Effortless navigator - Dr. Reddy’sSecure Site €¦ · Why Sentiss Pharma is the most innovative company of 2014 : Best Emer

12/1/2014 GV Prasad understands the tiniest operational detail - Business Today

http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/best-indian-ceos-2014-gv-prasad-dr-reddy-laboratories/1/212753.html 1/6

THE INDIA TODAY GROUP India Today Aaj Tak Headlines Today Business Today Men's Health Wonder Woman Cosmopolitan Oye! 104.8FM Travel Plus Bag it Today

Sebi asks NVD Solar to

refund Rs 595 cr toinvestors

Bankers expect RBI to hold

rates

RBI may keep policy rate

unchanged on Tuesday

Tuesday preferred day for

Rajan's policy reviews

BT MindRush: Unlocking

the secret of riding

business wave

WE RECOMMEND

BT MindRush: Unlocking

the secret of riding

business wave

Premium on ATM use was

wanted badly by banks

He is just back from the Sundarbans with a host of pictures of

the world's largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest, taken with

his new Canon 5D Mark III camera. G.V. Prasad, Co-Chairman

and CEO of the $2.2-billion Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, has been

a passionate wildlife and nature photographer for nearly a

decade. He says viewing the world through camera lenses also

helps in running his business and engaging with people. "I've

learnt to notice people's different dimensions," he says. "I

prefer multi-dimensional people to uni-dimensional ones. The

former have more to offer to the people around them, because

the more diverse things you do, the richer you are in terms of

experiences."

Home Business Today COVER STORY Dec 21, 2014 Story

E. Kumar Sharma Follow @EKumarSharma Edition:Dec 21, 2014

Effortless navigatorGV Prasad understands both the big picture and the tiniest operational detail.

GV Prasad, co-chairman and CEO, Dr Reddy's Laboratories | BEST CEO: Large Companies | (Photo: Nilotpal Baruah)

MOREBIZ WRAP MARKETS FINANCES INDUSTRY TECH FEATURES VIDEOS INSIGHT PHOTOS B-SCHOOL DEBATE

http://businesstoday.intoday.in/videoshttp://www.bagittoday.com/http://www.gadgetsngizmos.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/section/102/1/talking-heads.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/index.jsphttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/http://oyefm.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/section/101/1/sectors.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/issue/381/1/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/sectionlist/20/1/cover-story.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/mindrush-2014-business-conclave-business-today-day-2/1/212892.htmlhttp://www.aajtak.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/raghuram-rajan-monetary-policy-repo-rate/1/212899.htmlhttp://www.cosmopolitan.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/archive/bt/1/archive.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/search.jsp?searchword=E.%20Kumar%20Sharma&searchtype=text&searchphrase=exact&search_type=authorhttp://travelplus.intoday.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/section/100/1/biz-wrap.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/banks-on-rbi-guideline-atm-withdrawal-charges-icici-sbi/1/212397.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/issue/381/1/http://www.moneytoday.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/reserve-bank-of-india-rbi-arun-jaitley-arundhati-bhattacharya/1/212908.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/market/111/1/markets.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/sebi-market-regulator-kolkata-based-nvd-solar-nvd-investors/1/212910.htmlhttp://www.wonderwoman.in/http://www.indiatoday.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/banks-on-rbi-guideline-atm-withdrawal-charges-icici-sbi/1/212397.htmlhttp://www.businesstoday.in/http://indiatodaygroup.com/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/photosectionlist/1http://www.menshealthindia.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/mindrush-2014-business-conclave-business-today-day-2/1/212892.htmlhttps://twitter.com/@EKumarSharmahttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/debatelist/168/1/b-school-debate.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/archive/bt/1/archive.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/mindrush-2014-business-conclave-business-today-day-2/1/212892.htmlhttp://www.headlinestoday.in/http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/rbi-policy-rate-raghuram-rajan-united-bank-of-india/1/212901.html



MORE FROM THEAUTHOR

'Enrich work environment

to make employees' brains

tick'

Punita Lal, Nachiket Mor

join Cipla board

"I've learnt to notice

people's different

dimensions. I prefer multi-

dimensional people to uni-

dimensional ones. The

former have more to offer

to the people around

them..."

