Wooing the British: Eicher Motors' Siddhartha Lal shifts base to London

The definition of boredom, according to Siddhartha Lal, is doing the same thing for too long. Which is why when he got a chance to shift base from Delhi to London, with his family, there was no hesitation. Lal, CEO of Eicher Motors, the manufacturer of Royal Enfield motorcycles, moved in August last year, primarily for professional reasons.

Lal says, "Let's say that the Indian ecosystem for Royal Enfield is going well. But in 10-15 years, we want to be a global brand and we know that there is a space for us to get there. Therefore to achieve that, we have to understand the cultural nuances of the markets we want to be strong in. While it is an Indian company, it is a British brand." Lal was talking to ETPanache on the sidelines of The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence 2015, where his company was named the 'Emerging Company of the Year'. He says, "When people are buying the motorcycle in other parts of the world, they are buying a British brand from an Indian company. We felt it is important to get under the skin of the culture."


Siddhartha Lal (Image: Ashwani Nagpal/BCCL)

The switch was a welcome change for Lal. "Honestly, I get bored of doing one thing for too long. I had been in Delhi for 11 years. I don't like to be in one place for this long. I have been plotting this move for many years but got the opportunity now," he says.

While Lal has visited some of the London museums with his family, he is yet to go sightseeing to popular tourist spots. "Professionally, we are travelling a lot within the UK. Anything new is fun for me. We had a lovely ride to the country for the Goodwood Revival Festival. I am not a workaholic. So this is a good opportunity to explore the place as well," he says.

Lal, who lives with wife Natasha, their kids and the family's dog in London, hopes that the transition will benefit his children. "When I was eight years old, my family moved to Germany for a year. That was also a huge change in my life. It was a new environment and new culture," he says.