Profile/Interview: Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Ashok Nayak
FORCE June 2009
Simply the Boss
Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Ashok Nayak
By Ghazala Wahab
It has been a long road. Not meandering perhaps, but long nevertheless. Paved with hard work, God’s benevolence and circumstances. One might think that you need more steps to build the ladder that takes you to the pinnacle of your service, but the new chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Ashok Nayak believes that it was the combination of the above three, probably in the same order, that gradually heaved him up to the third floor of the HAL corporate office in Bangalore. That’s where the chairman’s office is, overlooking the lush Cubbon Road, where old trees have risen high enough to allow the fledglings to take root. A play of light and shadow on the road outside and in the office inside. In the post-modern, globalised corporate world, where capabilities and attitude, diligence and flamboyance go hand in hand in defining the chief executives, Ashok Nayak is an unlikely boss. He is unassuming, polite and extremely humble. And despite having taken over on 1 April 2009, he has still not made the office his own.
It still bears the hallmark of its earlier occupant. “There are no airs about me,” he says by way of an apologetic explanation, as if it was required.“I am still the same person I have always been,” he says, adding that, “I have not made any changes in the office because I don’t have any specific likes and dislikes as such.” While it may not be entirely novel, it is certainly unusual. Most people in India would think about the changes they would bring about in the décor or layout of their office (both for aesthetic as well as religious reasons) months before they take over. But perhaps, these changes are brought about essentially by the wives and not the incumbents themselves and Nayak who has chosen to be a bachelor (more on that later), did not have anyone to execute the changes.
Whatever maybe the reasons, in this sense, he exemplifies the idea of post-Independence ascetic India, where the edifice of a modern, forward-looking nation was sought to be build upon the twin virtues of high thinking and simple living. But, today, when the image is probably as important as reality, when a touch of arrogance is as carefully cultivated as humility to convey the right mix of power and piety, is he a bit of a misfit? He smiles, “I believe that there is no substitute for hard work,” he says. “All through my career, I did whatever I could myself. I never asked others to do what I could do and never waited for anyone else to ask me to work. I knew what had to be done and I always did that.”
It also helped that in his 35-year career in HAL, since he joined as a management trainee after completing mechanical engineering from Bangalore University on 31 December 1973, he has helmed a series of crucial projects, whether it was in the engines division, exports, aerospace or aircraft. And in several ways has seen to it that he was the instrument of change, no matter how big or small it was. Only the second chairman of HAL (after his predecessor Ashok K. Baweja) to have risen from the ranks in a manner of speaking, Nayak was never in doubt about his career, even though he says that he never thought he would one day be sitting behind the power side of the chairman’s desk. “I always wanted to work with a Public Sector Undertaking, and given my interest in aeronautics, there wasn’t much choice,” he says. A desire for nation-building? One of the cogs in wheels of the nation?
Nayak does not recall an overtly nationalistic fervour playing a role in his decision. It could have been at the back of his mind probably, but in the early Seventies, while the mood in the country could have been of euphoria (following the 1971 war) there weren’t too many choices available to young engineers except in the public sector. Moreover, even then, as it is now, HAL was the premier aerospace company in India. For those who were enamoured by the flying objects, it was clear which way the wind blew.
Nayak says, “There was an aura of romance and glamour about aircraft and aeronautics.” While flying would have been an obvious extension of that romance, for Nayak, the lure lay in the building of the flying machine. “I was curious about aircraft and how they worked. In hindsight I would say that I understood my inclination and aptitude. I feel enormous satisfaction building aircraft. Watching them go from the factory and into the air fill me up with a high which cannot be described.” As it happened, in the course of his long innings, Nayak saw huge transformation in aircraft technology, from piston to jet engine. “I have seen 12 to 13 types of aircraft,” he says.
That was the excitement that kept him hooked on and ensured that his first job became his only job. He joined in the quality assurance department of the design services, which has since been renamed Aircraft Research and Design Centre. Soon after joining HAL, he underwent a 62-week orientation programme, which all HAL trainees go through. While part of the programme was carried out at IIT, Chennai, where trainees were familiarised with aeronautical engineering, the other part was at HAL’s Institute of Management. HAL, after all, is in the business of manufacturing and selling aircraft, so learning the ropes of the business is compulsory for the greenhorns.
His education over, Nayak moved on to customer services, production and finally landed up in the Engine Division in 1986, where he stayed on for 14 years. He headed production engineering and oversaw the assembly, overhaul and repair of engines like Artouste, Garrett, Dart, Orpheus, Gnome, Adour and the Avon series. The next stop was the export section in the Aircraft Division. His first promotion as the general manager happened in 2004, when he was given the charge of the aerospace division. It was under his watch that the structural assemblies of GSLV Mk III were manufactured. Two years later, he moved on as the general manager of the aircraft division at the Bangalore Complex and worked on the upgradation of the Jaguar aircraft. This was also the time when the manufacturing base for the production of Pilotless Target Aircraft was set up. Other high profile projects with which he got associated were Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), and Advanced Jet Trainer Hawk. There was a renewed focus on exports and to maximise production he brought in the Boeing Production System (BPS). And a year later, in 2007, he succeeded Ashok K. Saxena as the managing director of the Bangalore Complex, the biggest of the HAL complexes with seven divisions under it.
For a person who never actively sought higher office, this could have been the perfect climax to an ascendant career, given that he started in Bangalore and ironically remained there throughout. Heading the mammoth Bangalore complex, overseeing projects like the AJT Hawk, indigenous IJT, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, upgrades on Jaguar and so on, was to an extent a fulfilment of a dream. But Nayak still had some distance to travel.