At work Prasad can take both the

wide-angle and the close-up view -

different mentors taught him the

value of each. From his father-in-

law and founder of Dr. Reddy's

Labs, Kallam Anji Reddy, he learnt

the first; from his own father G.

Harishchandra Reddy, the second.

"Anji Reddy was a visionary who

looked at the big picture," he says.

"From him I learnt to see the forest,

while from my father, who was

detail oriented, I learnt to see the

trees." Dr. Reddy's Labs Chairman

and Anji Reddy's son, K. Satish

Reddy, agrees. "What I admire

about Prasad is his uncanny ability

to navigate effortlessly from a high

level strategic thought right down

to an operational detail," he says.

It is also what sets the two apart. "Satish is not a person who

probes too much," says Prasad. "He assesses people and then

empowers them. But I get into details. Anyone in the company

will tell you that people need to come fully prepared to

meetings with me because I can ask any question." The

Chairman and CEO complement each other. "We have a good

understanding of what is good for the company and we keep

that foremost at all times," says Satish Reddy. What happens

when differences arise? "Differences in strategy or on business

issues may arise but we sort them out keeping in mind what is

best for Dr. Reddy's," adds Prasad.

Prasad returned to India from the US

in 1983 with a Master's degree in

industrial administration from

Purdue University and joined his

family's construction business. Two

years later, as he was branching out

on his own to set up a bulk drugs'

manufacturing company, Benzex Labs, he met Anji Reddy one

evening at the house of a friend of his father's. Anji Reddy had

set up his facility a year earlier on the same Hyderabad street as

his own unit. Anji Reddy appeared to take an instant liking to

Prasad and that very year, married his daughter Anuradha to

him! In 1987 Dr. Reddy's Labs acquired Benzex and Prasad

went back to his family business. In 1990, however, Anji Reddy

suggested Prasad join him, and he agreed. "I didn't think of it as

joining my father-in-law's business," he says. "Anji Reddy

treated me as a professional and I behaved like one."

About GV Prasad

http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/punita-lal-nachiket-mor-join-cipla-board/1/212373.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/punita-lal-nachiket-mor-join-cipla-board/1/212373.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/mindrush-2014-india-inc-future-p-murali-doraiswamy/1/212894.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/search.jsp?searchword=E.%20Kumar%20Sharma&searchtype=text&searchphrase=exact&search_type=authorhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/mindrush-2014-india-inc-future-p-murali-doraiswamy/1/212894.html



"Anand created the war

rooms. As a sector head,

you need to come and tell

what your strategy is, like a

general"

K SATISH REDDY

Chairman, Dr. Reddy's Labs

FULL COVERAGE: India's Best CEOs 2014

Prasad confirms that Anji Reddy was more of a scientist than a

businessman to whom original research was more important

than his company's balance sheets, which he left to others to

take care of. But there is a widespread view that even before he

passed away, Dr. Reddy's had stopped pursuing basic research

with the same zeal as before, moving more towards research in

select, complex generics which have limited competition.

Prasad denies it, noting that Dr. Reddy's still puts around 10 per

cent of its sales value into research and development. "We are

also doing some interesting work at Aurigene," he says.

Aurigene is a Dr. Reddy's subsidiary engaged in discovery

services, with centres in Hyderabad and Bangalore. "Here we

have gone beyond generics and are working on proprietary

products which will morph into discoveries if they reach their

logical conclusion. We will then be known for our innovation."

Prasad rises at 5 am daily to give

himself sufficient time for reading

and a workout at his private gym. He

is a voracious reader. "I don't read

only management books," he says.

"I'm very interested in history."

Lately audio books have also caught

his fancy and he is currently

listening to Genghis Khan and the

Making of the Modern World by

Jack Weatherford. He finds Genghis

Khan, who started with a small tribe on the steppes of Mongolia

and went on to conquer a fair portion of the world, amazing.

But the book that has influenced him the most is perhaps

Keshavan Nair's A Higher Standard of Leadership: Lessons

from the Life of Gandhi. "It explains Gandhi's philosophy in a

very simple way," he says. "What Gandhi says about truth and

integrity is very relevant for people like us who are in business.

The non violence concept, too, has great meaning. Violence

need not always be physical. It can be verbal and is even

implicit when people play politics." Apart from Gandhi, another

idol is Steve Jobs. "Who would not admire him?" he says.

