Changing Tracks V Nilakant S Ramnarayan 9788172238629 Books
Download As PDF : Changing Tracks V Nilakant S Ramnarayan 9788172238629 Books
the world s second largest railway network under a single management was nearly bankrupt. Over the next eight years, however, there was a dramatic improvement in its performance. From a cash surplus before dividend of Rs 1,071 crores in 2000, it achieved an estimated Rs 25,000 crores (or around Rs 13,000 crores after accounting for all expenditures, receipts and depreciation) in 2008. Alongside came a dynamic and differential tariff policy, and technical changes that led to an enhanced carrying capacity. How all this was accomplished is the focus of this riveting study of change and innovation in the Indian Railways.
Changing Tracks V Nilakant S Ramnarayan 9788172238629 Books
During my high school days there was a famous joke about the Indian Railways. The train that arrives on time was the one that was supposed to arrive the previous day!The Indian Railways is a very interesting organization with a rich history and a part of the Indian culture today. Beginning its first train journey in 1853 from Mumbai to Thane, the Indian Railways has come a long way.
Despite its strategic importance of being the backbone of the Indian economy in transporting goods and people and a symbol of national integrity, it was never considered anywhere near to being an efficient, customer friendly and world class organization, contrary to political rhetoric and vested interests.
The only significant departure to this image occurred in the years 2004-2008 under the leadership of a railway minister whose political track record was otherwise expected to ruin this giant organization at an accelerating pace, if not accelerate the speeds of the slow moving trains. Quite contrary to this, the Indian Railways did a remarkable turnaround in this period, entering into case studies of the world's best business schools. The title "Changing Tracks" for this book is an apt one.
If there is a woman behind every successful man, there should also be an efficient and honest bureaucrat behind every successful politician in power. Sudhir Kumar, the Indian Administrative Services officer, handpicked by the Railway Minister was the catalyst behind this turnaround story.
The principles applied for the turnaround were very simple: Longer, Faster and Heavier trains did the trick. For an organization with a very high operational leverage, any additional revenue above the break-even point adds directly to the bottom-line in ample measure. So did this strategy. From near bankruptcy in the year 2000, the Indian Railways earned a cash surplus of over Rs 20,000 Crores ($ 4.5 Billion approx) in 2008.
Some interesting aspects of this success story are:
- Leverage the strengths of highly professional Railway officers
- Eliminate political interference and giving a free hand to the professionals
- Question the status quo and break bureaucratic walls of the 150 year old government organization
- Involve the entire organization including the contract employees in managing change and getting their buy-in
- Sound judgment on business lines
- Always keep the customer and in this case the common man in mind.
Since then, there has been a remarkable shift in the image of the Indian Railways in the minds of the Indian citizens. Some key elements of this shift are:
- Computerization of ticket bookings through the internet, and even complimentary upgrades (never even thought of earlier)
- Rationalization and simplification of freight rates
- Punctuality in operations
- Cleanliness of trains and railway stations
- Hygienic and tasty food on board
- No significant hike in fares despite increase in revenues and profitability.
This book clearly demonstrates that even large, old and archaic government organizations can be turned into agile, customer friendly and economically profitable ventures in a very short time. Leadership makes the difference!
Read this book during your next trip on Indian Railways. Happy Journey!
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Tags : Changing Tracks [V. Nilakant, S. Ramnarayan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. the world s second largest railway network under a single management was nearly bankrupt. Over the next eight years,V. Nilakant, S. Ramnarayan,Changing Tracks,HarperCollins India,8172238622,Business & Investing Management
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Changing Tracks V Nilakant S Ramnarayan 9788172238629 Books Reviews
During my high school days there was a famous joke about the Indian Railways. The train that arrives on time was the one that was supposed to arrive the previous day!
The Indian Railways is a very interesting organization with a rich history and a part of the Indian culture today. Beginning its first train journey in 1853 from Mumbai to Thane, the Indian Railways has come a long way.
Despite its strategic importance of being the backbone of the Indian economy in transporting goods and people and a symbol of national integrity, it was never considered anywhere near to being an efficient, customer friendly and world class organization, contrary to political rhetoric and vested interests.
The only significant departure to this image occurred in the years 2004-2008 under the leadership of a railway minister whose political track record was otherwise expected to ruin this giant organization at an accelerating pace, if not accelerate the speeds of the slow moving trains. Quite contrary to this, the Indian Railways did a remarkable turnaround in this period, entering into case studies of the world's best business schools. The title "Changing Tracks" for this book is an apt one.
If there is a woman behind every successful man, there should also be an efficient and honest bureaucrat behind every successful politician in power. Sudhir Kumar, the Indian Administrative Services officer, handpicked by the Railway Minister was the catalyst behind this turnaround story.
The principles applied for the turnaround were very simple Longer, Faster and Heavier trains did the trick. For an organization with a very high operational leverage, any additional revenue above the break-even point adds directly to the bottom-line in ample measure. So did this strategy. From near bankruptcy in the year 2000, the Indian Railways earned a cash surplus of over Rs 20,000 Crores ($ 4.5 Billion approx) in 2008.
Some interesting aspects of this success story are
- Leverage the strengths of highly professional Railway officers
- Eliminate political interference and giving a free hand to the professionals
- Question the status quo and break bureaucratic walls of the 150 year old government organization
- Involve the entire organization including the contract employees in managing change and getting their buy-in
- Sound judgment on business lines
- Always keep the customer and in this case the common man in mind.
Since then, there has been a remarkable shift in the image of the Indian Railways in the minds of the Indian citizens. Some key elements of this shift are
- Computerization of ticket bookings through the internet, and even complimentary upgrades (never even thought of earlier)
- Rationalization and simplification of freight rates
- Punctuality in operations
- Cleanliness of trains and railway stations
- Hygienic and tasty food on board
- No significant hike in fares despite increase in revenues and profitability.
This book clearly demonstrates that even large, old and archaic government organizations can be turned into agile, customer friendly and economically profitable ventures in a very short time. Leadership makes the difference!
Read this book during your next trip on Indian Railways. Happy Journey!
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