Niladri Mazumder : First Among Equals

To head a Japanese company in India is a big deal.

Mr. Niladri Mazumder COO and President of Seiko India is perhaps the only Indian to be promoted as a country head of a Japanese watch company.

 This is indeed a rare feat as nationality and age are considered as prerequisites for a leadership position in a Japanese multinational.

Niladri has defied convention and achieved this at a young age of 40, that too in less than 10 years.

He is thus an ideal youth icon and a role model for young Indian aspirants eyeing a successful career in the corporate sector.

 Niladri dedicates this success to his team and the Seiko management in Tokyo for the trust that they have reposed in him.

 The trust and confidence are a result of his impeccable track record of eight years with Seiko in India.

 Born and brought up in a middle class Bengali family in Kolkata, Niladri inherited respect and honesty as heirlooms.

 During his formative years, Niladri’s role model was his father, the then Director General of Police in West Bengal. He taught Niladri the importance of respecting all human beings especially the elderly and the need for brutal honesty.

After he lost his father at the young age of 13, he was groomed by his mother and elder sister in Kolkata.

The teachings of his father are ingrained in his DNA.

A successful team leader needs to respect all human beings irrespective of their position in their hierarchy. To respect the elderly is an Indian tradition and this quality resonates perfectly with the Japanese ethos that respects team spirit and work experience.

  Honesty and frankness are the hallmarks of effective communication that build trust, generate confidence and win hearts.

 As a child Niladri aspired to be a successful sportsman. He took an active part in sports during his school and college days and played cricket, football and badminton.

   He idolized sports personalities like Gundappa Vishwanath, Kapil Dev, Maradona and Prakash Padukone.

 Niladri admires Vishy’s elegant and wristy batting style that emphasized timing rather than power.

 He also holds Prakash Padukone in high esteem due to his ability to remain calm and composed on the field.

 Among his other notable passions is MOTORCYCLING. He is a member of the bikers club in Bangalore and is amazed by the fact that he has made 50 close friends at the age of 40 solely on the basis of shared passion/ common interest. 

 Mr. Mazumder completed his schooling from the renowned St. Xavier’s School, Kolkata, his Graduation in Commerce from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata and his MBA from the University of Sheffield, UK (rated as one of the Top Business Schools in the world). Mr. Mazumder topped his batch in Marketing at the Business School and was awarded the prestigious ‘Sheffield Insulation Group Award’.

 Niladri was a crucial member of the Seiko Watch Corporation Team that devised the initial and critical ‘Entry Strategy’ for Seiko’s venture in the very competitive Indian Watch Market. He has been instrumental in setting up the entire Sales & Marketing structure, processes, systems for the Indian territory, for one of the largest and most respected watch companies in the World. He has been the driving force behind SEIKO being recognized today as one of the leading Brands in the Premium segment of the Indian watch market, which is in tune with its International Positioning.

Seiko today is present in 385 of the best watch outlets across the country covering over 90 cities. Seiko started with 55 different SKU’s during its launch and has in a short span released 190 of its latest and leading international models in the Indian market. Mr. Mazumder and his excellent Sales & Marketing Team were very clear in their objective of keeping the ‘Brand’s Long Term Development’ as Primary to its growth plans. Despite numerous requests for entry of the Seiko Brand into hundreds of outlets in India, Seiko has restricted its entry to stores that sell watches ‘the Seiko way’, thereby assuring the end consumer the best service at all times.

Seiko’s Brand Strategy in India is completely in tune with its Global Brand Strategy, and Mr. Mazumder and his Team have been instrumental in achieving that desired goal. Today Seiko’s Average Selling Price is Rs.25,000/- per watch, which in itself is a tremendous achievement. Niladri and his Team have also been instrumental in setting up a robust After Sales Service Network across the country.

What Mr. Mazumder has achieved for Seiko in the last 6 years, have perhaps taken other reputed Brands many more years to achieve. Mr. Mazumder believes whole heartedly in Seiko’s Brand credentials of ‘Innovation & Refinement’ and has justified this by his actions

 Under Mr. Mazumders’ leadership Seiko Watch India won the prestigious Seiko Watch Corporation – ‘President’s International Marketing Division Award’, for being the best performing country amongst 80+ countries in the World in the year 2007-08 – a rare honour to be achieved by any country in its first year of operation.

 Niladri started his career with Titan Industries Limited, and went on to spend twelve years with Titan. During his stint with Titan, Mr. Mazumder has handled various responsibilities in the Sales, Marketing, Retailing and International Business spheres of Titan’s Watch and Jewellery Division.

 In a freewheeling interview with Anil Prabhakar, he answered a variety of questions on different subjects for the readers of Trade Post. Please refer July 2016 issue.