Gen-Next

Banking on talent

Belonging to the third generation of business family, twenty-five year old Dhruv Lamba, the executive director, has steered Kwality Group to new heights. The group has been successful in establishing itself as a leading ice-cream and restaurant businesses in India. Sanjeev Bhar reports on his intentions to transform the 'family business' tag to 'corporation beyond the league'

Dhruv Lamba Executive Director Kwality Group

Carrying forward a business legacy could be a two-fold affair: taking over a business when it is at its pinnacle or when it has only gained momentum for growth. Dhruv Lamba, the elder son of Sunil Lamba of Kwality Group of Delhi, fits into the latter one. The next generation of Kwality stands in a place where he has to channelise the business into newer areas. Dhruv believes that Kwality is not his responsibility but a challenge that he confronts daily.

Kwality over the years has become the name for ice-cream and catering industries in India. Taking on the mantle, Dhruv never dithered from implementing his own ideas. He says, "The biggest challenge for me after I joined Kwality was working with two elder generations and different mindsets but they were really supportive and helped me a great deal to hone the skills required for business."

The learning curve

Brought up in a business-oriented environment, Dhruv was always interested in taking his family business forward. The focus led him to join hotel management course to understand the intricacies involved in the business. He remarks, "I've never missed out on anything; had a great education in school and fun at the college level." He completed his schooling in 1998 from St. Columbas School in New Delhi.

Soon after completing his schooling, he went for a four-year course in Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) at Les Roche Hotel School, Switzerland in 1998. This also gave him the opportunity to work in different work conditions at hotels in Singapore and London. "In hotel management the most important time of your learning is the practical training. Areas like cost controls and sales and marketing were the most crucial ones for me, as these gave me the right perspective to implement various tasks for the company, to operate with the parameter of low costs, keeping them under control and simultaneously monitoring them constantly."

Being an above average in academics he never stopped learning. He says, "Getting the right education for business activity is one thing but implementation is a different ball-game altogether." At 22, Dhruv was faced the challenging task of taking on two generations and making his own statement. He initially joined the company as a director in 2002 and with corporate restructuring he was appointed as an executive director. He asserts, "In business, like cricket, there is no second chance. Decisions that are taken make or break the company, and subconsciously, my education has guided me perfectly." He is of the view that learning is a constant process and development of an individual never stops. "Travelling can act as a great tool to learn. Seeing new cultures and thereby learning the unknown is a process that keeps me on. The more I know, higher will be the probability for right decisions in life," he says. In the last three years, Dhruv has not only helped the group expand its businesses, but has also steered it into new retail areas.

On the horizon

Well, what does this young scion do in between drawing up plans for his company. A self-confessed sportsperson, Dhruv has represented his school in various sports like tennis and cricket, and was also part of the state swimming team. Now, when sport has taken a back seat among the list of priorities, he says, "I still try to make some time to play golf during weekends. It acts as a great stressbuster for me." Today, he agrees that work has taken a lot of his time but attributes credit for making him matured enough to take on life. The family business has inculcated a great sense of responsibility in him. He also makes sure to party occasionally and join family and friends for dinner. Not to mention movies, which he loves watching on weekends. Kwality is on an expansion spree. At present it is focussing on augmenting its two brands, Express Outlets - Kwality Express and Chopstick Express, and 'Bread & More' brand. It is aiming to reach Goa, Mumbai and even south through franchising. Dhruv says, "My main focus has always been to pump in a new thought process. I believe in changing with times, as what works today might not work tomorrow." The international market is also there on Kwality's radar, but today, Dhruv is focussing on the domestic front. He says, "India is a growing market and there is enough opportunity here that needs to be harnessed first." He is concentrating on consolidating the existing upgradation and improvement in all areas for strengthening the company base like changing counters, logos, menus to match the international players in the market. "I believe the future of food service industry has great potential in India and around the world. We are going through corporate restructuring, hiring professionals and leaving the day-to-day running in their hands. I have a great vision for the company, and hope to achieve so step-by-step for supreme service," he exudes. For the person who defines himself as ambitious, Kwality means everything.