“I never felt stifled at HAL, so there was no reason to leave,” he says. “HAL gives you a huge degree of freedom to do your work. Moreover, though I did not have an opportunity to work in divisions outside Bangalore, here itself I had a variety of challenges. The exposure was phenomenal and I couldn’t have expected that anywhere else. If I had to sum it up, I’d say there has never been a dull moment.” Yet, Nayak never dreamt that the last hurdle would be crossed so smoothly.
But as he says, the challenge has begun only now. For the first time, HAL is poised for galloping changes. If it utilises all the opportunities that are likely to come its way in the next few years, it can probably propel itself into the big league. For this reason, his first statement after taking over as the chairman was: “With the offset opportunity and massive new programmes coming up, HAL must find ways and means to capture all these opportunities for a safe and secure future. We have made an impact in the international market and will now have to focus on our exports further to stay ahead in the race.”
Sitting behind his desk, with the models of various aircraft that HAL has built over the years behind him, Nayak says that HAL has a full house as far as work is concerned for the next 10 years. “There is no shortage of work at all,” he says, ending the sentence with an important ‘but’. “The challenge is, given the multiple projects, how we manage the programmes and the supply chain. Secondly, given that technology is changing rapidly, we have to keep up with not only understanding these changes but also imbibing and implementing them.” As if that was not a tall order already, Nayak lists out his other priorities. He says that HAL is in the process of upgrading its management cadre. “Professionalisation,” he calls it. Under this scheme, Grade II to Grade III employees of HAL (late 20s to early 30s) are given two years time off with full financial support to study either in India or abroad depending upon where they are selected. Nayak says that he wants to give a renewed impetus to this project and ensure that at least 40 to 50 people are sponsored. “Till about five years ago, with the growth of the private sector, several people left the organisation. Our endeavour is to not only ensure that this spill-over does not continue, but also try and see if those who left can re-join,” he says. His other priority is greater collaboration with the private sector.
However, Nayak’s biggest challenge would be the multi role combat aircraft (MRCA), for which HAL will be the contract partner. Already, all the six competitors in the race, Lockheed Martin (F-16), Boeing (FA/18 Super Hornet), EADS GMBH (Eurofighter), Saab Group (Gripen), Dassault (Rafale) and RAC-MiG (MiG-35) have been wooing HAL. Not only will the aircraft be produced by HAL, it will also probably be absorbing some part of the offset obligations that the seller companies will be required to meet. Nayak smiles, not smugly, but in a know-all, been there, done that sort of a way. He does not deny the wooing part, but suggests an air of imperviousness to all that. “Each manufacturer has its own idiosyncrasies,” he says. “We can handle all that. The important thing is that we know how to make an aircraft. We are already making the Su-30MKI, which is a 4+ generation aircraft. In terms of technology, the MRCA would be similar to that. So, that is not a challenge for us.”
But what about the numbers? Will they have the capacity to take on another line? If things move according to the plan, then probably there will be an overlap with the Sukhois. He concurs, “We will need more facilities and we are working towards that. In addition, we will also need a little scaling up of manpower. But even this is not a big challenge as a few of our existing programmes would be complete by then. For instance, we started the Hawk line where Jaguar was earlier. Though, of course, we will be setting up a unit for core technologies, integration of aircraft and engine, including testing.”
One of the criticisms of HAL has been its seeming inability to absorb new technologies and meeting deadlines. How will the new chairman address these issues, especially when the needs of the Indian armed forces are going to only get more high-tech? “No technology is straight forward,” says Nayak. “The popular perception in India is that everything that comes from abroad will be smooth sailing. But this is not true. Every single product and every transfer of technology needs extensive work here. A lot of screening has to be done, and there are certain things which are done for the first time at HAL. So, there are bound to be certain impediments. For instance, we are manufacturing a trainer and there have been numerous problems in terms of ToT. The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) does not always give us all specifications or components on the platter. One has to understand that nobody works towards a failure, but certain problems happen that needs to be overcome,” Nayak concludes passionately.
Given that now the buck will stop at him, does he personally fear failure? He smiles once again. “There is no question of fear, but yes, I agree that it is my biggest challenge to ensure that our customers are satisfied. Customer satisfaction will be my biggest incentive. While there is no reason for sleepless nights, but we need to put in a lot of hard work.” So there, hard work, the answer to all challenges.
At the moment, two rotary wing projects are close to the chairman’s heart and he would want them to be up and flying during his tenure, minor hiccups notwithstanding. While the Light Combat Helicopter is almost through its teething problems and the first prototype would hopefully fly in November, the Light Utility Helicopter (earlier called the Light Observation Helicopter) is on the drawing board. According to Nayak, “We are hopeful of freezing the design by July-August this year.” HAL is working very closely with the user on this one. “At the factory level, our collaboration with the Indian Air Force is almost on a day to day basis,” he says.
With his hands full and growing expectations, one would imagine that the new chairman would be weighed down by his responsibilities. Perhaps, his simplicity is the guard which shields him from pressures and the burden of the office. Also it helps to have ‘no airs’; at least, it takes that much off one’s shoulders.
Even then, when the going gets tough, Nayak gets going, literally, in his car. “I like driving,” he says, and “every two or three times a year I get behind the wheel and drive to the western coast where I have family in and around Karwar. It is very relaxing and rejuvenating.” Alone, wouldn’t it be more fun if it was with a companion? He shrugs. “It is one of those things that either happen or doesn’t in your life. I had not planned it this way,” he says explaining his bachelorhood. “My father died when I was still in college and my mother passed away within a few months of my joining HAL. Since I had two older sisters and one younger brother (all happily married), the issue of my marriage somehow receded in the background.”
But no question of missing domesticity. He lives with one of his older sisters and socialises quite a bit. With sheepishness creeping in his tone he says, “Food is my weakness. I love seafood.” Given his strengths, one weakness is certainly forgivable.