"Everyone has flaws but there was something magical about

Jobs. He had some very strong beliefs which he held on to,

pursued, and changed the world."

With Apple's former CEO as his model, what abilities and

qualities does he think a CEO in a pharmaceutical company

should have? "The pharma business is complex, so he or she

must have the ability to deal with complexity," he says. "Each

geographical location has its own rules; each country has its

own legislative process. A CEO needs to reduce the complexity

http://businesstoday.intoday.in/best-ceo/2014/



of the environment for his team and make it meaningful to the

members." Equally important is a fascination with the sector.

"Anji Reddy used to say discovering medicines is like playing

God," he adds. "A pharma CEO must be inspired by health care

and want to make a difference."

His leadership style varies

according to need. "I prefer a

collaborative style," he says. "I like

people who are smart and

competent, who do not need to be

guided. But I can change with the

situation. There are some people

who have to be told what to do.

There are some I can inspire and

liberate and some who I need to

work alongside." The primary focus

remains the greater glory of Dr.

Reddy's Labs. "I want Dr. Reddy's

to become a global force in the

world of pharma. I don't think we

are there yet. What we do should

matter to the world."

Prasad is respected across the

industry. "I find him a very

thoughtful individual who, in his

humble and quiet way, has been

extremely effective," says Y.K.

Hamied, Chairman, Cipla, who

used to know Anji Reddy as well.

Prasad's long-term vision is

apparent from the fact that he is

already looking for a successor. "I

have to replace myself in the next

few years and find the best guy to

lead this company from revenues of

$3 billion to $10 billion," he says. "I

need a guy who can think $10

billion and bat at that level. He

should be entrepreneurial enough

to see Dr. Reddy's possibilities and

build on them. He should have the

capacity to make his own plans and

not depend on briefs from us."

Apart from the pursuit of

photography, Prasad has been, to use his own expression,

adding new layers to his personality too. There was a time, in

the pre-photography years, when he was himself focused

purely on his work. Today, his interest in people in general is

The other nominees: Largecompanies



much more than before, including the people Dr. Reddy's hires.

Often, he gets actively involved in the hiring process. To his

love of history and wildlife, he has added education, and is on

the boards of the Indian School of Business, the Indian

Institute of Technology, Hyderabad and Dr. Reddy's Institute

of Life Sciences.

TweetMAIL PRINT

DO YOU LIKE THIS STORY? 37 2

Tags: Best Indian CEOs | India's Best CEOs | Top Indian CEOs | Top 100 CEOs Of India |

Corporate India

Trimming to consolidate Stickler for details

Previous Story Next Story

YOU MAY LIKE by TaboolaSponsored Links

JbNote.com

10 Parenting Tips on How to

Handle Children with Autism Fa str a ckKeepTrippin with Fastrack!

Wom a n itely

10 Most Unique Fall Date

Ideas

th esta r .com

Programs act as springboard

to jobs of today

iSideWith .com

BJP vs Congress? This new

website helps voters decide

between the two parties!

V isit Su n V a lley by A FA R

Idaho's Cross-Country Capital

FROM THE WEB FROM INDIA TODAY GROUP

17 Insanely Huge Things You Won't

Believe Aren't Photoshopped (A ll My Fa v es)

10 Smarter and Less Stressful Ways to

Get Your Daily Work Done (GoWeLov eIt . in fo)

Burning Men of Bulgaria (V ICE)

Top 11 Best Celebrity Selfies (Wm n Life.com )

