Chennai is replete with instances of institution-building, either by choice or circumstance. Take the case of Enfield. It’s a commanding brand. The aura around it hasn’t diminished a bit. It sold over one million vehicles last financial year. The brand continues to excite the new generation. It won’t be out of context to remember the late S Viswanathan, the founder of Enfield. In the 90s, he took the extraordinary step of inducting the Eicher group as an equal partner in the company, heralding the first south-north corporate alliance. Subsequently, he sold Enfield to the Eicher group, which has taken Royal Enfield to higher growth and newer geographical areas. From hindsight, it could be argued that it was the foresight of late Viswanathan that ultimately resulted in Enfield reaching where it is today. A quitter, one may argue. But Enfield has scaled up on the growth path!
