Veteran corporate leader R Seshasayee reflects on India Inc’s evolution, the CEO’s changing role, and Tamil Nadu’s innovation potential
With nearly three decades in top leadership roles, R Seshasayee is among the longest-serving CEOs in Tamil Nadu’s corporate history. Best known for his leadership at Ashok Leyland, he has since held influential board positions at Infosys, IndusInd Bank, and Asian Paints. In a candid conversation, Seshasayee reflects on how Indian industry has matured, how the CEO’s role has evolved, and what lies ahead for Tamil Nadu’s industrial and creative ecosystems, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Recalling the transformative years post-liberalisation, Seshasayee describes the 1990s and 2000s as “truly exciting times.” Indian industries, he says, had to rapidly become globally competitive. In the commercial vehicle sector, Indian players emerged dominant after shaking off dependence on outdated foreign technology.
At Ashok Leyland, this meant terminating legacy overseas collaborations and launching aggressive in-house innovation efforts. “We camped in Detroit to bring back TN-origin engineers,” he recalls, a move that helped localise capabilities.
Beyond technology, the company embraced Japanese quality frameworks and tackled long-standing industrial relations issues. “Once we began collaborating with trade unions, productivity and quality surged,” he says.
- The Evolution of a CEO
According to Seshasayee, the CEO of the 2000s morphed from manager to entrepreneur. “In the late 1990s, we went from a shackled system into the jungle—freedom came fast, and we had to learn to survive,” he remarks. The India Everywhere campaign at Davos 2005 marked a global turning point: the world began taking India seriously.
“Some Indian entrepreneurs even overreached, buying global companies too quickly,” he notes. “We professional CEOs had to blend entrepreneurial spirit with cautious governance.”
- From Trucks to Tech and Paints
Though Seshasayee transitioned into non-executive roles in later years, his curiosity remained his north star. “You can’t be an effective chairman unless you understand the business,” he says. From internal audit at Ashok Leyland to overseeing companies in tech, banking, and paints, he continued to dive deep into new domains.
- Future of Leadership and Industry
What defines tomorrow’s CEO? “Speed, foresight, customer centricity, and the ability to grow leaders,” Seshasayee says. Comparing leadership to gardening, he adds: “CEOs must be master gardeners—nurturing talent and future leaders.”
- Tamil Nadu’s Knowledge Future
Looking ahead, Seshasayee envisions Tamil Nadu emerging as a knowledge-driven economy, powered by nimble, small organisations creating value through innovation. “We’ll need 50 research parks like IIT Madras’s in the next 10 years,” he predicts.
He also sees digital entertainment as a breakout sector. “Tamil Nadu has immense creative talent. We must channel it into the digital space with the right tech and ecosystem support.”
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