Arun Jaitley expresses hope of introducing

GST Bill in ongoing Winter Session of Par…

Rupee falls to fresh nine-month low in

early trade

India's Best CEOs 2014

Promoted Links

http://www.vice.com/vice-news/burning-men-of-bulgaria?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=indiatoday-businesstoday&utm_campaign=videohttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/best-indian-ceos-2014-grandhi-mallikarjuna-rao-gmr-group/1/212752.htmlhttp://www.thestar.com/life/continuingeducation/2013/08/15/programs_act_as_springboard_to_jobs_of_today.html?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referralhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/search.jsp?searchword=Best%20Indian%20CEOs&searchtype=text&searchphrase=exacthttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/search.jsp?searchword=Corporate%20India&searchtype=text&searchphrase=exacthttp://www.afar.com/places/200-kilometers?context=wanderlist&context_id=40134&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referralhttp://fastrack.in/keeptrippin/?utm_source=xaxis&utm_medium=bnr&utm_campaign=keeptrippinhttps://twitter.com/sharehttp://fastrack.in/keeptrippin/?utm_source=xaxis&utm_medium=bnr&utm_campaign=keeptrippinhttp://www.taboola.com/en/popup?template=colorbox&taboola_utm_source=indiatoday-businesstoday&taboola_utm_medium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=hybrid-text-links-2c:text-2-columns:http://businesstoday.intoday.in/search.jsp?searchword=Top%20100%20CEOs%20of%20India&searchtype=text&searchphrase=exacthttp://www.taboola.com/en/popup?template=colorbox&taboola_utm_source=indiatoday-businesstoday&taboola_utm_medium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=thumbs-2r:below-main-column:http://businesstoday.intoday.in/photoplay/business-today-pwc-best-indian-ceos-2014-top-20-list/6/587.htmlhttp://india.isidewith.com/political-quiz?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=in_q6http://businesstoday.intoday.in/search.jsp?searchword=Top%20Indian%20CEOs&searchtype=text&searchphrase=exacthttp://www.afar.com/places/200-kilometers?context=wanderlist&context_id=40134&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referralhttp://goweloveit.info/lifestyle/10-smarter-and-less-stressful-ways-to-get-your-daily-work-done/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referralhttp://wmnlife.com/celebrities/top-11-best-celebrity-selfies?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=indiatoday-businesstoday&utm_campaign=taboola-int&utm_term=Top+11+Best+Celebrity+Selfies&utm_content=http%3A%2F%2Fwmnlife.com%2Fmedia%2Fk2%2Fitems%2Fcache%2F267b1948fa84309bc99f9c0289cabe44_M.jpghttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/best-indian-ceos-2014-grandhi-mallikarjuna-rao-gmr-group/1/212752.htmlhttp://jbnote.com/parenting-tips-handle-children-with-autism/?tabhttp://womanitely.com/unique-fall-date-ideas/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=taboola-fallhttp://www.thestar.com/life/continuingeducation/2013/08/15/programs_act_as_springboard_to_jobs_of_today.html?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referralhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/best-indian-ceos-2014-harsh-mariwala-marico-chairman-fmcg/1/212754.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/arun-jaitley-on-gst-bill-current-winter-session-parliament/1/212914.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/best-indian-ceos-2014-harsh-mariwala-marico-chairman-fmcg/1/212754.htmlhttp://india.isidewith.com/political-quiz?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=in_q6http://jbnote.com/parenting-tips-handle-children-with-autism/?tabhttp://womanitely.com/unique-fall-date-ideas/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=taboola-fallhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/rupee-forex-markets-trading-on-december-1-2014/1/212903.htmlhttp://www.taboola.com/en/popup?template=colorbox&taboola_utm_source=indiatoday-businesstoday&taboola_utm_medium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=thumbs-2r:below-main-column:http://businesstoday.intoday.in/search.jsp?searchword=India%27s%20Best%20CEOs&searchtype=text&searchphrase=exacthttp://www.allmyfaves.com/blog/photos/17-insanely-huge-things-you-wont-believe-arent-photoshopped/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=worldhugethings



by Taboola

9 Old-Fashioned Marriage Principles You

Can Break Today (Wom a n itely )

Behind BT's October 26, 2014 issue :

Editorspeak

Why Sentiss Pharma is the most

innovative company of 2014 : Best Emer…
http://www.taboola.com/en/popup?template=colorbox&taboola_utm_source=indiatoday-businesstoday&taboola_utm_medium=bytaboola&taboola_utm_content=hybrid-text-links-2c:text-2-columns:http://womanitely.com/old-fashioned-marriage-principles-break-today/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=taboola-lovehttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/video/best-emerging-indian-companies-2014-sentiss-pharma-innovation/1/212229.htmlhttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/video/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-satya-nadella/1/211469.html

Documents

Effortless navigator - Dr. Reddy’sSecure Site €¦ · Why Sentiss Pharma is the most innovative company of 2014 : Best Emer