Guest Lecture by Mr. Sanjay Behl

On 23^rd July 2015, as part of the induction program for the incoming batch of 2015-2017, the SIMSREE Alumni Committee was proud to host the Guest Lecture by Mr. Sanjay Behl, one of the most illustrious Alumni of the 1993 batch. Having more than 20 years of experience in the field of Sales and Marketing with prestigious companies like HUL, Nokia and Reliance Communications, Mr Behl is now the CEO of Raymond Ltd.

Mr Behl enlightened the students by sharing thoughts on his own corporate life in the field of marketing. He started the session by speaking about the beginning of his career, as an Area Sales Manager in HUL. Being strongly associated with dish-washing soaps and detergents, he spoke about the difficulties faced by the brand in reaching out to the masses, especially in rural India, where other alternatives such as ash were widely being used as cleaning agents. The students were fascinated to know about how advertisements and branding played a very crucial role in overcoming these limitations.

The batch learnt plenty from this enlightening and interactive session. We look forward to several such interactions with Mr Behl in the future.

He further spoke about the different experiences associated with the various brands and products he worked with in HUL, as a Brand Manager and then as a Marketing Manager. He explained to the students of how a strong inclination towards technology helped him take the important decision of switching from an FMCG company to work with Nokia and thereafter with Reliance Communications. The corporate experiences that he shared left the students intrigued. Thereafter, moving onto Raymond Ltd. where he currently serves as the CEO, Mr Behl gave insights of how technology plays a key role in the global textile major and passionately spoke about the aspirations of the company, especially in Indian and European markets.

Towards the end of the session, Mr Behl emphasized on the importance of constant innovation and change for any brand to sustain. He spoke about how disruptive technology creates a revolution and how it is important for the company as well as individuals to connect the dots to survive and progress in the competitive world today. He advised the students that the key to success is to stay passionate, take keen interest and understand core business concepts. The session concluded with a round of queries, which Mr Behl answered enthusiastically, much to the delight of the students.