ET Businesswoman of the Year: Arathi Krishna - the making of this auto industry captain began decades ago, on the shopfloor

In her four years at the helm of the family-run Sundram Fasteners as its managing director, Arathi Krishna tried to make it a more diversified engineering company, while growing its revenue from Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 4,900 crore. What sets Krishna apart is her steady rise through the ranks over more than two decades, in a family-owned enterprise. Under Krishna, the business has moved beyond its traditional offerings to make a bigger play in the electric vehicles segment, which provides it a cushion from the cyclical nature of the automobile industry. All this has persuaded the ET Awards jury to pick her as the Businesswoman of the Year.

Earlier this year, the company won a $250-million order — the largest in its history — to provide sub-assemblies for a global automaker’s EV platform. The Chennai-headquartered company intends to invest up to $2 billion to boost its EV business, signalling its focus on this segment. The company, once known for radiator caps, is also looking at diversifying into areas such as aerospace, defence and wind energy, among others.

“I am very honoured to have been chosen as the Businesswoman of the Year by such an eminent jury,” Krishna told ET. “India is at the cusp of momentous change, especially in the automotive industry. All of us in India need to strive to create a transformation in our respective fields. On behalf of my company and all my employees, I am grateful for the recognition and the motivation that this award provides.”

In FY22, Sundram’s top line grew 36% to Rs 4,172 crore, with profit after tax jumping 24%. Alongside, Sundram also managed to grow its exports 41% — a metric that Krishna has closely followed since she took over the reins. Under Krishna’s leadership, Sundram is expanding into partnerships with defence establishments under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat scheme. The advanced automotive technology incentives it has won under the government’s Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI) programme will lead to investments of Rs 350 crore over five years, out of a capital outlay of more than Rs 2,000 crore. The money will be used to make powertrain sub-assemblies for EVs.

Krishna, 54, holds the distinction of being the first woman in the family to join the business, leading the way for several others in the TVS Group. Krishna studied business management at the University of Michigan Business School and underwent training in the US before coming back to join the family business as a management trainee when she was 20.

When she took over the reins of the family business from her father Suresh Krishna, a doyen of the auto industry, it was backed by over 20 years of working through the ranks and a deep knowledge of what made the business tick. Krishna is a familiar face on the shopfloor and has been widely accepted by the employees, a rare women leader in this industry. Her understanding of global markets and the changing nature of the auto industry is apparent in the big bets she has taken, ensuring that the business that her father started will continue to remain relevant in the decades to come.