best brand in India. He has been responsible for the strategic
decision of the restructuring of the Group, initiating the divestment of the Synthetics, Steel and
Cement division. Post divestment, the Group has consolidated its position with a better bottom
line and more focussed and market oriented approach.

Mr. Gautam Singhania joined the J. K. Group of Companies (Western Zone) in the year 1986.
He was appointed the Wholetime Director on the Board of Raymond Ltd. in 1990 and was
elevated to the position of Managing Director in mid-1999, in charge of all companies and
subsidiaries of the Raymond Group in India and abroad. In September 2000 he took over as
Chairman & Managing Director of Raymond Limited.

With a drive for creating new brands, Mr. Singhania has taken active interest in the launch of
new services and products. He was instrumental in the successful launch of the brand KamaSutra
in 1991. In the year 1996, he launched a new division called Million Air, providing quality
charter services.

It was under his leadership that the hi-fashion casual wear brand Parx and premium men’s wear
brand Manzoni were launched in the year 1999 and 2000 respectively. In the year 2001, Mr.
Gautam Singhania, introduced the concept of corporatisation of designer wear for the very first
time in India with the brand Be:. He also was instrumental in Raymond’s recent acquisition of
ColorPlus, a leading menswear brand.

Mr. Gautam Singhania’s keen foresight and innate business acumen has enabled the Raymond
Group to achieve soaring heights in the Indian and international markets. His personal vision for
the group is to take the Raymond brand from being the most respected Indian brand to be
amongst the best in the global market.

Gautam Hari Singhania is on Facebook, he says. For those thinking of sending him a ‘friend request’ on
their next visit to the social networking site, here is the spoiler: ‘Singhi’, to close friends, has logged on
to his profile only thrice in the six-odd months that he has been registered on the social networking site.
We still checked his online profile, not with the hope of being a part of Singhi’s elite friend list, but to get
some insights into his online persona. The first option the search throws up is a face that is a far cry to
that of the flamboyant Singhania — facebook even teases you by asking, “not the Gautam Singhania you
were looking for?” 

For a man whose life is one great social network, what made Singhania register with facebook?
“Curiosity,” he says. In the real world, curiosity has taken him places, from cruising far into the sea in his
luxury yacht or sailing dhow or one of his many speed boats —that go by the names of James Bond
movies (Octopussy, Goldfinger, Golden Eye and Thunderball) — to soaring high in the meanest of flying
machines. The Sukhoi fighter jet that Singhania flew in Ukraine a few years ago is only one such
adventure. “It does not overwhelm you, because you take a preparatory flight to get over the
anticipation,” he explains.

That way, nothing overwhelms him. Not even Michael Schumacher, the Formula 1 racing legend.
Singhania, now 45, first stepped into a Go Kart when he was four — that is much before we heard of F1
or its most successful driver. If Singhania was to ever encounter Schumi, does he have a question for
him? “I am not in awe of him,” he says. “Yes, he is a great driver. But that is what it is all about for those
who are into racing and not merely following it on television,” he adds.

Singhania might take umbrage to the usage of the term, but he is a high-flier, in the literal sense of the
word. The Body Flying he did in the UK is one feat that he specially mentions. “Body flying,” he repeats,
to put more emphasis on the sport of flying in a wind tunnel that has a 120 mph wall of air blasting from
beneath. Even that experience is not enough to make Singhania content with spreading his wings. “I
would like to travel in a Zero-G flight someday,” he says, the sparkle in his eyes marvelling at that
thought.

Does he look forward to an around-the-world flight too, like his father Vijaypat Singhania, who won the
around-the-world race in a Cessna? Probably not, he says, but adds, “Maybe, drive around the world.”
He claims to be joking about that, but if you are part of the Supercar Club of India that Singhania
founded, a phone call or a message might just be round the corner. Spearheading the Supercar Club in
India, he has played a major role in organising drives of the world’s greatest cars on Indian roads.
Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, BMW, Mercedes — you could spot any of these in
the supercar shows, such as the one that was organised in New Delhi this March. Not that he is content
with driving luxury cars on Indian soil. Among other things, Singhania has participated in the Cannonball
8000, a drive from London to Rome. But it is Mariazell in Austria that he recommends as a dream
destination to take your luxury car.

In fact, it is not unusual to spot Singhania on the streets of Mumbai behind the wheels of his stunning
beauties — Lamborghini Gallardo or Ferrari 348. For someone who is so passionate about motorsports,
and also cricket (former cricketer Ravi Shastri is among his close friends), didn’t he ever feel tempted to
own an F1 team or take a stake in an IPL franchise? “I will never mix business with passion. It is too
dangerous a territory,” he says. But there was a time when his parties at Mumbai-suburb Powai were
the talk of the town, when he did mix business with Poison, a swank nightclub he started along with DJ
Aqeel. “We built a good brand, and then it was time to move on,” he says in the tone of one who has
transcended from his youth and is moving ahead.

Finally, when he wants to calm down after what seems like a non-stop affair with speed, there is yoga to
fall back upon. Since the past year, yoga has been an additional fixture on Singhania’s super-packed
schedule.

And when he just wants to withdraw from all the vagaries of the world, he heads to his abode in
Alibaug. With lagoon-styled pools and a private marina for his James Bond beauties, the place certainly
defines luxury. Expect Singhania to tell you more about his Alibaug pad, and he curtly says: “it is
private.” Sometimes, unwinding could also mean a simple meal at home with his daughter by his side.
Singhania will again flash the red card saying personal moments.

For someone who has too much to do, it is not just business where Singhania takes a long-term
viewpoint. He is someone who will ensure that health never takes a backseat — even of his co-
passenger or driver. Apart from maintaining simple food habits, he makes it a point to hit his personal
gym whenever he is home. “This morning too, I hit the gym at 7 am,” he says. The coffee that was
served to this writer came with demerara sugar. Quite predictably, Singhania refused a cup. For
someone who has had a reputation of partying hard, Singhania is not too fond of alcoholic beverages.
“Just red wine,” is what he prefers.

That healthy habit probably helps him in other ways as well. Such as taking one of his hot wheels out for
a spin in the dark of the night. Now that is what we call passion play.